I'm happy because I'm down 20lbs as of last Wednesday.  I've been trying to lose weight for about 5 years w/out success.  At most I would drop 10 and put on 15 or I would drop 10lbs and forget my new lifestyle and end-up gaining the weight back.  This past December I wanted to start my New Year's Resolution early and I made a commitment to myself that I would lose the weight.  I know for a fact that I was half-assing my food intake compared to the exercise that I was doing.  I did actually think I was cutting calories enough, but it was the simple fact that I thought I still had the metabolism I had at 19 yrs. old and now I know for a fact that's not the case.

I started fitness boxing mid-December due to a friend mentioning it to me earlier in the summer.  I took the classes with my nephew and I acclimated to the exercising by getting in better shape but I wasn't losing any weight.  Two months in and I still wasn't losing the weight I wanted to lose and I didn't get discouraged, I decided to push harder and hope that would do the trick.  Excerting more effort got me still in better condition but I was still 250 lbs. and I started at 255 lbs.  Mid-way through my last month (2.5 of 3 months) I decided that it wasn't just working-out and my eating has to be an issue.  I didn't want to renew so I dropped the boxing and I went back to playing pick-up volleyball once a week.  Two weeks into the pick-up the gang said they would take a month break and start-up again on the beach.  Well, volleyball is my focus.  it's the reason I wanted to lose weight, along w/wanting to live longer w/out diabetes and all of the other ailments brought on by being over-weight.  My family is prone to diabetes and at 250lbs.  I was a candidate for the disease.  I played college football at 185lbs and when I tried to gain weight I took everything under the sun to get over 200lbs.  Once I got out of school and got a job in an office and my exercise dwendling, I balloned-up to 250lbs.  Eventhough you wouldn't believe I was that weight I was there.

Well in March of 2010 I was asked by one of my volleyball buddies if I ever did karate.  I did back in college and I was actually thinking about doing Tai Chi and my buddy sold me on trying his dojo out because you get the first 2 classes free.  To make a long story short it's been 4 months and I'm down 20lbs.  I've started to eat a high fiber diet.  I've cut out a lot of red meat and meat in general.  I eat a lot of beans, peanut butter, cottage cheese and yogurt for my protein and I'm eating broccoli in every meal for the fiber.  I eat dry Shredded Wheat for breakfast or some other whole grain.  Like wheat bread and egg whites or wheat bread and peanut butter.  I think I have lost some muscle but I know my knees will thank me for it later as I play volleyball Monday's now.  I also do karate 3 to 4 nights a week.  All of this w/out knee issues.  I believe this is due to the weight loss.