April 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Stefan shares his remarkable journey of losing 70 pounds, transforming from approaching 300 pounds to his current weight of 230 pounds. His story reveals how physical discipline in fitness has translated to greater confidence, improved social skills, and better overall health.
• Starting with small changes like cutting back on sugary drinks and fast food
• Using Ring Fit Adventure on Nintendo Switch for 4 hours daily as initial exercise
• Implementing intermittent fasting from 8pm to 8am
• Gradually building gym consistency from 2-3 days monthly to 5-6 days weekly
• Developing strategies to handle food cravings and temptations
• Experiencing unexpected benefits like improved breathing, less joint pain, and better mobility
• Finding the gym helps relieve stress rather than being a chore
• Noticing increased confidence in social situations and dating
• Facing weight loss plateaus and maintaining motivation
• Recognizing that visible changes might slow while internal improvements continue
• Retraining walking posture and breathing patterns as weight decreased
Try to find something that motivates you to start your fitness journey - whether it's looking good for an event or simply feeling better. The hardest part is getting started, but once you build momentum, the physical and mental benefits extend far beyond what you might expect.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Stuffin, this is a little story, a true story based
on true events based on trueevents, but they're not actually
real, just kidding.
They're real Years ago.
This was pre-COVID, when Iwould bring my TV over Yup and
we would play Fortnite and thenwe would obviously go to sleep
(00:24):
at some point.
But then you would wake uparound noon-ish and I would
always hear and you would justguzzle the two liter oh yeah,
and now you've lost.
What is it?
70?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
pounds 70 pounds.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So to start us off, what changed?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, I was fat, now I'm skinny.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Right no.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So what ended up happening was is back then I
definitely wasn't like.
So, just as an example to givelike everybody like kind of a
thing here is like it was backthen in 2019.
I probably was approaching 300pounds, but I wasn't exactly 300
pounds Like.
I was probably like sittingaround 270.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Maybe I would say maybe 275, 80, something like
that.
But then, as the years went onand a lot of stuff happened,
like I engaged, um, you know,back in 2020, and then I was
losing weight.
Then I got down to 230, whichis where I'm at right now.
Um, because I was moremotivated to like work out and
(01:36):
look good in a suit, I wasactually shrinking, like my, my,
what I call my fupa, my littlegut.
It was uh, shrinkingsignificantly, like it was
tightening up and everything.
But it also helped too that mydad had like a gym that, um, it
was it's gonna sound weird, butlike.
So the house that they boughthad gym equipment down there
(01:56):
from laura, my stepmom'sex-husband, that he left behind.
So I used that, um, uh, on topof a game for the nintendo
switch called ring fit adventure, and that helped, because I
played that game for about fourhours a day and, um, I would
just not do it all in onesession, but I would do like,
(02:17):
maybe like an hour or two orlike an hour, take a break, do
another hour and then before bed, and I did that for at least
six to seven days a week andthat's what actually helped.
I didn't do the gym or anythinglike that, but I did cut back
on, like fast food, pop andeverything, and even like I used
to come by here and like youremember the starbucks vanilla
(02:38):
drinks I used to bring too likeyeah yeah, I used to buy those a
lot and they have like a lot ofsugar and everything and
calories and calories.
Yeah, and I mean this teadoesn't exactly help because
it's got like, but this is likea dessert for me because I don't
like this is actually like mysecond Arizona tea this month.
Put it down.
(03:05):
It's got 90 calories, but it's160 calories per serving or per
can, which this is 160.
Yeah, I think it's 90 perserving, and then the other one
is probably the full can, yeah,and so, like I cut back on
arizona teas drastically too,because I used to buy like a 12
pack of like the small cans, andI would sometimes buy two or
three of them.
Just that way I didn't have togo out and buy more and they I
mean, it adds up with all likethe fatty foods I was buying,
right, um, but what ended uphappening was is, after the
(03:27):
engagement fell apart, I justkind of let myself go and I
didn't care, so I wasn't gonna.
I told myself, though, like I'mnot gonna care, but I'm not
gonna get up to like anythingpast like 300, if I can help it.
You know what I mean?
Uh-huh, because I was like Idon't want to be like on 600
pound life, so, and uh, youcould have been famous.
I could have been, but in allthe wrong reasons, all the wrong
(03:49):
reasons.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So I kind of let myself go to approaching 300
pounds and then I got to a pointwhere I was sitting at a little
over 300 pounds.
I think I was like 305 was thehighest weight I've ever gotten
in my life.
Actually it was 305, somewherearound there it was bad I had
like.
Right now I still have like adouble chin kind of thing, but
that's from all the weight losswith all the loose skin, and I'm
(04:15):
trying to tighten it up bydoing a little bit more of
hydration with water more yeahlike.
So what I do is after eighto'clock is, except for now,
obviously but after 8 o'clock Idrink nothing but water and I do
like intermediate fasting fromlike 8 pm all the way till 8 am
the next day.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
difficult it is on a work week, but like if it's like
the days that I have off, orlike on a Saturday going on to
Sunday when I sleep, like Icould even go past 10 am if I
wanted to.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And you do that every day though, right?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, I do it every day and again, like cutting off
fast food, like I haven't evenbeen to McDonald's in like a
minute, like it's been a whilethat I've been to like Burger
King or McDonald's or anythinglike that, and I don't even
consider like, like I mean, I'llmean, you just got back from
like Texas Roadhouse a littlebit ago but like we're eating
(05:11):
chicken, steak and whatever likethings with high protein, and
I'm doing the gym too regularly.
High protein, good fats yes,exactly Like, and so I go to.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Planet Fitness, except for them, rolls.
Yeah, the rolls are the onlything.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So yeah, planet fitness, except for them rolls.
Yeah, the rolls are the onlyjob.
So, yeah, we have like waterand stuff like that.
Like, even even if pop isavailable, like at work, if they
have like a party, I'm likesure I'll have like a slice of
pizza or two, but then afterthat like I cut it off
completely because I'm like Iknow like I can handle at least
maybe two more slices or threemore if I really wanted to, but
I'm I think two slices is goodenough.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So you got me there, because when I work at jets and
they bring back mess ups,there's almost no self control
for me.
If it's free pizza, I'm justgoing to keep eating it.
So I have to.
It's hard, it is, I would.
It's something that I have towork on, like you say you can
stop at one to two slices.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Me it's like, like even with the arizona tea right
now, like again I I don't evenkeep my mini fridge downstairs
like stockpiled with themanymore like I'll go to the
liquor store where they sell theblack tea because that's the
one I like the most and has theleast amount of calories in it.
Yeah, um, but like I'll buylike maybe three at most, that's
it, and then that's lasting methe entire month, so I don't go
(06:29):
out and buy more or anything.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Three tall ones.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, three tall ones , that's it.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Oh, okay, yeah, If that's three a month, I don't
think is no, that's not.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And that's like my dessert pretty much.
So if I'm like after dinner,instead of like going for like a
chocolate or something likethat Even if again that's
available Like I'm okay withlike a cheat day, like every now
and again.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
But I really do when it comes to certain things, like
my goals are set, I haveself-control and self-discipline
for it.
Where, again, excuse me, if,like my brother goes out for
Popeye's chicken sandwiches andstuff, and yeah, the chicken,
the deep fried chicken, smellsamazing, yes, it does.
And it gets to that point whereI'm like, oh, my gosh, like my
mouth is watering and all I havedownstairs is like bananas,
(07:15):
apples, and I just have likemaybe a bowl of cereal or
something like that availableand I'm like man and he's, he's
like, yeah, you want to comeupstairs and have like half the
sandwich and I'm like, you knowit's chicken, sure, but it's
like it's deep fried chicken andthen the buttery buns and like
everything else they they throwon there and the in the fries,
(07:39):
and the drink too, like a drpepper they usually get.
I'm like, no, I'm good, I'lljust stick to like a banana.
Otherwise too, what I've you'resaying no to popeyes I I've had
to because it's again.
It's that self-discipline yeah,that's a strong mind yeah, and
the other thing is too, is, um,what I have also done is if I do
(07:59):
have a craving and if I can'thelp myself like and I know like
I have, let's say, chocolatemilk or something like that
available as an example, and I'mlike I know that's a lot of
sugar and whatnot and I'm likereally tempted to drink it, but
I'm like also, I know I'm boredor even if I, if I do have like
(08:22):
a fatty food down there, likelet's just say it's like oreos
or something stupid, you know,yeah, like it would be at that
point where I've gotten, uh,peanut butter, because I know if
I like that's still like pretty, I would say decent on the
sodium and all that other crapon there, but I only do like
maybe one to two spoonfuls andthen that's it, because I know
(08:44):
I'm bored and that peanut butteris going to fill and make me
feel full.
