Dan Nied's Fortress of Weight Loss: The Lonely Road - Page 2

I wanted your last image of me to be one of Obama-style hope and not of me sitting in downtown Detroit’s famed Lafayette Coney Island eating four chili dogs and chili cheese fries while nursing a wicked hangover after my friend’s bachelor party. Had I written this during my trip to Detroit, you would have seen a man that seemingly had lost his bearings, taking three straight weeks off, unapologetic for the havoc and regression he was causing his body.

And I am still unapologetic about that. I enjoyed myself.

But that wasn’t where this ended. It couldn’t have been, because that provides no link from the Fortress to the next step of the process. So here I am, writing a little after noon on Wednesday, and my body is so sore I can barely keep my arms on the desk to type. I am feeling hungry after my Cheerios this morning, yet I am fulfilled because I woke up promptly at 9:30 a.m. (as opposed to noon., which was my previous schedule) and went right to the gym to — get this — lift weights.

My abs are sore, my arms nearly lifeless, and my shoulders virtually unshruggable. I began on Monday, the day after my return, maxing out on bench press, and going through a thorough upper-body workout. Tuesday, I returned to the gym for an elliptical workout that lasted a mere 15 minutes because, well, after three weeks off, I have to start all over.

And then Wednesday I fought off the soreness and lifted again. And I’ll do the same Friday after a cardio workout on Thursday. I’ve always talked about focus, and I can tell you that my mind is dead-set about committing to lifting weights, reshaping my body, and looking how I want to look as opposed to just weighing what I want to weigh.

Over the six full months the Fortress encompassed, I went from 299 pounds down to 259. That’s not a bad accomplishment for half a year. Though I didn’t get to the goal weight of 240, I still hold my head high in victory, because it was a huge step for me to push myself further than I have ever been.

But there is work to do yet, and I am committed to doing it. I will no longer work on timelines, no more hard set goals to fall short of. I just want to ease my way into this way of life and avoid being one of the many weight losers who gain their pounds back within a few years.

Article Author: Dan Nied

Dan Nied is a journalist, of sorts, living near San Francisco. He is a college graduate, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his bank statement.

Visit Dan Nied's author page — Dan Nied's Blog