When I’m Sick Of Being Fat, I’ll Lose Weight!

Hello everyone! Recently, I wrote a post titled When You’re Tired Of Being Broke, You’ll Start Saving. If you’ve been a subscriber for any time at all then you know I rarely beat around the bush. I am straight to the point and sometimes that comes off as mean to some. It’s not that I am mean, it’s that I believe that the truth shall set you free.

I don’t think that leaving a trail of rose pedals to the bedroom, and dancing around the ugly truth, will help you solve anything. If you know what your situation really looks like, and can get a glimpse into what is causing your situation to be what it is, then you can then take the steps necessary to resolve it. That’s what Enemy of Debt is all about.

Today, I wanted to give myself a taste of my own medicine. I wanted you to know that I am as hard on myself as I am all of you. I have been a slacker in the area of health and fitness. I have battled this for years now, and no matter how many times I have tried I have failed. I always start off great, lose about 10 pounds, and then slide right back into my old habits. I let time abuse me, and my lack of managing it always gets the best of me.

I know exactly what I need to do, I just have not done it and stuck to it long enough to see some real results. I have claimed to be sick and tired of being overweight so many times. I have gone on diet after diet. I have even had some success in previous attempts, but I obviously missed something because I allowed myself to get right back to where I am now. Around the year 2000, I went on a serious health kick after being tired of weighing 335 pounds after quitting smoking 1.5 years prior. I lost 150 pounds in 9 months by eating ONLY unbreaded meats and steamed veggies for EVERY meal! I was eating very low carbs, and never after 5 p.m. I went to the gym at my apartment complex 5 nights a week and exercised on the bike for 30 minutes 5 days a week, and did some crunches and bench pressing periodically. It was a lot of hard work, so why did I let myself reach 285 pounds again?

Because I obviously wasn’t that sick and tired of being overweight, or at least I forgot how much I hated being fat and out of shape. I am an athlete, and really enjoy the great outdoors. I love hiking, playing basketball, golfing, skiing, and running around with my kids, but I’d be lying if I said I am full of energy while we are playing. The truth is that I am tired and sometimes I catch myself watching the clock to see how much longer I have to play.

I have read countless books on health and weight loss. I KNOW WHAT TO DO! I know what my body needs. I know how my body responds to the crap that I eat. I know how much better I feel when I am on a balanced diet of lean meats, veggies, and fruits. I FEEL GREAT! So why am I having this struggle? Because as I have pointed out before on this blog, sometimes knowing what to do isn’t enough. Just like with money, our behaviors keep us from doing what we know we should be doing in the first place. Most people know they are messing up when they put $200 on the credit card on impulse, but they do it anyway.

I have quit smoking! I have become debt free! I have changed myself drastically in most areas of my life over the years but the one thing that still gives me trouble is this pesky weight issue! I have to win in this area of my life if I want to have a life to live. Why is that not registering as important to me? Why have I failed to take this bull by the horns? As I told many of you about your savings accounts in that one post, it’s because I am not tired of being fat yet. Or am I?

I think I am, and so I am making an effort to get this under control once and for all. April is the month I am focusing on. I don’t care about a year from now. I don’t care about May. I only care about April, and intend on taking that one day at a time as well. Just like when you are out and you bust your budget or pass on savings because you “need” that big screen TV, I am going to practice a little discipline and tell myself NO! I am going to practice self control. I am going to stick this out because I have to. If I don’t my kids may not have a Daddy to play with.

I currently do not have any blockages, or any major damage, but I do have stage one hypertension, and high cholesterol. I am on medication that I have been able to stop taking before because I did lose weight. It was nice, and I want to get off of it again! Now’s the time! I weigh 285 and am 6 foot 1 inches tall. I must hold my feet to the fire and work on changing the behaviors that have got me where I am today. If I want different results, then I have to take different actions. I can’t keep doing the same things and expecting anything different than what I have been getting. It’s just like money!!