So that way I don't have thatcraving anymore.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, so that's what I've donealso, for self-discipline is so,
that way I don't have thattemptation to.
If they got chocolate cakeupstairs or I feel like going
and getting a chocolate shake,I'm like, nope, I'll just get
two scoops of peanut butter.
(09:04):
I'll have that real quick andthen just down it with water.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, I can't keep any of that stuff stocked here
like oreos, because otherwiseit's just yeah, like, and that's
it is.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
It's hard, and especially like too, for just
anybody for like to lose weightand have that self-discipline,
especially when, like, that'sbeen your lifestyle.
Like I remember at my oldapartment the one that you saw
before I moved out that one Ikept Chef Boyardee cans, I kept
ordering Little Caesars almostweekly and then I had two, two
liters of pop.
I had one of Coke and one ofMountain Dew or whatever, and
(09:38):
Oreos, all these fatty foodsthat I mean I know I'm going to
eat it and and it's cheap, butat the same time like it's not
healthy and all I'm doing isreally I come home and I work
and I just that's it.
Yeah, that's all I do.
But obviously now it'sdifferent, because now I'm going
to the gym five to six days aweek and I think I found out too
that it's not.
(09:59):
It sounds weird but like it'snot too bad to go five, six days
a week, but like people aresaying you should go at least
four to five because there'sthose days in between for muscle
build, because you don't wantto go to the gym seven days a
week because you're not givingyour muscles time to like.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, you definitely want a rest day.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, so I usually I'll do Sundays and do uh,
thursdays is my day of rest ifI'm doing five days a week.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Otherwise, like, I'll just pick a random day in
between, like for a third day,if I just feel like going four
days a week yeah but I've beentrying to stick to at least five
days a week I would say I'm nota health expert, Obviously I
don't have a degree in anything,but I would say like four to
six days a week is prime.
(10:51):
Yeah, because sometimes itfeels really good to go six
times a week.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh yeah, no, I've had moments where it's like a weird
high that you get.
It's like you're feeling reallygood, like I've gotten that high
.
I and I, honestly, if I'm boredat home you know me, I'm a
gamer like I love playing videogames and stuff.
But when it comes down to it,at the end of the day, if I feel
like I just like I don't wantto play games, but I'm like
(11:16):
bored at home, I'm just likeokay, gym, you're going to the
gym and so I just put on mystuff and I just go right there
and I at least go for an hour.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
So you can put the video games down and then go to
the gym.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Yeah, you would think it's been weird of the drastic
change that I've done, becauseyou know me, I'm a video game
nerd an addict in a way.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And I play video games a lot.
But as I've gone on this weightloss journey, it's been
drastically different where I'mnot playing video games as much
and I'm like doing other things,like I'm working, I'm focusing
on my artwork and I'm focusingon, like just again, my I guess
you would say not really, butreally like mental health, like
(12:01):
focusing on that, so like I'mnot in induced in video games,
like where I'm just staring at ascreen 24, seven kind of right.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Would you say that amping up your physical
discipline like the gym hastranslated to other disciplines
in your life?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah.
So because again before, when Iwas like 300 pounds, like I was
literally just wind and dinedon video games and junk food and
just I didn't want to go out.
I was fine with sleeping intill like 11 or 12 o'clock in
the afternoon because I wouldjust stay up late because all
that junk food just stays inyour system yeah, and it makes
(12:41):
you a little fargic right.
And now the only way that I stayup late, like past midnight, is
if I'm like really into adrawing that I'm doing.
Yeah, like there's been timeswhere I've like I've sat there
and I've just lost track of timebecause I'm really into a piece
of artwork like you seem someof my artwork that I do and I'm
really into it.
I'm like, okay, I don't want togo to bed on and finish on this
(13:02):
note, because I feel like I'mgoing to forget it and not have
that same, you know, inspiration, you know to do it.
And again, ever since losingthe weight, I found like I'm
more focused on things.
I'm more, um, disciplined inother areas, like again, like
not gaming as much or not likeagain going out for fast food
and falling for that kind ofthing, even with just being
(13:26):
around the family.
More like I'm still like kindthere at my brother's place, but
I'm there more than what I was,where I was just downstairs
being isolated, that's.
The other thing, too is, sincelosing 70 pounds, I've noticed
that I'm a little bit moresociable at work, and even
(13:47):
outside of work too.
I find it more like I'm morecomfortable with the way that I
am right now and I still amtrying to lose the weight.
I'm still trying to get down toat least maybe 220 or 210 yeah
if I can.
It's just really difficultbecause everything happens on
the inside first before theoutside.
Right, because the one drasticthing people do when they lose
weight is you lose the waterweight first yep so that could
(14:10):
be 50 pounds, 40 pounds,whatever, and then from there
it's everything else on theinside.
So you may still have like forme I still have a gut.
It's not as big as what it usedto be, but it's still like
noticeable.
It doesn't hang over my beltlike it used to.
I, I'll say that much, but it'syou know.
(14:31):
Again, it's a little deceivingstill at times, like that's.
One thing I have trouble is likelooking in the mirror and
seeing like yeah, there's stillthat loose skin there, but at
the end of the day I know thaton the inside it's shrinking.
It's just going to take time.
And I've only been going to thegym too since, like I would say
, when I really started goingand disciplining myself was like
(14:52):
late November, early Decemberlast year.
That's when I really startedgetting disciplined into like
actually going, and then it'sjust been continuous of me going
.
So I would it's going to take,obviously I would think like
maybe, like I'm not saying threemonths, but you never know but
like I would say like probablyanother half year or something
like that, to really notice ifas long as I keep being on the
(15:15):
dedication, you know, rails orwhatever to that weight loss
goal and then just toneeverything up from there.
So but I've also noticed too atwork I'm able to do a lot more
things and I don't like, likeyou know, like I'm not panting
or running out of breath oranything like that and also too
like it's also easier withbreathing too yeah
(15:39):
because I used to have where I'dhave to breathe out of my mouth
because I wasn't getting enoughoxygen through my nose, but now
it's like I can comfortablyjust like.
So it was weird because youhave to almost retrain yourself
for this stuff.
It's like if you, if you werebig like I was, and you have a
waddle when you walk, or like ifyour feet hurt or they were
like stepping to the side like Idid, like my foot my left foot
(16:04):
would just be like at an anglebecause it was trying to support
all that weight when I waswalking but I've retrained my
feet feet now to walk straightand my legs to be straight and
it works.
I mean I feel less pain, I'm notlimping anymore.
I mean, yeah, my feet stillhurt, but it's like a different
kind of hurt, Like, yeah, I'mwalking on concrete.
(16:25):
It's not like I'm walking onconcrete and carrying 300 pounds
of weight.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah.
Why do you think that it hasmade you more social?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
It's more of like at that point, I think confidence,
because most people, even ifyou're skinny and you're a 10
out of 10 Chad, some people willthink like they're not good
looking or they just aren't thatkind of like.
Maybe somebody will judge them.
And for me it was like I knewpeople liked me, regardless of
how big I was.
But it was just more of likewhy are you talking to me like
(16:59):
I'm 300 pounds, like I'm notattractive?
I'm not, you know, I'm not likethe most, like hey, let's go
outside and like go on a hikingthing.
I still don't want to do thatright now, but I mean like you
know, yeah, I will, and it'sjust like, at that point it's
like I just it.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
I didn't feel confident in myself with, like,
carrying a conversation, and nowit's oh, because the thoughts
in your head were like why areyou talking to me?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
yeah, like okay yeah, like I'm not like one of the
popular kids or anything likethat kind of motivation or
whatever you call it.
So then, after losing the 70pounds, it's like a drastic
change, like people are noticing.
They're like hey, you want tohang out and stuff.
Like people look at youdifferent too, which is great,
like they could still look atyou as you're big because you've
(17:46):
got a good personality.
But then it's like, if you lostthat weight too like people do,
they're just like dang, youlook like you lose weight.
Like my hoodie and uh shirtthat I wear for work now looks
like a dress on me because I wasa 2xl.
Now I'm back at like an xl okaywhich is good.
