I was always a somewhat big/tall person. In the last 15 years, I gain weight from just eating the wrong foods, too much food and at bad times. In July 2008, my weight was 330lbs. I was on 5 different meds for high blood pressure. One of them (Azor) caused edema (Swelling of the legs). Another called Bystolic caused fatigue and slowed down my heart rate. I had no side effects from Micardis. They gave me another med to get rid of the water. That raised my uric acid level and because of that, I had Gout attacks two different times. If you had gout or know someone that does, it is very painful. It can be so bad that you can't walk, cant put on shoes or socks and in some cases, you can't even put a bed sheet OVER YOUR FOOT!

Because of the HBP due to weight gain, I had heart failure and moderate heart damage.

On a cruise, I tore my Achilles Tendon. So now I can’t work out, which I was not doing anyway and put on more weight and my pressure went way up. In Feb of 09 after a disagreement of sorts, I didn’t feel good. Something was wrong, very wrong. I had it checked at a Fire station it was my pressure hit 260/150. They almost took me to the hospital.

I was at 354 lbs, waist at 46, shirts were 3XL and a size 56L suit size.

So now I heart damage, gout, high blood pressure and the weight was out of control.

May 17th 2009, I joined weight watchers. After the first week, I lost 16.6 lbs. I had ups and a few downs. More up than downs so that told me that I can do this and make my goal. I lost 18 lbs one week and 14 another week. I gain 7lbs on one week and 12 on another week. In total since I joined Weight Watches, I was losing 3.8 pounds a week.

In Aug of this year while still on meds and still not working out, I went back to the same Fire station and had it checked again. It was:

111/50

At the end of August, I was off the High blood Pressure meds. At the doctor my pressure was 130/70. My weight in August was 290, waist is 42/40, shirt size is 2xl and the suit size is 52L. Plus my shoe size went down. So in the end, it was the weight, all weight and nothing but the weight. In September, I started to go to Ballys Health Club and was working on the bike and weights.

For me to lose weight was not to look better, fit clothes better or anything like that. It was life and death. Either I change or get ready to die.

The former coach for the Utah Jazz was assigned a task from his doctor. He told him to write the names of all the people he knew his own age that were over 300 lbs.

He could not write a single name. After that he ate better, started to exercise and took better care of himself. He lost a ton of weight.

What I had to do was to rethink food. Food is fuel. Plain and simple. No more McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Chickfill-a, any rib joint that I would pass by and not even slow down while driving pass a BUFFET place.

I go with Salads, not eating late and smaller portions. No carbs or starches, no more whole steak at one meal, sweet tea now and then and no white rice. I am back working out and on my bike.

One of the funny things, I went shopping in my closet to find clothes I can wear. It is a trip putting on suits and shirts that you use to wear and now they fit better. I had purchase two suits in March of this year. I wore them about 5 times each and now they are so big, I can’t get them tailored in because there is too much material.

On Nov 1st 2009, I have lost 75 lbs. Looking at my time in High School back in 1978, if I lost another 75 lbs, I will be 5 lbs heavier than I was in HS. In November 2009, my weight is 278. I set a goal of 275 by the end of Nov. I hit this goal by mid-November. The one thing I added was weight training and 35 minutes on the bike. I up that to 45 minutes and then it will be 50 minutes by February 2010. Then at night, I walk about 2 miles.

On January 3^rd 2010, I lost 100 lbs from May 17^th 2009. Today, I have a 38 inch waist, my shirt size is L/XL and my suit size is 50L. My weight is 254 lbs. I plan to do the 5 Boro bike tour in NYC in May 2010. It is a 40 mile bike ride that is a lot of fun.

On Friday night on January 8^th 2010 at 11:00PM while on my 2 mile walk in 18 degree weather, a thought keep running in my mind to run the Peachtree Road Race.  I use to work in a Hotel in Buckhead and would watch every year the runners going past the hotel. Some would walk, others will run. I am going to run. I never ran a road race before but I know I can do this. I will start training at my Gym ASAP.

I have enclosed a picture of a before and after. The before picture was taken 3 years ago in Savannah, I was even bigger in May 2009.

I don’t know how to fail.

Tony Singleton

678-898-0057

sei@bellsouth.net