Here’s an incredible weight loss story to share from my good friend Douglas Dowell. He finally reached a point in his life that if he didn’t make a major lifestyle change he might be dead by the time he was 40!
Keep reading to learn how Douglas has lost almost half his body weight! He will share in his own words his turning point, struggles, key healthy foods and how long it took to lose plus keep the weight off.
Douglas Dowell Loses over 200 pounds!
Q. What was your turning point to decide to lose weight and start living a healthier life?
A. All my life it’s been a roller coaster ride with my weight. There would be times when I would lose 60 pounds then old habits would creep back in. My all time highest weight tipped the scale at 465 lbs at age 36. After leaving my law practice in 2008 I’d finally gotten frustrated enough and was completely ready to make a drastic change for the better with my health and my life.
2 Major Factors in My Turning Point:
- Super Size Me – eye opening movie about the poor nutritional food in fast-food industry and obesity epidemic in America. [Check out Healthy Foods]
- Dad had quintuple heart bypass surgery in 2008 – huge wake-up call for me
Q. What were some of your struggles along the way with your weight loss?
A. Well not everyone close to you supports change. They get comfortable with who you have become.
4 Struggles I Overcame:
- Plateau – when you get stuck and you will make sure you are drinking half your body weight in water daily (not tea, coffee, etc).
- Mental – stick to your new habits; cardio, exercise, water, healthy diet, positive attitude that You Can Do This!
- TV – turn it OFF! You are getting NO exercise and increases the urge to snack.
- Bad Habits – BREAK UP with fast food, soda and sugar. This alone contributed to 1/3 of my weight loss success.
Q. What key foods do you think contributed to your weight loss (skipping carbs, sugar)?
A. Key weight loss foods for me are chicken, salad, oatmeal and almonds. Lots of water every day is a major key to weight loss success. Water will help you bust through your plateau. Also I discovered that my body doesn’t process carbs and sugars so I actually gain weight faster. Say NO to carbohydrates especially white potatoes, rice and pasta and NO to sugar including fruit as some bodies can’t process even natural sugars.
2 Ways to Bust through Plateau:
- Body by Vi Shakes – these are the best tasting weight loss protein shakes out there!
- EatCleanDiet.com – check out this site for fast fat loss tips and read her book!
Q. How long did it take you to lose almost half your body weight?
A. Once I got so frustrated with my situation I lost 100 lbs my first year in 2009. The second 100 lbs didn’t come off as fast. I adopted the P90X system with muscle mass as the central goal. Slower weight loss versus pure cardio maybe, but I love the results. I’m now down to 260 lbs losing 40 pounds so far in 2012 with another 30 pounds to go losing half my body weight. It’s so important to create momentum for your weight loss to be successful. It is a complete lifestyle change and all about creating new healthy habits too.
Closing Thoughts by Douglas:
Losing the weight has increased my spiritually, now able to move more freely and look forward to traveling. Basically I don’t want to miss out on anything!! Remember when you start treating your body better it will meet you there and partner with you in your weight loss process.
Contact Douglas Dowell:
Phone: 858-314-8450
Email: dwdowell -@- gmail. com
List of resources, all worth checking out.
How Losing Weight Changes Your Heart from EverydayHealth.com
The Ultimate Edge™ 3-Part System for Creating an Extraordinary Life in Any Environment from TonyRobbins.com
Heart Disease and Heart Bypass Surgery from WebMD.com
Got Comments/Questions?
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Cheers to a Healthy Day!
Lou Ann Donovan
I’m a Midwest gal who began on a journey to live a healthier life way back when I was in college. Now just like all of you, the twists and turns of my life have led me to where I am today. Passionate about healthy living, community and social media, I invite you to Live Young with me!
