How it started

Hi, my name is Mircea and I used to be very fat overweight.

Always loved to eat but, actually, as a kid I was thin, because I was very active playing a lot of basketball, soccer and a bunch of other sports.

When I graduated from high school, at age 18 I had about 70 to 75 kg (155-165 lbs), which was quite good for my height of 1.86 (6ft1).

Then, I left my small town and went to college.

It was a new environment for me, had a lot to study and I confess it was very stressful.

And also have to admit that my life wasn’t too organized. Student life, you know 😊

That’s when things began to change in terms of weight.

After the first year, I reached 90 kg (200 lbs).

But was ok with it, as I always had this idea that I was a bit too thin.

My family and the people around me were ok with it as well, because men need to gain some weight and be strong, isn’t it? 😊

At graduation time, after 4 years, having finally surpassed the 100 kg (220 lbs) limit, I was very proud of this small act of bravery. 

I kind of felt good, because I was finally pretty strong, even though there was no muscle gain at all.

It was 2002 and afterwards life happened, and things really started to speed up.

Long story short, in another 5 years I got to 115-120 kg (250-265 lbs) and was very strong. I felt miserable though, but strong. 😊

That’s me around the time of my weight record:

Meanwhile, I kept playing sports, but as you may guess, my performance was not very good. It was hard to run and breath properly.

Plus, I started developing some back and knees problems. My body was trying to tell me something.

Then, one day, I had serious back pains that brought me to the doctor.

Was expecting a prescription for some medication or something, but instead the guy put me on a table and with some (harsh) chiropractic exercises he managed to fix my back. 

Was very happy with this unexpected surprise and quick relief, but just before leaving he said: 

Hey, you know, your back problems are related to your weight. It’s like carrying a backpack full of stones weighting 30 kg (65 lbs) all the time.

And you don’t need to do this.

I laughed and said to myself - what does he know? – and after thanking him because he really did a great job, I got out of there, ready to return to my normal life.

But little did I know back then, he had just planted a small seed in my brain.

Later on, after some months, I went to take some blood tests and – obviously – they weren’t perfect.

I had elevated triglycerides levels and some other stuff that I don’t remember right now. 

And the doctor warned me that given my family history I am at high risk to develop diabetes. 

Well, let me tell you that at that moment something happened in my head and it was like a bucket of water was thrown over the previously planted seed, which started to grow more and more 😊

So, in the next months, I started to research and read as much as I could about diabetes and the associated risks.

I got pretty scared and it was very clear to me that I needed to do something to change my life as soon as possible. 

However, the problem was that I loved to eat anything, anywhere, being what people would call a gourmand.

It was a pretty common thing for me to go out with my friends and have Gargantuan feasts pretty damn often.

Moreover, around that time I was just starting to travel more around Europe and kept discovering new places.

And new, fantastic new kind of foods too! You know what I mean. 

It was pretty difficult to change this lifestyle and I had to carry fierce battles against myself and the cravings I had all the time. 

But fear seems to have been a very good ally and somehow I started to win some of the battles.

Therefore, I began eating healthier foods, more fruits and vegetables while I continued to do sports. 

Also, I began to walk A LOT and to take the stairs whenever I could instead of choosing the elevator.

And most importantly, gave up sugary soft drinks (my greatest addiction) entirely.

Thankfully, in a few months, results showed up.

At first it was pretty easy to lose about 10-15 kg (20-30 lbs) and to get down to 105 kg (230 lbs). 

After some more time passed, maybe 6 months or so, I plateaued at 95-97 kg (210-213 lbs) and for quite a while I was unable to go below this threshold. 

And then I met Ana and it was the missing link in my life, a trusted partner in my wellness journey 😊

But more about this and the rest of the story soon in part 2.

Stay curious, healthy and happy!
M.