So, um, there's still certainthings I can't wear, and the
(18:07):
jeans right now it's it's kindof a weird in between because,
like I know, my waist isshrinking but I still can't like
go a size down, as weird aslike it's like a weird in
between.
So like I'm a 36 right now, Iwas a 40, so it has shrunk.
Yeah, that's good yeah, it'sjust right now I'm kind of stuck
(18:28):
at that 36 and that's where I'mlike.
Also, too, at the weight, I'mstuck at 230.
But again, people have torealize, like you may be stuck
at that certain weight for aminute, but like, if you keep
going and you keep with thatdetermination of like dieting,
cutting back and whatnot,whether you do like a carnivore
diet or something like that,like some people do, or if they
(18:49):
go vegan or whatever, like youjust keep that.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
it's all in here, is what it is, it's all in your
head yeah, I would just say eatgood, healthy food and obviously
watch the calories, because ifyou're eating too many calories,
even if it's good, healthy food, food you can overdo it, you
can still gain weight.
Um, where was like, where werewe?
(19:15):
You're talking about thedieting.
Yeah, the dieting with likebeing all up in the head is
where yeah, up in the head, Umcause you'd say you reached a
plateau right now where it'skind of like that flat line so
you're not really going up, butyou're not really going down
exactly like, if anything, I goup one pound and I go down one
pound, kind of thing like it's
Speaker 2 (19:35):
a weird in between.
So it's just like, yeah, I'llbe sitting there sweating
bullets at like planet fitness,like I'm when I'm on the
treadmill, the stair master, youknow, doing like the leg press
and everything like that.
But yeah, and then I go homeand I wait like maybe a week or
two to see like the weightprogress.
And it's still at 230 and I'mlike the heck happened you know,
(19:57):
yeah, but again it's the bodytrying to get rid of that fat
and try to move stuff aroundbecause you're tightening your
muscles and it's like stretchingthem out.
So that way you stretch out,and that's the part.
That's the hard part.
I would say the hard part isgetting started.
If you want to lose weight, I'llsay yeah, well, yeah I was
(20:17):
going to the gym at first withelizabeth and brian for maybe
two to three days a monthbecause I was just like I don't
want to.
It really was.
It was that mentality.
And then I was like you knowwhat, all right, I'll.
They're asking me a couple moredays.
So I was like, all right, I'llgo with them.
Whatever, it's fine.
And then it just got to thepoint where I was like you know
(20:39):
what?
Hey, you guys want to go, andthen we go.
And so right now, like what Iwas telling you is I go.
Right now, brian got adifferent, different gym
membership somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
So he don't dare he.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I know he goes to crunch but he also doesn't
really hang out with us as muchanymore.
But then I mean at work I stilltalk to him and stuff like that
.
But otherwise me and Elizabeth,we go, we go to the, we go.
I'm not going to say whatplanet fitness, but we go to
Planet Fitness.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
And we have a lot of good times Like we use the what
is it called the poles with thefeet thing.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
The elliptical, yeah, the elliptical.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I had it earlier.
Yeah, we use that and it'seasier on the joints too, since
we both walk on concrete likeall day for like 10 hours plus,
and then otherwise I'll use thetreadmill if, like, she shows up
later or something like that,and then we go to like hey, so
do you want to do core?
Do you want to do arm, do youwant to do leg today?
And we'll be like all right,well, I did arm yesterday.
(21:44):
Oh, I did arm yesterday.
All right, we'll do leg orwe'll do core and we'll just be
there like helping motivate eachother and whatnot.
And it's really nice and she'sbeen doing pretty good too.
She, she, uh, she had a lot ofweight on her too at one point
and she slimmed down a bit, likeit.
It's a drastic difference ofhow much better she looks too.
(22:08):
And I can tell, uh, mentalitywise too.
Like I mean, I've known her forlike years.
Like we were managers togetherwhere, um, where we work now,
and then obviously I just waslike yeah, no, this ain't me.
So now I'm back at likesomething I, I like, and it's a
lot less stressful.
So we both like have just likewe, we know what's happening in
(22:31):
each other's lives, kind ofthing.
So it's like she right now isgoing through a tough time but
she's still going forward.
Yeah, it's a motivation, andeven to the gym is a great
stress reliever too.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I've noticed too.
If I had a really stressful dayat work or just like at my
brother's house where I live,like if I, if it's stressful
over there, or I'm just like,okay, john's starting stuff
today, or the kids are beingloud or the baby's crying, or
whatever, I'm like I'm justgonna go to the gym early and
I'm just gonna stay there alittle bit longer.
You know what I mean?
(23:03):
Yeah, so because I'll, I'llusually try to go like around
like maybe late, like not latelate night, but like around like
maybe six, seven o'clock andthen at least stay for an hour.
But if I get out of work earlyenough, like four o'clock or 4
35, then I'll just go right thenand there you go with the five
o'clock crowd yeah, it's.
(23:25):
It's not that bad at um the oneI go to if I'm by myself yeah
but if I go to the one that meand elizabeth go to, it's still
crowded but it's a lot morespacious and they have a lot
more machines there, yeah, tolike use.
So really, even if you went at4, 35 o'clock, like right there
where everybody's getting out ofwork and going straight to the
gym, it's really not that big ofa deal because you have a bunch
(23:48):
of machines and people actuallylike to work out at that one,
compared to the one that I go toby myself.
Yeah, yeah, it's people justtake selfies and they're.
They don't care, they theydon't even look like they know
how to use the gym equipment.
Like granted, I'm a newbie.
Well also it's planet fitness.
Yeah, I like it though, though,because of the Black Card
membership Just because you getthe hydro chair and everything
(24:09):
else.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
It is nice because there's so many of them around
and it's cheap, but it also islike not a real gym, right?
I use it too, just because Idon't need to get like huge
right.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
You don't need to look like terry crews, right?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I'm not yeah, I'm not trying to get that big like I
just don't care.
I'd rather just be healthy andfit right, so I think it does
good for that yeah, and for meit's.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I don't have anything at home, obviously.
Yeah to do.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
it's also more social to go to a gym and work out.
Even if you're not talking topeople, you're still around them
, and so it gives me a littlebit more motivation because I'm
out and about instead of just inmy garage or in a room.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Right.
Well even too, at that pointnow that you mention it, like
when I was going to the gym thefirst time by myself at planet
fitness, it was honestly liketerrifying yeah because
beforehand, again, I was likenot social at all.
Like I was, I wasn't anti-social, but I was like not social at
(25:14):
the same time.
It's like again a weird inbetween where it's like, yeah,
if somebody strikes aconversation with me, I'll talk
to them, but I'm not going to goout of my way to talk to people
.
Right, and at the gymeverybody's there to work out.
So unless I'm like, hey, can Iborrow that machine, like that's
what I'll do.
But again, outside of work,like I could talk to somebody
waiting in line at the grocerystore or something like that, I
could be like, hey, how's itgoing, you know?
(25:34):
Like I like your coat orsomething stupid like that, you
know.
And so the first time I went bymyself I was terrified because
I'm a I wasn't as big as I wasbefore I started going, but I
was still big and I thought Iwas going to get judged.
And I know they have that thingwhere it's like it's a no
judgment zone and stuff likethat.
(25:54):
But it was just more of thesocial anxiety on top of they're
going to see a fat guy on atreadmill trying to run.
But again, and this is going tosound bad too but that same day
that I went there was an evenbigger guy, like he was probably
four, four stuff and look atyou judging no, I'm just saying
(26:14):
as an example.
It's like you never know who'sgoing to be in there and even if
you are like, you know you'retoned and you got a six pack and
everything else like thatdoesn't necessarily mean that
you're healthy either, right?
So because I know a guy namedben that I used to work with at
walgreens who was just like thatand he was like dude, I hate
running, like I can't run forlike two seconds, like, and he
would and sometimes he wouldhave to to like get from one
(26:37):
side of the store to the other.
He'd be out of breath and I'mjust like dude, what?
And he and he ate healthy andeverything like that.
He's like yeah, I'm still outof shape.
Just because I'm skinny doesn'tmean like I'm out of shape or
I'm in shape or whatever so andI mean I'm still not in shape,
but I know that I've been ableto do a lot of things better,
(26:58):
like lifting and bending over,like I used to fear for like my
legs popping, because I used toevery time, like you, could hear
my kneecaps pop when I bentover.
It was bad, and then nowadaysit's like not even that bad.
I still have like some backthings going on, but it's,
that's just getting old.
Yeah, that's I'm 32.
