At 464 pounds, Derrick felt he missed out on life. He experienced frustration and anger at past failures and false starts. Hear how he broke the cycle and took control of his future.
“I’m not who I was before.”
Weight Gain Background and Contributing Factors
Derrick was always a heavier kid. He is a self-described “geek”, and as a kid he was fond of indoor and sedentary hobbies: computers, books, movies, television. He didn’t play any sports, and wasn’t outside much for activities. In high school a growth spurt caused him to be thin for a few years, but internally he still saw himself as that “chubby kid.” Derrick said, “Your mind fills in the gap”—your mind will complete the picture of yourself, even if it’s incorrect. Derrick shares that, back then, he didn’t understand some basics: portion sizes, eating enough protein, general healthy eating habits, or even the importance of drinking enough water. He reached his highest weight at 464 pounds. (210.9 kg)
How Being Overweight Impacted Derrick’s Life
His personal confidence and self-image “caused [him] to miss out on a lot.” Dating, social events, trips—he didn’t want to fly because of his size. A few years ago, after a movie, Derrick stopped and got $25-30 worth of fast food – 6,000-7,000 calories – a typical meal at the time. He sat down at a table fastened to the wall, and 30 seconds later, he fell as the table ripped out of the wall.
“It was so humiliating.”
Derrick shares that various approaches had temporarily worked in the past. After knee surgery from a blown-out knee when he was staying with family, they encouraged him to start Atkins with them, and he lost 40-50 pounds. (18.2-22.7kg) Derrick even hired a personal trainer at one point, but he was always was doing things because other people talked him into it.
“I wasn’t personally sold on the fact that I needed to make changes.”
Diets didn’t last long because he wasn’t committed to it.
“Deep down inside I just knew I was going to fail.”
Even though he knew the medical risks from his obesity, Derrick admits he “didn’t care” at the time… but that would soon change. Derrick got a job working from home, and became increasingly withdrawn. Sometimes there were many days in a row in which he did not leave his apartment. Very unhappy and approaching 40, Derrick says, “I just felt like my life was over…and there was just nothing left. No more opportunities, no more chances.” This mentality lasted for about a year.
The Turning Point
Derrick’s turning point consisted of two things: First, a friend of his lost over one hundred pounds, and he would share things about his experiences with Derrick. This was important for Derrick because he had proof directly in front of him that it was possible. Second, Derrick hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in years. He reached a point where he had to spend several weeks sleeping on the couch, as laying flat on the bed would make him choke when he fell asleep. Even when he fell asleep, he would wake every 45 minutes. Derrick knew that he was at risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and possibly worse. He became convinced that one day he just wouldn’t wake up. People had warned Derrick about his health for years, but it all finally hit home. That was it, “a rock bottom moment of clarity…and from there it was time, it was just time. I needed to make a change.”
“I think about this often as a kind of addiction…overeating.”
In reading 12 step literature, Derrick has found parallels between food addiction and, for example, alcoholism. “One of the big traits of addicts is that they are very good at denying reality and escaping reality.” Medical truths and facts can be known, but often people live in denial, and Derrick feels that for everyone it takes something to make that change.
Starting The Weight Loss Journey
Derrick jumped right in, and knew he needed to “burn his boats,” and never go back. He used My Fitness Pal to track calories, joined a gym, cleaned out the junk food from his house. He shares that at 464 pounds, “It’s pretty terrifying to walk into a gym and, number one, be afraid you might break the treadmill.” Derrick ignored the conventional wisdom and started exercise very early in his journey, and after browsing some group exercise classes Derrick ended up finding kickboxing gym he really likes. Seeing other people at exercise classes at the gym and their encouragement and positivity was a big help in bringing Derrick out of his home-bound state. When he started tracking calories, what really stood out was portion size. 4 oz of meat was “like 3 bites” for him, and he worked to dial back portions. Derrick noticed eating out was costing him a fortune, and decided he would rather spend that money on eating healthy at home. Derrick was shocked at the ease of making the change at first. Tracking calories and measuring portions wasn’t as tough as he was expecting. Clean foods—even if they were in larger portions initially—helped his body adjust to dropping weight. He wished he had bought a food scale at the very beginning. Derrick got a “uniformly positive” response from folks around him when he shared that he was trying to lose weight. He then put his story online for further accountability to himself. Derrick didn’t want to make the journey alone this time. He was terrified of posting his first “before” picture online, but he is glad he did it.