More important to me than anything else though, is I do not want my kids to develop these same habits and behaviors as they grow up. Being overweight sucks, and it is very difficult to get under control once it gets out of control. My kids are following in my footsteps, and I have to keep reminding myself of that, otherwise I am no better than the person that has no savings, lots of debt, and continues to ignore the gravity of their situation. I am no different! I should be taking what I have accomplished with money and spreading that to EVERY area of my life. Until I do, I have not truly learned what I thought I have learned.

I’m here to announce to you today. I am SICK AND TIRED of being fat!

If you are sick and tired of being overweight, you might want to check out David Damron’s new e-book entitled SIMPLE Health and Fitness. David has been an inspiration to me, and ironically asked me to contribute to this e-book. While health and fitness have been a problem for me, I have been on both sides of the isle. The truth is writing this piece made me realize why I need to stop playing around with my health the way that I have. I am reading it now and so far it is inspirational and very informative.

About Brad Chaffee

29 Responses to “When I’m Sick Of Being Fat, I’ll Lose Weight!”

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  1. David Damron says:

    It’s all about acting. If you can take the steps to do what you want to do, being healthy and fit will be a reality. You should try and not keep crap in the house and do everything you can not to go to any fast food.

    Good luck and it has been fun on this journey with you Brad….

    David Damron
    The Minimalist Path

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      You’re right David, I need to stop talking and take action. My happens to be working days today and gets off at 3:30. as soon as I pick her up from the hospital, we are going on a family hike together. I plan on doing an update post about every two weeks or something.

      My wife and I promised each other that we would not eat out for the entire month of April. the truth is we have financial motivations for doing this as well but we both know we need to eat at home. It’s just too hard at this point for us to go out to eat and eat healthy. We are going to MAKE TIME to cook at home and work together to make it easier than it has been in the past.

      Thanks for the inspiration dude! Our friendship has been great for both of us. In honor of that friendship, I am going to go online later, and find some walk/runs that donate the proceeds to charity to participate in. I am going to do this man! Changing my habits and behaviors is KEY. Just like money. I should know that better than anyone!

  2. Jesse says:

    I’m right there with ya Brad, I have complained for years and every once in a while I’ll get up and do something. This year has been pretty good though, I have worked myself pretty hard and kept on track for the most part. I’ve lost 20 pounds since January and I’m not stopping till I reach my goal!

    Something that may help you, and others in this area is a monetary motivator, check out my post about losing weight and being paid for it

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Thanks Jesse! Congratulations to you on losing 20 pounds! It’s hard to stick to a plan sometimes but if I can do it with my money I can do it with my health. Thanks for the link I will definitely check it out!

  3. Also sick and tired... says:

    I’m in the same boat and have been having some success. Check out http://www.menshealth.com and http://www.builtlean.com, they both have a lot good articles and info.

  4. Bonnie says:

    You NEED to check out this website. It’s not mine I just love it! It’s FREE! They have an awesome food tracker and exercise tracker and online journal (and blogs if you’re into that πŸ™‚ ). I started using their website January 1 and I have lost 34 pounds in three months. I eat well and exercise and I track everything. Tracking your food is just as important as tracking your money. They focus a lot on goal setting and you can completely customize your wellness plan. They are not trying to sell you pills or powders or anything else.

    Please check it out, you will be happy you did!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Hey Bonnie! Thank you for the recommendation. I love Spark People. Unfortunately I have never given it the time I should. I kind of think it’s like the FREE version of weight watchers. Not like the points but the emphasis on tracking is pretty similar. If you track it will work, and if you don’t well, you know the drill. I plan on definitely giving it a chance this time for real. πŸ˜€

    • Beckey & Jeff says:

      We didn’t know about this website. I have now registered and will begin using this over the weekend. Thanks! We too are sick of being fat!

  5. Donna says:

    Last year I did get up and do something. I lost 60 pounds which I have been able to keep off. Now I want to lose the last 40 but my motivation had been nonexistent. Well you just re-inspired me! I am going to get back on track and get rid of that extra baggage. Thanks for a great post!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Awesome Donna! I am not surprised at all, after seeing your progress and commitment to the Manage Your Money challenges. good for you and good luck on knocking out that last 40 pounds! πŸ˜€

  6. Brad my hats off to you for coming public with this. I think that’s a big part of it, making a declaration before others as a way to hold your feet to the fire.