That's just gonna happen.
(27:19):
Yeah, that's I'm 32.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
That's just going to happen with me, so there's
nothing you can do about that,because I have the back thing
too sometimes.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
So I try to like not overdo it on the back lifting if
I can help it.
But I know again, with workingout it has strengthened it a lot
compared to what it used to be.
So beforehand it was reallyhard to bend down and bend over
and whatnot for like picking upa box off the floor or something
like that.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
So and then after that it was you know again,
after losing 70 pounds it's beensignificantly easier to like
handle things at work, like whenI'm lifting rack and pinions
because you're getting gettingstronger and then you're also
getting more fit, so it doesn'ttake as much energy to lift
(28:05):
things.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
And the other.
The other thing is, too, isthat I noticed, like at the gym,
like so there's certain weightsthat, like you know, I would
set my goal for, like let's justin a hypothetical situation,
let's just say, like I, I couldlift 10 pounds, that was it.
You know I could lift 10 pounds, that was it.
You know I could lift heavierthan that.
But I'm just saying like, if Icould only lift 10 pounds.
I noticed then, like I'm like Ipush myself to like lift a
(28:27):
little bit more each time to togain that, because I know if I
just stick to the same way everytime, I'm just gonna get used
to it and it's not gonna doanything.
But if I at least try to pushit a little bit, even if by's,
by five pounds, then it's goingto do something.
I'm five pounds strongercompared to like the same, you
know, yeah, and I've.
The one thing I've noticed toois like, so, on the treadmill,
(28:51):
for example, when I'm on there,I right now, I used to do it for
an entire hour.
I used to be on the treadmillfor an entire hour and I
realized, like what I found outthrough different trainers and
stuff is like that's somethingyou don't want to do, you want
at least.
Yeah, you actually want to doit for, like, maybe at the top
is 45 minutes and then otherwiseI do it for a half hour so is
(29:15):
there a reason why you don'twant to do it for a full hour?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
think it's just too much strain, okay, and for your
heart rate, and everything likethat.
So what I do is because I usedto do it and I did.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Were they specifically talking about
walking or running?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
It was like well, because I walk on an incline,
and that's what it really was.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Because I do a 13 incline and now I do 13.2 miles
an hour, kind of thing sobecause I 13.3, 3.2 miles, oh
yeah, I ain't, no, like cheetahor anything like that, but, um,
yeah.
So, because that's the one thingthat you can do to lose like
(29:56):
body fat is if you do theincline, like, yeah, the walking
part is good.
If you just do a flat surface,yeah, but it's better and you're
going to see better and fasterresults, which I've been seeing,
if you do an incline becauseyou're pushing yourself and
you're gripping like your, yourfeet are gripping and your legs
are tightening up too whenyou're walking.
And my calves are really good,my legs are fine.
(30:18):
It's just I gotta work on mygut and then my upper torso here
which is flattening out.
I don't really have man tittiesanymore.
I mean, they're still there,but like they're not as bad as
what they used to be.
We're like the nipples wouldalign with the belly button,
kind of bad.
So, yeah, and then I'm workingon other things, like my
(30:38):
forearms are getting better.
My, what do you call them?
The chicken wings are gettingbetter, you know they're
tightening up a little bit bybit, but again, it's going to
take time.
It's not going to happenovernight.
Like what people I think thattry to lose weight expect, you
know?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
they have.
Yeah, it can take yearssometimes.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Yeah, so, and then obviously, the older you get it
I wouldn't call it midlifecrisis, but you're kind of
getting close to that point ofmidlife crisis.
So I mean I feel like I'vealready reached that point
because I have a motorcycle.
But that's the other thing toois like my other motivation for
it was to look better on themotorcycle, because I did
(31:17):
pictures with my buddy Brian,where he took pictures of me and
my bike and I noticed likebefore it was really hard to
like even sit down because myvest is a 3x but it has the, the
braids to like tighten it ifyou like, lose weight or
whatever, and even then Icouldn't even sit down without
my belly like popping the buttonor anything like that.
(31:38):
So this year it's like gonna bea lot better to do that.
Uh, I think for more motorcyclepictures, and it also my bike,
I think is over 550 pounds, ifI'm correct, and so you had 300
pounds sitting on the bikebefore.
Now you're at 230 sitting onthe bike.
(31:59):
So again, 70 pound difference,that's and you'll feel cooler
when you're riding it right, Iwon't like have my gut hanging
over or like there's one picturethat I have where my jeans are
screaming for dear life likethey're gonna break and it
looked really bad too, and so Iwas like crap man, I'm glad.
(32:21):
and then the only reason, too, Ihad a full beard is to hide my
double chin, because I couldeven move slightly to the left
and right and you could see itstart to form.
Already is how bad it got.
So that's the only reason I hada really full beard.
But now I kind of keep ittrimmed and thin and I think I
look better.
And a lot of people have saidlike, yeah, you look better with
, like a thinner beard.
So I'm probably going to keepit until I get older maybe.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, when we get old , then we can have the big
wizard beards Exactly, and go onmystical, magical journeys.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
So yeah, and then too , it's just again, it's a huge
confidence booster.
Like I'll say this I won't saywho, but like there is somebody
that like I'm kind of interestedin, and so when you lose the
weight, you also?
Notice like, yeah, like I gotthis like a little bit of a
confidence boost, you know.
Yeah, so because before, ifyou're bigger, like maybe you,
(33:15):
maybe you do have confidence.
If you're bigger like you knowsome people do they don't care,
um.
But then there's other peoplewhere they're like if they're
bigger, like I used to be, I waslike yeah, no, I don't have any
confidence to ask a girl out oranything like that.
Like I'm, I'm gonna besurprised.
They even look at me andwhatnot.
But it's still in thatmentality, like even though I've
lost 70 pounds.
There's moments where I havethat thought, where I'm like I
(33:37):
don't know if they're gonna lookat me or whatever, because I
think I'm big, but it's like,dude, I've lost 70 pounds.
Like what are you talking about?
Yeah, like they may notpersonally know me, like they
may see me now and just be likewow, that guy's big, but it's
like you should have seen me 70pounds ago, no idea you have no
idea, sweetheart.
And even to, just getting in andout of my car is like really
(34:01):
nice, it's easier yeah soimagine, because then the seat
also isn't having too muchstrain trying to support a 300
pound fat guy and then just evento.
Here's the other funny part too.
So me and my buddy rayden willgo to.
I've told you this story too um, just like how we basically
once or twice a year we go tochicago to see the deloreans
(34:23):
yeah and they have a wholedealership.
for those of you who don't know,it's called delorean midwest or
um, yeah, I think they'recalled delorean midwest now, but
they used to be called uh, ohgosh, what was their other name?
It was delorean something.
And um, they have deloreansthat they sell and refurbish and
(34:44):
repair.
So people will bring in andthey said sometimes it gets up
to six figures is how much it'llcost to repair it.
Jeez, yeah, it's crazyexpensive to own a DeLorean, but
I still want one.
So at some point that's my goaltoo is to get one.
So I want one.
That's my dream car.
(35:04):
It's cool, and not just fromBack to the Future, but like
I've sat in one and and like gotto test drive one um from a guy
that actually I used to.
Um, he, he worked at a shopback when I was a store manager
and he had one in and he goesyeah, this is, this is my
delorean.
And so he goes you want, youwant to do and it was an
automatic, which I want and it'sfun.
(35:26):
But when I was like close to300 pounds getting in that thing
and the car is, really, it'sweird because you think it looks
huge, but it's not, it is andit isn't and it's really low to
the ground.
So when the gullwing doors openand you get 300 pounds in that
thing, the car already weighsover 3,000 pounds.
(35:48):
It's stainless steel.
But yeah, it's ridiculoustrying to get in and out of that
thing because obviously youhave to be careful because it's
a vintage.
You can't just be sitting thereshaking everything around and
whatever you can't in my 09Accord.
So I've noticed even well, no,last I I didn't weigh 300 pounds
(36:08):
like before we went, but it wasaround there I was getting I
think I was at probably like the272 80, so I was approaching it
.
Um, it was still hard, but Iknow like this year when I go
like it's going to be easier tosit in the delorean and just
chill and take pictures andstuff like that.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
So it'll be nice.
That will be nice.
Yes, it will All right.
I think that's a.
I think that's a good storythat you gave us today.
Thank, you 36 minutes andcounting.
Yes, um, anyway, thanks forcoming on and sharing that with
us.
