Please allow me to introduce myself…
July 17, 2008 – 11:38 amI thought that part of the lyric from the Rolling Stones would be a good way to kick off this blog. If you have found your way here, I am going to assume that you have an interest in fitness and weight loss. I have had and continue to have a long journey - a quest for fitness if you will. Let me take a moment to introduce myself.
I am a 49 year old guy that works as a Senior Lead Consultant for Catapult Systems in Houston, TX. (Read computer geek) I am the proud parent of my 10 year old daughter, Katy and happy husband to my most wonderful wife, Nan.
I spent over 37 years of my life obese. Of those years, I was morbidly obese for almost 30 years. I weighed over 275 pounds that I carried on my 6′ 2″ frame when I was a senior in high school. (Let’s not talk about how long ago that was…) At my highest weight, I was almost 600 pounds. I had developed many health problems and knew that I had to make a change or my daughter would be growing up without me.
In May of 2004 I started attending the Weight Management Program at Methodist Hospital. In less than 3 years I had lost 350 plus pounds and found a new life. My current weight is 210 pounds and health and fitness are a major part of my life.
It has been an incredible journey. I went from a lifetime of morbid obesity to being selected as one of Ultimate Houston’s 2006 Outstanding work-out partner with my good friend Austin Davis. 2006 Ultimate Workout partner Later that same year, I was selected to appear in People Magazine’s Half Their Size issue. Half Their Size
It is my goal to help as many people as I can to discover that they do not have to settle for the restrictions that being obese can impose upon your life and your health. All of us have within ourselves the power to change. It does not take willpower, rather it just takes a willingness to change.I hope this blog can be a small part of helping others! I will post of things that I have learned along the way to fitness that I believe can help you along the path of your own journey. However, what I really hope to be able to do with this blog is to answer questions - any and all questions you might have. Change is always hard. Having someone that has gone down the same road you are on can make the journey a little easier. All topics are fair game - from cooking, to motivation to the philological process of change, to self esteem, to exercise, to well … you name it. :) I don’t claim to have all the answers. I don’t think that anyone has them all. However, I am willing to walk down the path with you and share what I do know. We can all learn from each other and help each other along the journey. We all have the power to improve our fitness and health. We all have the power within ourselves to change.
I wish you the very best!
Charles Scott ~ Houston, TX
8 Responses to “Please allow me to introduce myself…”
Nice blog! Thank you for sharing with us at 3FC!
By Lori on Jul 17, 2008
I found this link via MFD.com, and I have a question for you about your weight loss and exercise, especially at the beginning of your journey. What about the pain? Pain in feet, knees, joints? I experience a lot of pain just moving around. I’ve been trying to walk 10 or 20 minutes at a time at a fairly slow pace, but I don’t think I’m ready for any more rigorous exercise until I lose another 10-20 lbs. Just FYI, I’m 38 yrs old, 4′ 8″, 183 lbs (heaviest at 193 or so). How did you start your exercise program, and at what points did you “step it up” so to speak? Did you just follow the signals from your body that you were ready for more? Thanks for any thoughts on this! -Beth
By Beth on Jul 23, 2008
Beth,
Thanks for the comment. What I did was to start walking in the pool. I was so over weight that I had to get some of the weight off my legs to be able to start exercising. I also took a lot of Ibuprofen.
As the weight came off, I moved out of the pool and started increasing the duration and intensity of my exercise program.
I wish you the very best!
Charles
By askcharles on Jul 24, 2008
Charles
Your story is inspiring. I also lost a significant amount of weight (150 pounds) through diet and exercise. I just had a belt lipectomy on Aug 4th and some liposuction on Aug 11 to complete the journey. Before the plastic surgery I was running 5 miles a day 6 days a week and doing Pilates 3-4 times a week. (of course now I’m not exercising for 4 weeks per plastic surgeon instructions.
Best of luck to you in your continued success to a healthy lifestyle. It sounds as if you have really enjoyed your journey
Julia
By Julia H. on Aug 18, 2008
Hello Charles. My Journey is still in it’s beginning stage. I’m scared I wasted too much time. My Obesity is compounded by being a Paraplegic. Weighing 500Lbs and being a paraplegic makes any type of weight loss extremely difficult.I sent you an email of my story. I hope you have time to read and respond.
By Bob on Aug 27, 2008
Hi,
I am a 54 year old female and I had WLS April of 2007. I have lost 100 lbs and I am starting the next part of the transformation, plastic surgery. I was told that insurance will not cover these surgerys that I need. I had a tummy tuck and 13lbs of skin and fat removed from my abdomen in 1999. So the only thing they will pay for I’ve already had. But believe me the excess skin is causing many issues.
Can anyone out there guide me on what I need to do or where I need to address this issue.
By Suzi on Sep 28, 2008
Hi,
I just wanted to say that you have an amazing story, I hope that I have the courage that you have showed in my weight loss. My family, friend, etc, keeping telling me to have the surgery to loss weight, I do not want to do it like that. Surgery maybe right for some people but I beleive that I got myself into this mess, so I should be able to get out. Any advice would be really helpful.
By Jennifer on Nov 19, 2008
Thank you so very much for choosing to live boldly for yourself and for your daughter. I am heartened by your story to keep my eyes on my own goals and my heart in compassionate celebration for every interim one I achieve. I have renewed my intention to modify my relationship to food, making it one free of emotional dependence and purely for the creation and maintenance of good health. For the last week, I have read your story on My Food Diary.com every day. I have now pasted it into MSWORD where I can highlight those sentences which inspire me the most.
As Marianne Williamson wrote, “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Your light, indeed, helps me see the path and leads me and surely countless others, toward our own liberation.
Gratefully yours, Lynne
Thank you.
By Lynne on May 11, 2009