Hi guys, this will be my second thread made today, but I feel like I really need to put this out there. I weigh 336 lbs. I am 17 years old, 6’4”, and plan to go to ATP in January/February (5/6 months). I recently took an intro flight in a Cessna 172 and absolutely loved it. I fit in it no problem and even had to move the seat up to reach the rudder pedals.
I’m really making this to help hold myself accountable for the next few months to lose 86 pounds. I know I can do it and I’ve lost 15 pounds so far. I am in the process of putting my deposit down and getting all of the material to get my writtens out of the way.
I wanted to make this to update my weight and progress throughout my journey to hopefully inspire others that are in the same boat I am in. Thank you to all you guys that are on here all hours of the day answering questions from all of us newbies.
Thanks for sharing. Losing almost 90lbs in 6mos is going to be tough and while I’m not a nutritionist, I’m not even sure that’s possible? Not trying to discourage you, I’m just saying you should be very proud of the 15 you’ve already lost but doing that every month for the next 6 is a very daunting task.
That said it’s wonderful you’ve set the bar so high and I wish you much success! Please keep us posted on your progress.
Yea, I know it’s really high, but that’s what I have to do. 90 pounds in 6 months is just 3.4 pounds a week. When you look at it that way it doesn’t seem so daunting. Also I’m really young and have been eating mostly bad food for years. I know it will be extremely hard but I know I can do it. Haha, in the last 2 weeks I’ve lost 7.5 pounds by just eating healthier and smaller portions of food and a shake for breakfast. Thank you for the motivation
I once weighed quite a bit more than I do now. It took time, and I did not lose 3.4 pounds per week, but it is possible and I wish you the best of luck on this. Keep us posted.
I dropped from 267 down to 176 over the course of 9 months back in 2017. I was on a strict Keto diet (before it was a pop culture fad), tons of water, minimal alcohol, and a fairly simple daily exercise routine. It’s doable with discipline.
Update: My school recently changed their early graduation. No one can graduate in December anymore. It actually was a blessing in disguise. I plan on going through with the cadet program through American Airlines and the requirements are that I need to be 21 when I get my 1500 hours. If I start in January I would only be 20. I am down to 330 and have been here for about 2 weeks. Definitely not what I want. I plan to start atp June 1st which is 247 days away. I need to lose 80 pounds in that time frame. 2.3 pounds a week. Average it out at 10 pounds a month. I plan on updating this November 1st. I WILL be 10 pounds less if not more. Haha. Talk to you guys later. (i had to delete the other ones because it was posting wierd.-Evan
I am glad that you are continuing with your weight loss journey and that you have a plan in place. Please keep us up tis date and keep up the good work.
Update: I really am disappointed in myself. I haven’t really lost any weight since my last post, and I haven’t been eating that great. I have even gained a few pounds. I am at 335 which just sucks. I get picked on almost every day for being overweight (in 12th grade) and I’m just proving them right. I’ve got to make a major change or I am just not going to be able to go to ATP. I failed this past month, but I just have to use that to motivate me. I will update this December 1st. Just like November 1st felt like a Longgg time away from September 28th, but it is only 5 days away as of now. That’s crazy how time moves that fast. Anyways, I’m disappointed in myself. I just have to focus and do what I know I have to do. Talk to you guys later- Evan
First off I’m beyond angry to hear that you’re being bullied! There’s no excuse for that behavior and while I’m certain this will give you little comfort, you need to know that people bully to hide their own insecurities. The bigger the bully, the more scared they are inside and its only a matter of time before they’ll be shown for who they are. You can and WILL lose the weight, they’ll be scared forever.
As for last month there’s absolutely nothing you can do about what happened last month, last week or yesterday. Let it go and move forward. This is actually a great exercise for your pilot training. You WILL have bad days in training and may even bust a checkride. Those who can shake it off and move forward are successful. Those who can’t are not. We all suffer setbacks on our way to reaching our goals. Major goals take MAJOR effort and hardwork. You had a bad month. It happens. If you feel crappy about it remember that feeling and vow to not feel that way again. You can do this but it will not be easy. When you skip a workout remember this feeling, when you go to eat whatever it is you shouldn’t be eating remember this feeling and think about your goals!
Please know we’re all rooting for you! Don’t beat yourself up. Just keep moving forward. There are no rearview mirrors in airplanes because what’s behind you is not nearly as important as what’s up ahead!
I don’t think any of us could express how we feel about your post better than Adam just did. I wanted to join in and echo his sentiments.
