This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephen McKenna, 66, of Boston. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In 2019, at 5-foot-8 and 325 pounds, I was diagnosed with prediabetes and fatty liver, and my blood pressure was out of control.
My doctor, who'd advised me to lose weight for years, said I'd reached the point when I might consider lap band surgery.
It was a lightning-bolt moment. I didn't want to have such a serious surgery, so I needed to turn things around.
I knew what I had to do: Eat less and exercise more. I'd been trying and failing to stick to a regimen since the 1990s, but this time, I had to succeed.
I'd always loved food. Sports weren't my thing as a kid. And as I got older, I got bigger. I couldn't walk down the street on a cold day without sweating.
These uncomfortable feelings motivated me to lose weight throughout my life. I previously monitored my calorie intake under the supervision of a weight-management center. They taught me about the kinds of healthy foods I should include in my diet, and I paid attention to that, but I didn't exercise.
I ate what I liked — but in moderation
I'd lose weight and feel like I was in better shape. People would start to compliment me. But instead of spurring me on, the compliments made me feel like I could forget what I was doing and go back to my old ways. "Oh, I look really good," I'd say. "I can do whatever I want again."
I'd start ballooning back up. I'd regularly go to an Italian restaurant twice a week and have my favorite dish: lasagna. It was large enough to divide into three servings, but I'd eat the whole thing — plus the bread that came with it.
My other passion was desserts. A nearby bakery sold beautiful cannolis, eclairs, and Italian cookies. I'd eat anything with a nice custard filling.
My weight continued to yo-yo until that scary wake-up call five years ago. I knew I still needed to be able to eat what I liked but in moderation. So I drastically cut portions — eating 1 ½ ounces of pasta at a time instead of my usual 8 ounces — and ate plenty of interesting salads and vegetables, often pickled or roasted with olive oil. I reduced my sodium intake to avoid water retention.
I take at least 7,000 steps every day
I logged my calorie intake on the MyFitnessPal app, which also tracked exercise. My son, Stephen, encouraged me to go outside and walk. He kept it realistic for a guy who was very overweight and didn't like or want to exercise.
I started with 10 minutes a day and added an extra five minutes each week. The increase was incremental. I now do a minimum of 7,000 steps daily.
It really made a difference. I dropped 30 pounds, then 50 pounds, then 100 pounds. The ups and downs were a thing of the past. Blood tests showed I'd reversed my prediabetes, and my blood pressure was good. I'm no longer being monitored for fatty liver.
I reached my goal weight of 185 pounds last year. I finally stuck to my guns and felt like an entirely different person.
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