    I have the same problem and I’ve had it all my life. That’s part of the problem itself, you get used to it, and though you don’t like it and your head knows it’s bad, it’s the life you’ve always known and it feels like a comfortable old shirt. Our lives are mostly about what we do everyday, and we all fall back on short term pleasures to get through the moment.

    Your body can be your biggest challenge, and not one to be underestimated. In a very real sense, you’re waging war with yourself, and that’s a different kind of battle then when the issue is external, as in the case of credit cards. The only times serious weight loss has worked for me have been the times I’ve seriously cleared the decks and gone toe-to-toe with it. Any falloff in intensity seems to cause me to fall right back into bad habits.

    It’s probably not even worth taking on if you have other major challenges going on, since you can’t take on too many at once. Fighting with ourselves takes everything we’ve got. I think this is doable if you’ve reached the point where weight is Problem #1. It sounds as if you may be at that point. Good luck!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Thanks for the great feedback Kevin! I only disagree with one part of your comment. “It’s probably not even worth taking on if you have other major challenges going on, since you can’t take on too many at once.” I can’t afford not to take it on, it’s just a matter of making it a priority over other things that also take up my time. I’m gonna do this. πŸ˜€

      I’m sitting down feeding my little Noah his banana oatmeal and having a fresh strawberry smoothie for breakfast. 250 Calories and yummy too! πŸ˜‰

  7. Timely post — I just joined a gym today because I’m sick of being fat, myself. It’s “only” 15 pounds, but if I don’t watch it, it will become 30 pounds, as it has in the past, and I don’t want to be there again. I want to be healthy, darn it.

    Great idea to take it one month at a time. Good luck!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Boy I sure have tried that a couple of times. I hope you reach your goals RDS, and I hope the gym gives you a great tool.

      We struggled both times we had a membership. Mainly it was a problem because of the day care aspect. I could only go at certain times, which usually ended up being inconvenient, so I skipped it. Bad I know, but I have a hard time working it around the kids, but I will admit that is when I was working nights too so I am sure that had something to do with it.

      One year we paid for both of us for the whole year up front. If you added up all the days we ended up going it would have probably amounted to about 2 and a half months worth of gym time. LOL (Not so funny for our money though.) The last time we were paying monthly without a contract and didn’t go most of the time. I hope you use your membership regularly and good luck getting yourself into shape. I am rooting for you.

      Maybe we can all hold each other accountable. πŸ™‚

  8. Jan says:

    Me too. I lost 121 lbs on a diet medicine and then gained it back. It’s disheartening, but on the good side, I am glad that it’s not as hard to get out of debt as it is to lose weight, although I am sure others would turn it around. And it’s true that there’s no pill to help you get out of debt.

    I have been moderating what I eat and drink and I am feeling better, but I have a long way to go, but it is like the debt thing in that it’s behavior modification.

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Yeah I have definitely tried the pills too. The pills are like debt consolidation. They don’t help you change your habits as much as they give you a non hands on way of getting rid of the problem. Only thing is, in both cases the weight comes back, and so does the debt. πŸ™‚

      Behavior modification is the key Jan! All I have to do is treat my body like my wallet.

      I’ve got a great idea too, that I will probably be sharing with all of you really soon. I am going to put together a health and fitness budget. πŸ™‚

  9. Abigail says:

    Sounds like once you set your mind to something, the obstacle doesn’t stand a chance. I’ll be rootin’ for ya!

  10. ctreit says:

    Losing weight is one of the challenges many of us have. As you say, losing weight and keeping it off are not that different than getting out of debt and staying out of debt. You seem to be doing pretty well, when you set your mind to a goal. My money is on you that you will lose weight and that you will keep it off this time. – I can’t give you any weight loss ideas since I never had that problem, but I am looking forward to sharing these sports with you: hiking, golfing, skiing (my favorite by far), and running. πŸ™‚

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      I just went on a great hike yesterday ctreit! It was awesome. The great advantage I do have is that my (3yo) son Isaac LOVES hiking too. Hiking is by far better than any gym equipment ever. I’m going to use that to my advantage. I went skiing not to long ago, and it was awesome, especially with all the snow we received in the Winter. Haven’t played golf in a long time but I plan to get out and walk 18 real soon!