I know that this is cliché, but it’s something that I remind myself of every day because it’s true and it helps me when I catch myself getting worked up about something. It also speaks to what Adam said about looking forward.
“All I can control now is my actions and attitude.” - Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer, Google X
I hear those words “actions and attitude” on repeat when I have something going on in my life that I cannot control but I let it get the best of me. Those words help ground me. Once grounded I then put one foot in front of the other, focusing on the things that help make the best of the situation or simply just make it better.
This is your chance to focus on the things you can control. If you want this badly enough you will find a way to make it happen and remember that it’s okay to ask for help.
And yeah…bullying is never okay. I am sorry that you are being targeted at school. If your school has some sort of anti-bullying program, I wouldn’t hesitate to seek their support.
You guys are so awesome. Thank you guys so much. I don’t know if y’all know how much that means to me. I promise I won’t let myself or you guys down. Again, thank you.
I’m sure you didn’t let anyone here down, Evan.
I’ve been trying to lose weight for about 9 months now. I was doing pretty well until I went back to college on campus, and well, the dining hall food is easy to fill yourself with. Let’s just say my weight loss also faltered for a little bit too.
I’m back into the loss now and I’m doing cardio often to help with that. Biking around campus is fun to see all the different buildings. If I can stick to it, I know you can.
And I echo Adam’s point on the bullying. Almost every single bully is making someone else feel bad because they feel bad about themselves. It removes the attention from them and places it on someone else.
You can get through this, man. If your dreams are to go to ATP and become a pilot, you’ll hit your goals.
I am a found believer of those that try to tear us down are only making us stronger. I was once bullied growing up during my primary education days and one day I stood up to them and stopped giving into their ‘games’ and started ignoring them, focusing on myself. I know that can be hard at times when individuals are constantly pressing and putting us down, but know that one day you’ll be thankful for those that try to tear us down. There will always be a “hater” or “enemy” out there, but one day when they come to you and you look them in the eyes… you’ll thank them for their help in your success because you pushed yourself harder, shocking them when they knew how “low” they were to you one time in life.
I love Adam’s quote about the rearview mirrors because it is 100% true.
Keep on working hard, dreams do come true my friend. You’ll be sitting learning to fly soon.
I have to add my thoughts to this. One of my favorite motivational people ever is Richard Simmons and yes, I am serious. While other people focus on the bad, or what you did wrong, Richard’s approach is “Hey, you messed up a bit today, but look at all the progress you made before that. Tomorrow is a new day and a new chance to get it right, now let’s focus on tomorrow.” Just take it one day at a time and you will get there.
Evan,
As you can see, you’ve got quite the community here! Let all of us plus your family and friends who support you and your goals outweigh the few that try and tear you down. Just take one day at a time, and remember what all this is for. You’ve got this.
-Hannah
December 2nd update: All right guys, I am down 11 pounds since November 1st. Currently at 324. 74 pounds to go! It’s crazy how fast a month flys by, it seems like I just updated this yesterday. I’ve got 7 1/2 months until I would be able to go to ATP. So if I keep losing 11 pounds a month, it should work out! I’m still not eating that great, but it is way better than what it was. I’m going to focus more on eating healthier and drinking meal shakes for lunch or dinner. My dad said once I get half way he will put the deposit down for me to get that intro flight and my writtens completed. That’s around the 295 pound mark. I’m looking into the Nashville location. That’s just where I’ve wanted to live my whole life. You guys really are awesome. My Dad read what y’all wrote and he started tearing up. I guess that’s it for this update, Talk to you guys January 1st.
So glad you’re back on track. Remember this is a process and to cut yourself some slack. MAJOR kudos to your dad for providing some very generous motivation!
I am so glad to hear that you are doing well. Let me share a story with you of how I lost weight. I used to go to Chipotle and get a burrito, chips and a Coca-Cola. Then I switched to a burrito, chips, and a Diet Coke. Next came a salad, chips, and a Diet Coke. Now I am just down to a salad and Diet Coke. The difference in the calorie count between my original order and my new order is well over 1,000 calories. It takes time, but you can eventually train yourself to eat less. I also walked a ton, every time I could I was out walking and that really helped.
Your father has provided some nice motivation. Thank you for updating us, I am glad you are making progress.
Nice Evan!
You’re totally got back on track and had a very successful month at that! It’s a good thing your still pushing yourself to eat healthier but celebrate your progress you’ve made! You’re making healthier choices and it’s working. Next month, make one more healthier choice than you made in November… one step at a time.
-Hannah