Stefan, you're very welcome.
(36:45):
Um, anyway, thanks for comingon and sharing that with us.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Stefan, you're very welcome anytime.
I got a great narrator voice,yeah, we'll have you we'll have
to have you read stories on heresometime.
This is the story about anapple and a bee?
I don't know.
I just came up with somethingapple and a bee apple and the
bee.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Anyway, just continue down this journey of yours, and
I think you're going to beheaded to the I will try my best
.
Good, all right, thankseverybody.
Have a blessed week.
Bye see ya Love you.
Stuffin, this is a little story, a true story based
on true events based on trueevents, but they're not actually
real, just kidding.
They're real Years ago.
This was pre-COVID, when Iwould bring my TV over Yup and
we would play Fortnite and thenwe would obviously go to sleep
(00:24):
at some point.
But then you would wake uparound noon-ish and I would
always hear and you would justguzzle the two liter oh yeah,
and now you've lost.
What is it?
70?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
pounds 70 pounds.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So to start us off, what changed?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, I was fat, now I'm skinny.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Right no.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So what ended up happening was is back then I
definitely wasn't like.
So, just as an example to givelike everybody like kind of a
thing here is like it was backthen in 2019.
I probably was approaching 300pounds, but I wasn't exactly 300
pounds Like.
I was probably like sittingaround 270.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Maybe I would say maybe 275, 80, something like
that.
But then, as the years went onand a lot of stuff happened,
like I engaged, um, you know,back in 2020, and then I was
losing weight.
Then I got down to 230, whichis where I'm at right now.
Um, because I was moremotivated to like work out and
(01:36):
look good in a suit, I wasactually shrinking, like my, my,
what I call my fupa, my littlegut.
It was uh, shrinkingsignificantly, like it was
tightening up and everything.
But it also helped too that mydad had like a gym that, um, it
was it's gonna sound weird, butlike.
So the house that they boughthad gym equipment down there
(01:56):
from laura, my stepmom'sex-husband, that he left behind.
So I used that, um, uh, on topof a game for the nintendo
switch called ring fit adventure, and that helped, because I
played that game for about fourhours a day and, um, I would
just not do it all in onesession, but I would do like,
(02:17):
maybe like an hour or two orlike an hour, take a break, do
another hour and then before bed, and I did that for at least
six to seven days a week andthat's what actually helped.
I didn't do the gym or anythinglike that, but I did cut back
on, like fast food, pop andeverything, and even like I used
to come by here and like youremember the starbucks vanilla
(02:38):
drinks I used to bring too likeyeah yeah, I used to buy those a
lot and they have like a lot ofsugar and everything and
calories and calories.
Yeah, and I mean this teadoesn't exactly help because
it's got like, but this is likea dessert for me because I don't
like this is actually like mysecond Arizona tea this month.
Put it down.
(03:05):
It's got 90 calories, but it's160 calories per serving or per
can, which this is 160.
Yeah, I think it's 90 perserving, and then the other one
is probably the full can, yeah,and so, like I cut back on
arizona teas drastically too,because I used to buy like a 12
pack of like the small cans, andI would sometimes buy two or
three of them.
Just that way I didn't have togo out and buy more and they I
mean, it adds up with all likethe fatty foods I was buying,
right, um, but what ended uphappening was is, after the
(03:27):
engagement fell apart, I justkind of let myself go and I
didn't care, so I wasn't gonna.
I told myself, though, like I'mnot gonna care, but I'm not
gonna get up to like anythingpast like 300, if I can help it.
You know what I mean?
Uh-huh, because I was like Idon't want to be like on 600
pound life, so, and uh, youcould have been famous.
I could have been, but in allthe wrong reasons, all the wrong
(03:49):
reasons.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So I kind of let myself go to approaching 300
pounds and then I got to a pointwhere I was sitting at a little
over 300 pounds.
I think I was like 305 was thehighest weight I've ever gotten
in my life.
Actually it was 305, somewherearound there it was bad I had
like.
Right now I still have like adouble chin kind of thing, but
that's from all the weight losswith all the loose skin, and I'm
(04:15):
trying to tighten it up bydoing a little bit more of
hydration with water more yeahlike.
So what I do is after eighto'clock is, except for now,
obviously but after 8 o'clock Idrink nothing but water and I do
like intermediate fasting fromlike 8 pm all the way till 8 am
the next day.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
difficult it is on a work week, but like if it's like
the days that I have off, orlike on a Saturday going on to
Sunday when I sleep, like Icould even go past 10 am if I
wanted to.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And you do that every day though, right?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, I do it every day and again, like cutting off
fast food, like I haven't evenbeen to McDonald's in like a
minute, like it's been a whilethat I've been to like Burger
King or McDonald's or anythinglike that, and I don't even
consider like, like I mean, I'llmean, you just got back from
like Texas Roadhouse a littlebit ago but like we're eating
(05:11):
chicken, steak and whatever likethings with high protein, and
I'm doing the gym too regularly.
High protein, good fats yes,exactly Like, and so I go to.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Planet Fitness, except for them, rolls.
Yeah, the rolls are the onlything.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So yeah, planet fitness, except for them rolls.
Yeah, the rolls are the onlyjob.
So, yeah, we have like waterand stuff like that.
Like, even even if pop isavailable, like at work, if they
have like a party, I'm likesure I'll have like a slice of
pizza or two, but then afterthat like I cut it off
completely because I'm like Iknow like I can handle at least
maybe two more slices or threemore if I really wanted to, but
I'm I think two slices is goodenough.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So you got me there, because when I work at jets and
they bring back mess ups,there's almost no self control
for me.
If it's free pizza, I'm justgoing to keep eating it.
So I have to.
It's hard, it is, I would.
It's something that I have towork on, like you say you can
stop at one to two slices.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Me it's like, like even with the arizona tea right
now, like again I I don't evenkeep my mini fridge downstairs
like stockpiled with themanymore like I'll go to the
liquor store where they sell theblack tea because that's the
one I like the most and has theleast amount of calories in it.
Yeah, um, but like I'll buylike maybe three at most, that's
it, and then that's lasting methe entire month, so I don't go
(06:29):
out and buy more or anything.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Three tall ones.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, three tall ones , that's it.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Oh, okay, yeah, If that's three a month, I don't
think is no, that's not.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
And that's like my dessert pretty much.
So if I'm like after dinner,instead of like going for like a
chocolate or something likethat Even if again that's
available Like I'm okay withlike a cheat day, like every now
and again.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
But I really do when it comes to certain things, like
my goals are set, I haveself-control and self-discipline
for it.
Where, again, excuse me, if,like my brother goes out for
Popeye's chicken sandwiches andstuff, and yeah, the chicken,
the deep fried chicken, smellsamazing, yes, it does.
And it gets to that point whereI'm like, oh, my gosh, like my
mouth is watering and all I havedownstairs is like bananas,
(07:15):
apples, and I just have likemaybe a bowl of cereal or
something like that availableand I'm like man and he's, he's
like, yeah, you want to comeupstairs and have like half the
sandwich and I'm like, you knowit's chicken, sure, but it's
like it's deep fried chicken andthen the buttery buns and like
everything else they they throwon there and the in the fries,
(07:39):
and the drink too, like a drpepper they usually get.
I'm like, no, I'm good, I'lljust stick to like a banana.
Otherwise too, what I've you'resaying no to popeyes I I've had
to because it's again.
It's that self-discipline yeah,that's a strong mind yeah, and
the other thing is too, is, um,what I have also done is if I do
(07:59):
have a craving and if I can'thelp myself like and I know like
I have, let's say, chocolatemilk or something like that
available as an example, and I'mlike I know that's a lot of
sugar and whatnot and I'm likereally tempted to drink it, but
I'm like also, I know I'm boredor even if I, if I do have like
(08:22):
a fatty food down there, likelet's just say it's like oreos
or something stupid, you know,yeah, like it would be at that
point where I've gotten, uh,peanut butter, because I know if
I like that's still like pretty, I would say decent on the
sodium and all that other crapon there, but I only do like
maybe one to two spoonfuls andthen that's it, because I know
(08:44):
I'm bored and that peanut butteris going to fill and make me
feel full.
So that way I don't have thatcraving anymore.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, so that's what I've donealso, for self-discipline is so,
that way I don't have thattemptation to.
If they got chocolate cakeupstairs or I feel like going
and getting a chocolate shake,I'm like, nope, I'll just get
two scoops of peanut butter.