Challenges Derrick Faced Along The Way
Derrick has lost 125 pounds (56.8 kg) so far on his journey, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
“There have been challenges left and right.”
He has occasionally found himself falling into old eating habits, sometimes for as long as 4-5 days at a time. Derrick kept coming back to the promise he made to himself at the beginning of his journey:
“If I screwed up, I would forgive myself.”
He pulled a muscle on his foot, and looking back he thinks maybe started exercise too early. But this time around Derrick had the ability to persevere despite injuries, and not let that derail his goal.
“I had to decide I wasn’t going to give up.”
What Derrick Learned About Food, Exercise, and Himself
Derrick shares an important lesson:
“If I do mess up on my eating a little bit, it’s not the end of the world.”
Salt, water, carbs, etc. can have a major impact on the scale. Derrick is continually learning how to eat, and refining his meals accordingly. He is stronger than he thought he was. Within a few months, he increased his squat at the gym.
“I’m stronger and more capable than I think I was.”
Derrick feels this discovery and confidence has carried over into other areas of his life. Typical week:
- Goal: 3x/week kickboxing (high intensity cardio) and 3x/week lifting weights
- Working out in the mornings gets the day off to a good start.
- Derrick is eating at a deficit and he lifts to maintain his muscle mass while he is dropping weight.
- Derrick eats 3 main meals each day
- Breakfast is usually a smoothie with protein powder, berries, greens, supplements
- Lunch and Dinners: protein, veggies. Examples: eggs, chicken breast, steamed veggies, broccoli, spinach. (not a lot of high processed carbs)
- For the most part Derrick avoids the high processed “white carbs”—pasta, bread, rice.
“I’m just always learning.”
Derrick keeps it simple so that he can stay on track. Simplicity eliminates the opportunity to do the wrong thing, even if his meals might be a little repetitive or boring. Fitness athletes sometimes make a week’s worth of food ahead of time. This might be a new tactic for Derrick. Cook a lot of chicken, for example, and eat it throughout the week. Then you know healthy food is there and ready for you. That way, it’s not easy to make an excuse to order pizza, or eat off plan.
Derrick’s Advice For Your Journey
If he could give a piece of advice for someone starting out, it would be:
“If you mess up, and you will mess up, it’s not the end of the world. As Scarlett O’Hara said, ‘tomorrow is another day.’ ”
Get your mind right when you start. Figure out what it’s going to take for you to want to go on this journey, for you, not because it’s for someone else. To Derrick, that’s a more important first step that saying to drink more water, or to go on a walk today, even though those are good things on their own. Without a strong mindset, the minutiae aren’t strong enough to keep you progressing. On exercise: do something, but make it something you like, so you keep coming back week after week. Goals: A large goal number may overwhelm you and present a reason to quit. Focus on the “today, this week” and set small goals along the way, so that the large number isn’t so overwhelming. 
Resources Discussed In This Podcast
On Derrick’s Workout Playlist
- Love Bites and So Do I by Halestorm [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger motivational quotes on YouTube
- Gonna Fly Now from the Rocky soundtrack [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Eye of the Tiger by Survivor [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Lose Yourself by Eminem [ Amazon / iTunes ]
- Until I Collapse by Eminem [ Amazon / iTunes ]
Contacting Derrick
Derrick maintains an active Facebook page where he shares his journey, insights, and supports others on their journeys. Stop by and say Hello!
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