A few years ago, I was in the worst shape of my life. My job was extremely stressful and I found myself eating almost constantly. I was working with a group of what were understood to be very large men, who ate many working lunches each day. It wasn’t long before my doctor started bugging me about my weight. Now, you must understand that I am tall and naturally big boned; Most people still don’t believe that I gained as much weight as I did, but I started creeping over the 300 pound mark without even knowing it. My blood pressure became a disaster, I started to have worse and worse joint pain and I didn’t sleep well at all. I knew I had to make some changes.

The first change I made was to leave the company I was at. It was really killing me to continue working there. I got a job with less pay, but less stress. I also started working two nights a week as a security guard. This gets me a little extra cash, a decent retirement plan, and working out for four hours straight. Now, I’m not running all the time, but I am walking a few miles every night that I work. It’s completely stress free, and I’ve met a lot of great people.

Then I started cutting down on my carbonated drink intake. I didn’t eliminate it from my diet, instead replacing about 60 percent with water. I also stopped drinking beer. I didn’t stop drinking alcohol, which would be even better for me, but switched to clear alcohols with fruit juice or diet soda. I know I shouldn’t drink anything, but once in a while it’s a much needed break.

My dietary changes were also minimal. I stopped buying frozen pizzas and frozen dinners. I still eat fast food every week, but I try to make a little smarter choices when I do. I keep my fridge stocked with fruit, which I try to snack on. I realize that I still don’t like vegetables or eat them very much, although I should! I mainly try to stop and think before I buy any food and think about how far I’ve come.