(09:04):
I'll have that real quick andthen just down it with water.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, I can't keep any of that stuff stocked here
like oreos, because otherwiseit's just yeah, like, and that's
it is.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
It's hard, and especially like too, for just
anybody for like to lose weightand have that self-discipline,
especially when, like, that'sbeen your lifestyle.
Like I remember at my oldapartment the one that you saw
before I moved out that one Ikept Chef Boyardee cans, I kept
ordering Little Caesars almostweekly and then I had two, two
liters of pop.
I had one of Coke and one ofMountain Dew or whatever, and
(09:38):
Oreos, all these fatty foodsthat I mean I know I'm going to
eat it and and it's cheap, butat the same time like it's not
healthy and all I'm doing isreally I come home and I work
and I just that's it.
Yeah, that's all I do.
But obviously now it'sdifferent, because now I'm going
to the gym five to six days aweek and I think I found out too
that it's not.
(09:59):
It sounds weird but like it'snot too bad to go five, six days
a week, but like people aresaying you should go at least
four to five because there'sthose days in between for muscle
build, because you don't wantto go to the gym seven days a
week because you're not givingyour muscles time to like.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, you definitely want a rest day.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah, so I usually I'll do Sundays and do uh,
thursdays is my day of rest ifI'm doing five days a week.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Otherwise, like, I'll just pick a random day in
between, like for a third day,if I just feel like going four
days a week yeah but I've beentrying to stick to at least five
days a week I would say I'm nota health expert, Obviously I
don't have a degree in anything,but I would say like four to
six days a week is prime.
(10:51):
Yeah, because sometimes itfeels really good to go six
times a week.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh yeah, no, I've had moments where it's like a weird
high that you get.
It's like you're feeling reallygood, like I've gotten that high
.
I and I, honestly, if I'm boredat home you know me, I'm a
gamer like I love playing videogames and stuff.
But when it comes down to it,at the end of the day, if I feel
like I just like I don't wantto play games, but I'm like
(11:16):
bored at home, I'm just likeokay, gym, you're going to the
gym and so I just put on mystuff and I just go right there
and I at least go for an hour.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
So you can put the video games down and then go to
the gym.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Yeah, you would think it's been weird of the drastic
change that I've done, becauseyou know me, I'm a video game
nerd an addict in a way.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And I play video games a lot.
But as I've gone on this weightloss journey, it's been
drastically different where I'mnot playing video games as much
and I'm like doing other things,like I'm working, I'm focusing
on my artwork and I'm focusingon, like just again, my I guess
you would say not really, butreally like mental health, like
(12:01):
focusing on that, so like I'mnot in induced in video games,
like where I'm just staring at ascreen 24, seven kind of right.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Would you say that amping up your physical
discipline like the gym hastranslated to other disciplines
in your life?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah.
So because again before, when Iwas like 300 pounds, like I was
literally just wind and dinedon video games and junk food and
just I didn't want to go out.
I was fine with sleeping intill like 11 or 12 o'clock in
the afternoon because I wouldjust stay up late because all
that junk food just stays inyour system yeah, and it makes
(12:41):
you a little fargic right.
And now the only way that I stayup late, like past midnight, is
if I'm like really into adrawing that I'm doing.
Yeah, like there's been timeswhere I've like I've sat there
and I've just lost track of timebecause I'm really into a piece
of artwork like you seem someof my artwork that I do and I'm
really into it.
I'm like, okay, I don't want togo to bed on and finish on this
(13:02):
note, because I feel like I'mgoing to forget it and not have
that same, you know, inspiration, you know to do it.
And again, ever since losingthe weight, I found like I'm
more focused on things.
I'm more, um, disciplined inother areas, like again, like
not gaming as much or not likeagain going out for fast food
and falling for that kind ofthing, even with just being
(13:26):
around the family.
More like I'm still like kindthere at my brother's place, but
I'm there more than what I was,where I was just downstairs
being isolated, that's.
The other thing, too is, sincelosing 70 pounds, I've noticed
that I'm a little bit moresociable at work, and even
(13:47):
outside of work too.
I find it more like I'm morecomfortable with the way that I
am right now and I still amtrying to lose the weight.
I'm still trying to get down toat least maybe 220 or 210 yeah
if I can.
It's just really difficultbecause everything happens on
the inside first before theoutside.
Right, because the one drasticthing people do when they lose
weight is you lose the waterweight first yep so that could
(14:10):
be 50 pounds, 40 pounds,whatever, and then from there
it's everything else on theinside.
So you may still have like forme I still have a gut.
It's not as big as what it usedto be, but it's still like
noticeable.
It doesn't hang over my beltlike it used to.
I, I'll say that much, but it'syou know.
(14:31):
Again, it's a little deceivingstill at times, like that's.
One thing I have trouble is likelooking in the mirror and
seeing like yeah, there's stillthat loose skin there, but at
the end of the day I know thaton the inside it's shrinking.
It's just going to take time.
And I've only been going to thegym too since, like I would say
, when I really started goingand disciplining myself was like
(14:52):
late November, early Decemberlast year.
That's when I really startedgetting disciplined into like
actually going, and then it'sjust been continuous of me going
.
So I would it's going to take,obviously I would think like
maybe, like I'm not saying threemonths, but you never know but
like I would say like probablyanother half year or something
like that, to really notice ifas long as I keep being on the
(15:15):
dedication, you know, rails orwhatever to that weight loss
goal and then just toneeverything up from there.
So but I've also noticed too atwork I'm able to do a lot more
things and I don't like, likeyou know, like I'm not panting
or running out of breath oranything like that and also too
like it's also easier withbreathing too yeah
(15:39):
because I used to have where I'dhave to breathe out of my mouth
because I wasn't getting enoughoxygen through my nose, but now
it's like I can comfortablyjust like.
So it was weird because youhave to almost retrain yourself
for this stuff.
It's like if you, if you werebig like I was, and you have a
waddle when you walk, or like ifyour feet hurt or they were
like stepping to the side like Idid, like my foot my left foot
(16:04):
would just be like at an anglebecause it was trying to support
all that weight when I waswalking but I've retrained my
feet feet now to walk straightand my legs to be straight and
it works.
I mean I feel less pain, I'm notlimping anymore.
I mean, yeah, my feet stillhurt, but it's like a different
kind of hurt, Like, yeah, I'mwalking on concrete.
(16:25):
It's not like I'm walking onconcrete and carrying 300 pounds
of weight.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Yeah.
Why do you think that it hasmade you more social?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
It's more of like at that point, I think confidence,
because most people, even ifyou're skinny and you're a 10
out of 10 Chad, some people willthink like they're not good
looking or they just aren't thatkind of like.
Maybe somebody will judge them.
And for me it was like I knewpeople liked me, regardless of
how big I was.
But it was just more of likewhy are you talking to me like
(16:59):
I'm 300 pounds, like I'm notattractive?
I'm not, you know, I'm not likethe most, like hey, let's go
outside and like go on a hikingthing.
I still don't want to do thatright now, but I mean like you
know, yeah, I will, and it'sjust like, at that point it's
like I just it.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
I didn't feel confident in myself with, like,
carrying a conversation, and nowit's oh, because the thoughts
in your head were like why areyou talking to me?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
yeah, like okay yeah, like I'm not like one of the
popular kids or anything likethat kind of motivation or
whatever you call it.
So then, after losing the 70pounds, it's like a drastic
change, like people are noticing.
They're like hey, you want tohang out and stuff.
Like people look at youdifferent too, which is great,
like they could still look atyou as you're big because you've
(17:46):
got a good personality.
But then it's like, if you lostthat weight too like people do,
they're just like dang, youlook like you lose weight.
Like my hoodie and uh shirtthat I wear for work now looks
like a dress on me because I wasa 2xl.
Now I'm back at like an xl okaywhich is good.
So, um, there's still certainthings I can't wear, and the
(18:07):
jeans right now it's it's kindof a weird in between because,
like I know, my waist isshrinking but I still can't like
go a size down, as weird aslike it's like a weird in
between.
So like I'm a 36 right now, Iwas a 40, so it has shrunk.
Yeah, that's good yeah, it'sjust right now I'm kind of stuck
(18:28):
at that 36 and that's where I'mlike.
Also, too, at the weight, I'mstuck at 230.
