The Year was 2013. Our family had just moved to Chongqing China for my new job.
First arrived to China, 256 pounds. After a few months in China, 211 pounds!
95.7 kg = 211 lb = 45 lbs lost.
It really didn't matter that much what I ate while in China, as long as I got my exercise liek this. I know that's hard to believe, but when you have just changed your lifestyle from one of sitting all the time even when you travel in a car (still sitting), to a life of although still sitting at a computer work desk in China too, but you WALK WALK WALK all the time outside of work and when you ride the subway or buses you often have to stand due to crowding on those and balancing yourself on the turns while holding a handle or pole is also exercise. Walking in Chongqing was difficult because of the roadways that all had a grade up or down. Plus there were locations where stark elevation changes took place and the sidewalks became stairs. Bridges over roads or freeways also had stairs. And even at work in the building there was an elevator, but choosing health, I used the stairs. All of those stair steps through each. and. every. single. day. make a huge difference in how much exercise I was getting and the fat just began to melt off my bones.
For instance, in Chongqing I would sometimes have cookies in the morning, pancakes are on deck being cooked for breakfast, and the night before we had mexican food chimichangas with friends at a "western" restaurant where we also ordered a chocolate shake. We had traditional Chinese moon cakes the day before, but my weight kept reducing more and more each day... so I am thinking it absolutely IS the walking (or a tapeworm lol), because I'm not trying that hard.
It was NOT a tapeworm. I was actually very healthy and my once bulging stomach pot belly was now completely shrunk and pretty flat actually. It had been about 30 years since I experienced that condition before in my 30's and so it was pretty exciting. Our whole family slimmed down. We were all getting out there together to explore the City of Chongqing and that involved a lot of walking, stairs, more walking and more stairs, and we were getting in shape while having fun sight-seeing on foot. We were carefree and would just stop in on a random restaurant (they were cheap in cost) whenever we got hungry. Sometimes we would see a delicious ice cream or other treat for sale or soda drink. Food was not some penalty for us in those days. It actually gave us the calories we needed to keep going! We sometimes had a 10 mile walk day! You need calories for that.
We lived in a walk world, and it was fun. We often think back on it and miss that part of life. It really was special to us. We were fearless in exploring the city. Here's a picture of us while out on one of those 10 mile days! It was hard and it was exciting and rewarded too with delicious foods along the journey available on every street.
On my Korea mission I got down to 160 lbs, from an initial very healthy and strong 185 pounds as a 19 year old... I was 185 pounds in picture to the left. I could do 100 real pushups in a little over a minute. I could do 35 pull-ups, and walk on my hands for about 15 steps. Not the best, but I had pretty much no fat at this time in my life.
Later in my mission I reduced to 160 pounds without trying, became weaker without even know or paying attention to it. I was way too skinny. When I got back to the states I did the same things to get back up to 285 and also stronger by lifting weights, going to the gym, playing lots of sports, etc. ...but HOW did I ever get up to 256 in the first place when I got back a couple of decades later, and keep it there for another decade or two???
Oh wait, I remember. Sitting in chairs and snacks on demand! Oh yes, and also the fattening foods and sugars.
It all started with a desk job and not taking proper measures to exercise my body. Thinking that I was too busy.
That my deadlines were more important than my health.
Actually, I didn't really think about it much, work was just a big magnetic distraction for me from doing these other things and so I put too much time into work. WHen I made my work more creative, I desired to work more. Pulling away from it to go do exercise was not enticing to me.