Joseph Vindiola’s story is one that many of our readers can relate to. He had been overweight most of his life and still remembers the bullying and ridicule that eventually led him to drop out of school. Even though friends, family and even his doctor expressed concerned about his health and asked him to lose weight, he wasn’t ready. He knew he wouldn’t be successful until he made the decision to get healthy for himself. The day he woke up and said, “This is enough,” he started his journey with the Atkins diet.
Joseph reveals more about his journey in today’s true weight loss story –
What habits specifically led you to gain weight? As a kid I was sick a lot and wasn’t allowed to do any physical activities. I come from a family that likes to indulge in food. As I got older, I stuck to what I knew best. That meant no exercise and I ate what I wanted.
How did you lose the weight? I started the Atkins diet and followed the plan strictly during my first year of weight loss. I stayed under twenty carbohydrates a day. It was very hard for me to adjust my lifestyle, but I pushed through. I’ve also made other changes including not drinking soda. I still continue the Atkins lifestyle on the maintenance stage. It has changed my life.
What diet and exercise methods did you employ? I bought a fitbit that tracks your steps. Since I began my journey I have over three thousand miles under my belt. I started doing treadmill, elliptical and I use stairs as another tool. My next phase is to start weight training.
Biggest triumph in your journey? I hate to run so I decided to just do it, I ran a mile and it took me fifteen minutes to finish., That motivated me, so I started training and running. Eventually, I was able to run that same mile in seven minutes. My biggest success was doing a 5k.
Current/future goals? My main goal is to skydive. I have always wanted to do it, but because of my weight I haven’t been able to. I have a fear of heights that I want to conquer. Also, I want to go back to school and finish what I started. I want to be a volunteer and a Phoenix Police Officer. Finally, I’d like to get a tummy tuck, and remove the excess skin around my stomach.
Advice you’d give to other people struggling to lose weight? It WILL be hard. Let no one fool you, but it’s a one day at a time process. Stay focused and set goals. Yes, there will be days that you will fall off the plan you have set, but it’s OK, just get back on it. We are human and we are not perfect, but if you stay focused and determined you will do it. Having a workout buddy makes the exercise a little bit more fun.
Also Read:
Devin Alexander Lost 70 Pounds and Became a Bestselling Cookbook Author
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Amanda Shepherd’s 60 Pound Weight Loss was Spurred by Knee Surgery