But again, people have torealize, like you may be stuck
at that certain weight for aminute, but like, if you keep
going and you keep with thatdetermination of like dieting,
cutting back and whatnot,whether you do like a carnivore
diet or something like that,like some people do, or if they
(18:49):
go vegan or whatever, like youjust keep that.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
it's all in here, is what it is, it's all in your
head yeah, I would just say eatgood, healthy food and obviously
watch the calories, because ifyou're eating too many calories,
even if it's good, healthy food, food you can overdo it, you
can still gain weight.
Um, where was like, where werewe?
(19:15):
You're talking about thedieting.
Yeah, the dieting with likebeing all up in the head is
where yeah, up in the head, Umcause you'd say you reached a
plateau right now where it'skind of like that flat line so
you're not really going up, butyou're not really going down
exactly like, if anything, I goup one pound and I go down one
pound, kind of thing like it's
Speaker 2 (19:35):
a weird in between.
So it's just like, yeah, I'llbe sitting there sweating
bullets at like planet fitness,like I'm when I'm on the
treadmill, the stair master, youknow, doing like the leg press
and everything like that.
But yeah, and then I go homeand I wait like maybe a week or
two to see like the weightprogress.
And it's still at 230 and I'mlike the heck happened you know,
(19:57):
yeah, but again it's the bodytrying to get rid of that fat
and try to move stuff aroundbecause you're tightening your
muscles and it's like stretchingthem out.
So that way you stretch out,and that's the part.
That's the hard part.
I would say the hard part isgetting started.
If you want to lose weight, I'llsay yeah, well, yeah I was
(20:17):
going to the gym at first withelizabeth and brian for maybe
two to three days a monthbecause I was just like I don't
want to.
It really was.
It was that mentality.
And then I was like you knowwhat, all right, I'll.
They're asking me a couple moredays.
So I was like, all right, I'llgo with them.
Whatever, it's fine.
And then it just got to thepoint where I was like you know
(20:39):
what?
Hey, you guys want to go, andthen we go.
And so right now, like what Iwas telling you is I go.
Right now, brian got adifferent, different gym
membership somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
So he don't dare he.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
I know he goes to crunch but he also doesn't
really hang out with us as muchanymore.
But then I mean at work I stilltalk to him and stuff like that
.
But otherwise me and Elizabeth,we go, we go to the, we go.
I'm not going to say whatplanet fitness, but we go to
Planet Fitness.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
And we have a lot of good times Like we use the what
is it called the poles with thefeet thing.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
The elliptical, yeah, the elliptical.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I had it earlier.
Yeah, we use that and it'seasier on the joints too, since
we both walk on concrete likeall day for like 10 hours plus,
and then otherwise I'll use thetreadmill if, like, she shows up
later or something like that,and then we go to like hey, so
do you want to do core?
Do you want to do arm, do youwant to do leg today?
And we'll be like all right,well, I did arm yesterday.
(21:44):
Oh, I did arm yesterday.
All right, we'll do leg orwe'll do core and we'll just be
there like helping motivate eachother and whatnot.
And it's really nice and she'sbeen doing pretty good too.
She, she, uh, she had a lot ofweight on her too at one point
and she slimmed down a bit, likeit.
It's a drastic difference ofhow much better she looks too.
(22:08):
And I can tell, uh, mentalitywise too.
Like I mean, I've known her forlike years.
Like we were managers togetherwhere, um, where we work now,
and then obviously I just waslike yeah, no, this ain't me.
So now I'm back at likesomething I, I like, and it's a
lot less stressful.
So we both like have just likewe, we know what's happening in
(22:31):
each other's lives, kind ofthing.
So it's like she right now isgoing through a tough time but
she's still going forward.
Yeah, it's a motivation, andeven to the gym is a great
stress reliever too.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I've noticed too.
If I had a really stressful dayat work or just like at my
brother's house where I live,like if I, if it's stressful
over there, or I'm just like,okay, john's starting stuff
today, or the kids are beingloud or the baby's crying, or
whatever, I'm like I'm justgonna go to the gym early and
I'm just gonna stay there alittle bit longer.
You know what I mean?
(23:03):
Yeah, so because I'll, I'llusually try to go like around
like maybe late, like not latelate night, but like around like
maybe six, seven o'clock andthen at least stay for an hour.
But if I get out of work earlyenough, like four o'clock or 4
35, then I'll just go right thenand there you go with the five
o'clock crowd yeah, it's.
(23:25):
It's not that bad at um the oneI go to if I'm by myself yeah
but if I go to the one that meand elizabeth go to, it's still
crowded but it's a lot morespacious and they have a lot
more machines there, yeah, tolike use.
So really, even if you went at4, 35 o'clock, like right there
where everybody's getting out ofwork and going straight to the
gym, it's really not that big ofa deal because you have a bunch
(23:48):
of machines and people actuallylike to work out at that one,
compared to the one that I go toby myself.
Yeah, yeah, it's people justtake selfies and they're.
They don't care, they theydon't even look like they know
how to use the gym equipment.
Like granted, I'm a newbie.
Well also it's planet fitness.
Yeah, I like it though, though,because of the Black Card
membership Just because you getthe hydro chair and everything
(24:09):
else.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
It is nice because there's so many of them around
and it's cheap, but it also islike not a real gym, right?
I use it too, just because Idon't need to get like huge
right.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
You don't need to look like terry crews, right?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I'm not yeah, I'm not trying to get that big like I
just don't care.
I'd rather just be healthy andfit right, so I think it does
good for that yeah, and for meit's.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
I don't have anything at home, obviously.
Yeah to do.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
it's also more social to go to a gym and work out.
Even if you're not talking topeople, you're still around them
, and so it gives me a littlebit more motivation because I'm
out and about instead of just inmy garage or in a room.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Right.
Well even too, at that pointnow that you mention it, like
when I was going to the gym thefirst time by myself at planet
fitness, it was honestly liketerrifying yeah because
beforehand, again, I was likenot social at all.
Like I was, I wasn't anti-social, but I was like not social at
(25:14):
the same time.
It's like again a weird inbetween where it's like, yeah,
if somebody strikes aconversation with me, I'll talk
to them, but I'm not going to goout of my way to talk to people
.
Right, and at the gymeverybody's there to work out.
So unless I'm like, hey, can Iborrow that machine, like that's
what I'll do.
But again, outside of work,like I could talk to somebody
waiting in line at the grocerystore or something like that, I
could be like, hey, how's itgoing, you know?
(25:34):
Like I like your coat orsomething stupid like that, you
know.
And so the first time I went bymyself I was terrified because
I'm a I wasn't as big as I wasbefore I started going, but I
was still big and I thought Iwas going to get judged.
And I know they have that thingwhere it's like it's a no
judgment zone and stuff likethat.
(25:54):
But it was just more of thesocial anxiety on top of they're
going to see a fat guy on atreadmill trying to run.
But again, and this is going tosound bad too but that same day
that I went there was an evenbigger guy, like he was probably
four, four stuff and look atyou judging no, I'm just saying
(26:14):
as an example.
It's like you never know who'sgoing to be in there and even if
you are like, you know you'retoned and you got a six pack and
everything else like thatdoesn't necessarily mean that
you're healthy either, right?
So because I know a guy namedben that I used to work with at
walgreens who was just like thatand he was like dude, I hate
running, like I can't run forlike two seconds, like, and he
would and sometimes he wouldhave to to like get from one
(26:37):
side of the store to the other.
He'd be out of breath and I'mjust like dude, what?
And he and he ate healthy andeverything like that.
He's like yeah, I'm still outof shape.
Just because I'm skinny doesn'tmean like I'm out of shape or
I'm in shape or whatever so andI mean I'm still not in shape,
but I know that I've been ableto do a lot of things better,
(26:58):
like lifting and bending over,like I used to fear for like my
legs popping, because I used toevery time, like you, could hear
my kneecaps pop when I bentover.
It was bad, and then nowadaysit's like not even that bad.
I still have like some backthings going on, but it's,
that's just getting old.
Yeah, that's I'm 32.
That's just gonna happen.
(27:19):
Yeah, that's I'm 32.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
That's just going to happen with me, so there's
nothing you can do about that,because I have the back thing
too sometimes.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
So I try to like not overdo it on the back lifting if
I can help it.
But I know again, with workingout it has strengthened it a lot
compared to what it used to be.
So beforehand it was reallyhard to bend down and bend over
and whatnot for like picking upa box off the floor or something
like that.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
So and then after that it was you know again,
after losing 70 pounds it's beensignificantly easier to like
handle things at work, like whenI'm lifting rack and pinions
because you're getting gettingstronger and then you're also
getting more fit, so it doesn'ttake as much energy to lift
(28:05):
things.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
And the other.