  11. Red says:

    Actually, Brad, I would say that the reason you “went back” after losing so much weight on that kind of diet is that the kind of diet you were doing is very hard to maintain. That’s why I don’t get the low carb diet fads. Because no one is going to cut out carbs for the rest of their lives. Why not instead find a way to make eating the foods you like healthier? I’ve always thought that method was better than completely changing your eating habits until you lose weight because once you go back to eating carbs you’re going to gain the weight back.

    Not eating out should help you tremendously. When I hit the gym hardcore last year, I only allowed myself to eat out once a week. Immediately noticed a difference on the scales. Then one week I didn’t go out at all. Lost an additional 2 pounds that week! I hope seeing the difference will motivate you to stay on track for good! πŸ™‚ We’re all cheering for you!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      I think for the most part you are correct but I didn’t cut out carbs all together. I have never liked the Atkins diet. Our bodies need carbs but if we eat to nourish our bodies don’t need that many of them. The problem with society today is that it eats everything in greater portions. I would definitely agree that an inconsistent diet with low carbs back to high carbs is a problem. Your are most certainly right about that. I went from eating low (what my body needed) to pigging out again. Most unhealthy foods are loaded with carbs. My ultimate goal is to eat for nourishment with the occasional treat, as opposed to EVERY meal being a treat with the occasional moderation. πŸ™‚

  12. I am glad on so many levels to see this post, Brad. Mostly, I’m glad because I consider you a good friend and I know you need to make this progress for so many reasons.

    I also think this is a great example of how smart money principles translate to other areas of our lives. I know Dave Ramsey ran a marathon, and I am sure that he could write a book applying the principles of the Total Money Makeover to health and have a huge hit. It’s the same stuff: make more money and spend less, exercise more and eat less. It’s the CONSISTENT action that’s the hard part.

    I am also glad on a more selfish level because I know these posts will inspire and keep me motivated to meet my goals.

    Be *gazelle intense* on reaching new levels of success in your health, my friend!

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      I knew I could count on you for support Dustin. I consider you a great friend too and am thankful for our friendship!

      Money principles and health are definitely one in the same when you look at the characteristics that successful people have in both cases. They are the same. If I treat my weight like my wallet, then I should make progress over time.

      Thanks for the support dude! πŸ˜€

  13. Samurai says:

    Good stuff Brad! I believe everything is rational, and you are doing the rational thing b/c you’re sick of being overweight!

    What about joining a sports league or something? B/c it is a team your team is counting on you to perform your best. Then, you are trying to be fit not only for yourself, but for your team!

    What is your ideal fighting weight at 6″ 1? I remember Michael Jordan in an interview said his was 205-210 at 6″ 6. But then again, that’s Michael Jordan.

    Best,

    Sam

    • Brad Chaffee says:

      Joining some sort of sports team would definitely be a great thing. I played baseball from age 5 to 18 so I have considered joining a softball league. Not any baseball leagues around here that I know of, but another thing I want to do more of is participate in local walk/runs. 5K’s, 10K’s etc. eventually I would love to run a marathon!

  14. Bucksome says:

    Brad, I’m sick and tired of being fat as well. When I review my 2010 goals next week, weight loss will be a failure for the first quarter.

    Weren’t you doing WW before? I still think it’s the best program out there.

  15. Like you have I have been struggling to get myself back to the gym for over two months now.

    I have finally pushed myself to go to the gym at least twice a week. However, it is a struggle every-time. But I know that I will get into the habit if I keep at it.

    But gym is not the only area of my life that needs fixing. So I have been thinking how and why we sabotage our lives in whatever it is that we do. I have posted my thoughts at http://www.thesimplemachine.com/sabotaging-life/

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