Been watching the thread for a while.
Was a "hard gainer" in college, at 6'3", I would have killed to be a ripped 215, and couldn't get an ounce over 195. Marriage and 4 kids later, and I topped out at 292. Workout warrior slowly evolved into armchair quarterback.
Wife decided we were all giving up sugar for Lent, which with my 2-liter a day soda habit, seemed like a daunting proposition. Of my four kids, I have a 10-year old girl who we've done a horrible job of teaching healthy choices the last couple of years, and now have to start battling with weight gain, which I would never wish on any girl. We also have a 3 year old twin who clinicians have identified as having symptons consistent with autism, and while high functioning, is scary to comprehend. With some speech therapy and hard work at home, he could very well grow out of these symptoms, but you just never know. We have learned that eliminating the gluten from his diet is good for his development, so doing it for my "Beast and my girl" is worth it alone.
Long story short, after a 24 hour caffeine withdrawal, it's been rewarding so far. Have not had a fast food meal or soda in 3 weeks. All water, lots of fruit, and eating every 3-4 hours moderate portions. Weighed in at 286.6 to start, 16.6 pounds lost so far. The exercise still needs to be thrown into the mix, but a good start. We'll see how things look at 215, but I would love to get back to my college weight. Plan is to enjoy a great meal at 215 or less watching ND-Navy.