The other thing is, too, isthat I noticed, like at the gym,
like so there's certain weightsthat, like you know, I would
set my goal for, like let's justin a hypothetical situation,
let's just say, like I, I couldlift 10 pounds, that was it.
You know I could lift 10 pounds, that was it.
You know I could lift heavierthan that.
But I'm just saying like, if Icould only lift 10 pounds.
I noticed then, like I'm like Ipush myself to like lift a
(28:27):
little bit more each time to togain that, because I know if I
just stick to the same way everytime, I'm just gonna get used
to it and it's not gonna doanything.
But if I at least try to pushit a little bit, even if by's,
by five pounds, then it's goingto do something.
I'm five pounds strongercompared to like the same, you
know, yeah, and I've.
The one thing I've noticed toois like, so, on the treadmill,
(28:51):
for example, when I'm on there,I right now, I used to do it for
an entire hour.
I used to be on the treadmillfor an entire hour and I
realized, like what I found outthrough different trainers and
stuff is like that's somethingyou don't want to do, you want
at least.
Yeah, you actually want to doit for, like, maybe at the top
is 45 minutes and then otherwiseI do it for a half hour so is
(29:15):
there a reason why you don'twant to do it for a full hour?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
I?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
think it's just too much strain, okay, and for your
heart rate, and everything likethat.
So what I do is because I usedto do it and I did.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Were they specifically talking about
walking or running?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
It was like well, because I walk on an incline,
and that's what it really was.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Because I do a 13 incline and now I do 13.2 miles
an hour, kind of thing sobecause I 13.3, 3.2 miles, oh
yeah, I ain't, no, like cheetahor anything like that, but, um,
yeah.
So, because that's the one thingthat you can do to lose like
(29:56):
body fat is if you do theincline, like, yeah, the walking
part is good.
If you just do a flat surface,yeah, but it's better and you're
going to see better and fasterresults, which I've been seeing,
if you do an incline becauseyou're pushing yourself and
you're gripping like your, yourfeet are gripping and your legs
are tightening up too whenyou're walking.
And my calves are really good,my legs are fine.
(30:18):
It's just I gotta work on mygut and then my upper torso here
which is flattening out.
I don't really have man tittiesanymore.
I mean, they're still there,but like they're not as bad as
what they used to be.
We're like the nipples wouldalign with the belly button,
kind of bad.
So, yeah, and then I'm workingon other things, like my
(30:38):
forearms are getting better.
My, what do you call them?
The chicken wings are gettingbetter, you know they're
tightening up a little bit bybit, but again, it's going to
take time.
It's not going to happenovernight.
Like what people I think thattry to lose weight expect, you
know?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
they have.
Yeah, it can take yearssometimes.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Yeah, so, and then obviously, the older you get it
I wouldn't call it midlifecrisis, but you're kind of
getting close to that point ofmidlife crisis.
So I mean I feel like I'vealready reached that point
because I have a motorcycle.
But that's the other thing toois like my other motivation for
it was to look better on themotorcycle, because I did
(31:17):
pictures with my buddy Brian,where he took pictures of me and
my bike and I noticed likebefore it was really hard to
like even sit down because myvest is a 3x but it has the, the
braids to like tighten it ifyou like, lose weight or
whatever, and even then Icouldn't even sit down without
my belly like popping the buttonor anything like that.
(31:38):
So this year it's like gonna bea lot better to do that.
Uh, I think for more motorcyclepictures, and it also my bike,
I think is over 550 pounds, ifI'm correct, and so you had 300
pounds sitting on the bikebefore.
Now you're at 230 sitting onthe bike.
(31:59):
So again, 70 pound difference,that's and you'll feel cooler
when you're riding it right, Iwon't like have my gut hanging
over or like there's one picturethat I have where my jeans are
screaming for dear life likethey're gonna break and it
looked really bad too, and so Iwas like crap man, I'm glad.
(32:21):
and then the only reason, too, Ihad a full beard is to hide my
double chin, because I couldeven move slightly to the left
and right and you could see itstart to form.
Already is how bad it got.
So that's the only reason I hada really full beard.
But now I kind of keep ittrimmed and thin and I think I
look better.
And a lot of people have saidlike, yeah, you look better with
, like a thinner beard.
So I'm probably going to keepit until I get older maybe.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, when we get old , then we can have the big
wizard beards Exactly, and go onmystical, magical journeys.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
So yeah, and then too , it's just again, it's a huge
confidence booster.
Like I'll say this I won't saywho, but like there is somebody
that like I'm kind of interestedin, and so when you lose the
weight, you also?
Notice like, yeah, like I gotthis like a little bit of a
confidence boost, you know.
Yeah, so because before, ifyou're bigger, like maybe you,
(33:15):
maybe you do have confidence.
If you're bigger like you knowsome people do they don't care,
um.
But then there's other peoplewhere they're like if they're
bigger, like I used to be, I waslike yeah, no, I don't have any
confidence to ask a girl out oranything like that.
Like I'm, I'm gonna besurprised.
They even look at me andwhatnot.
But it's still in thatmentality, like even though I've
lost 70 pounds.
There's moments where I havethat thought, where I'm like I
(33:37):
don't know if they're gonna lookat me or whatever, because I
think I'm big, but it's like,dude, I've lost 70 pounds.
Like what are you talking about?
Yeah, like they may notpersonally know me, like they
may see me now and just be likewow, that guy's big, but it's
like you should have seen me 70pounds ago, no idea you have no
idea, sweetheart.
And even to, just getting in andout of my car is like really
(34:01):
nice, it's easier yeah soimagine, because then the seat
also isn't having too muchstrain trying to support a 300
pound fat guy and then just evento.
Here's the other funny part too.
So me and my buddy rayden willgo to.
I've told you this story too um, just like how we basically
once or twice a year we go tochicago to see the deloreans
(34:23):
yeah and they have a wholedealership.
for those of you who don't know,it's called delorean midwest or
um, yeah, I think they'recalled delorean midwest now, but
they used to be called uh, ohgosh, what was their other name?
It was delorean something.
And um, they have deloreansthat they sell and refurbish and
(34:44):
repair.
So people will bring in andthey said sometimes it gets up
to six figures is how much it'llcost to repair it.
Jeez, yeah, it's crazyexpensive to own a DeLorean, but
I still want one.
So at some point that's my goaltoo is to get one.
So I want one.
That's my dream car.
(35:04):
It's cool, and not just fromBack to the Future, but like
I've sat in one and and like gotto test drive one um from a guy
that actually I used to.
Um, he, he worked at a shopback when I was a store manager
and he had one in and he goesyeah, this is, this is my
delorean.
And so he goes you want, youwant to do and it was an
automatic, which I want and it'sfun.
(35:26):
But when I was like close to300 pounds getting in that thing
and the car is, really, it'sweird because you think it looks
huge, but it's not, it is andit isn't and it's really low to
the ground.
So when the gullwing doors openand you get 300 pounds in that
thing, the car already weighsover 3,000 pounds.
(35:48):
It's stainless steel.
But yeah, it's ridiculoustrying to get in and out of that
thing because obviously youhave to be careful because it's
a vintage.
You can't just be sitting thereshaking everything around and
whatever you can't in my 09Accord.
So I've noticed even well, no,last I I didn't weigh 300 pounds
(36:08):
like before we went, but it wasaround there I was getting I
think I was at probably like the272 80, so I was approaching it
.
Um, it was still hard, but Iknow like this year when I go
like it's going to be easier tosit in the delorean and just
chill and take pictures andstuff like that.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
So it'll be nice.
That will be nice.
Yes, it will All right.
I think that's a.
I think that's a good storythat you gave us today.
Thank, you 36 minutes andcounting.
Yes, um, anyway, thanks forcoming on and sharing that with
us.
Stefan, you're very welcome.
(36:45):
Um, anyway, thanks for comingon and sharing that with us.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Stefan, you're very welcome anytime.
I got a great narrator voice,yeah, we'll have you we'll have
to have you read stories on heresometime.
This is the story about anapple and a bee?
I don't know.
I just came up with somethingapple and a bee apple and the
bee.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Anyway, just continue down this journey of yours, and
I think you're going to beheaded to the I will try my best
.
Good, all right, thankseverybody.
Have a blessed week.
Bye see ya Love you.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.