| I went off to college in 1993 and promptly put on the "Freshman 15" in about six weeks. I probably gained at least 40 pounds my freshman year. While I can't say for certain exactly how much weight I gained during undergrad, my estimate is about 115 pounds. At least this is the last known weight I can recall from my senior year (during my physical for the golf team). Having no accountability in college was a dangerous thing for me. Pizza places were my best friends. Weekly trips to the store to purchase things like chips, chocolate milk, soda, and cakes/cookies were commonplace. I'd guess the only fruits I ate were IN desserts (apple dumplings or strawberry pie), and the only vegetables I ate were either potatoes (french fries) or purely by accident (on my pizza). As you can see from the pictures below (graduation of high school versus graduation from college - 1993 and 1997 respectively), the difference is startling: |
| Dr. Boz's Total Body Wellness Revolution |
| Boz's Weight Loss Journey - Continued |
| Success Story #1 (April 2008) Word PDF Success Story #2 (April 2009) Word PDF Success Story #3 (April 2010) Word PDF |
| I did end up losing a bit the year after college graduation, although I can't find visual evidence of it. The difference here was I lived in an apartment - with rent and utilities to pay. While I still wasn't eating great at all, I simply couldn't afford to eat as much as I wanted. And exercise? Forget about it! After my freshman year in college (where I didn't do much anyway), I barely broke a sweat, except for just walking to and from classes because I was so heavy. When I moved on to graduate school in 1998, I still remained pretty heavy (at this point a little over 300 pounds which, at 6'1", is not so hot). The summer after my first year I distinctly remember one instance where I finally became so fed up with myself and my weight that I had to take action. It was Memorial Day weekend. I was back at home for the summer. My family had a cookout. I'm not sure why it happened, but I was instantly angry at myself. I vowed to make changes, and changes I made! Calories were slashed, junk food was gone, and SlimFast shakes were purchased in bulk. I also began to exercise - a lot. Every morning before work I'd walk about two miles. Sometimes during lunch I'd walk as well. After work I'd come home, change into my walking clothes, and go to the track to walk some more (1.5-3 miles). By the end of the summer, I was 60 pounds lighter and feeling great! But as often happens, life gets in the way. It was easier to lose weight during the summer. My parents were buying the food. Going for 2-3 walks a day was easy since the weather was so nice. As fall turned into winter, I strayed from the activity. My diet slowly regressed back to the junk and fast food from before. Spending the extra money for healthy food seemed crazy! Especially when I had to pay for it! And of course the stress of finishing my Masters didn't help either. So my weight bounced back up again. Not as high as before, but about 30 pounds from the end of summer to graduation in May 2000. Here you can see the changes: |
