Weight Loss Success: Richard Ruiz Committed To Exercise And Lost Over 150 Pounds

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Name: Richard Ruiz
Age: 35
Height: 6'3"
Before Weight: 370 pounds. I likely weighed more, but I only weighed myself after I started cutting back on food.

How I Gained It: I had been gaining weight since high school. It was a slow progression, but really started to take off in college. Surprisingly, I never snacked on sweets or extra meals. I stuck to two meals a day, but both were very unhealthy. An average lunch would be a McDonald's double quarter pounder with cheese, a 10-piece order of chicken nuggets, large fries, a Coke and a double cheeseburger for the drive back to the office. I never had any veggies and always had heavy starches at dinner. I was wearing 4XL clothes and size 54 pants. I was huge.

Breaking Point: One year ago, I made a decision to change my life. I decided that I didn't want to be the cause of my family having to be in a hospital waiting room wondering if I would survive a heart attack, or a diabetic stroke or any other health issue from me being morbidly obese. My wife and kids mean the world to me, and I can't believe that I allowed myself to weigh 370 pounds.

How I Lost it: I originally set a goal of losing 120 pounds in one year. I started using Weight Watchers online for men and started to go to my local 24-Hour Fitness religiously, Monday through Friday. I would do at least 45 minutes of either the treadmill, the step machine, spinning, swimming or some combination of them, with some light resistance training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Not one week has gone by that I haven't gotten in at least five workouts, even when traveling for business and on vacation. I wake up at 4:30 in the morning and am at the gym by 5. That way, I wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse at the end of the day to avoid going to the gym. And I didn't want to interfere with my family time; I'd rather lose sleep than spend less time with them.

When I was losing weight, I was eating salads, lots of veggies and sometimes snacking on healthy options. Now I'm eating five meals a day with more of a focus on protein, since I've recently switched my routine from weight loss to muscle building. Now, I do about 45 to 60 minutes of weight training Monday through Friday, and finish it off with about 15 minutes of either the treadmill or the step machine.

Today, I'm wearing size 36 pants, size large shirts (even some mediums!). I'm the healthiest I have been in ages. I'm lighter now than I was in high school. I can now fly in a plane without needing to ask for a seat belt extender. I can play with my kids without getting winded. Like I said, my wife and kids mean the world to me. My wife has played a huge role in my success; she has completely switched the way we eat at home. She gets the kids ready in the morning while I'm at the gym. It's a huge commitment from her, and I could not have done it without her. I am so happy that I'm healthier now for them and can be here for them longer. That's what motivated me.

Current Weight: 216 pounds

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Comments

[Ossit]

07:22 AM on 06/27/2012

So far, I've gotten nothing but abusive replies to other posters, thanks to HP monitors not doing their damn jobs. So I'll make this quite clear. I won't give this guy a gold medal. He didn't do anything special. He lost weight because he was made, like all the other mindless Sheeple in this country, to lose weight because he was made to feel he had to. Problem is, he's so conditioned to get approval from everyone he can't see it. He didn't fall over from a heart attack, and now he'll be worried, just like women, about gaining weight again and be obsessed.

I don't give a crap whether he lost weight. And since you posters on this board at least are unable to keep civil tongues in your mouths, you can rant and rave to yourselves because I won't bother to answer you. Snarl to yourselves.

[FeelinGroovy]

08:09 PM on 06/26/2012

Congratulations on your perseverance!

[Sky Wizard]

05:31 PM on 06/26/2012

Wow, nice job, Richard! Kudos to your wife as well for her part-- you guys set a great example for your kids.

[chetvs]

04:20 PM on 06/26/2012

If you want to lose weight, (or keep the weight off) you have to burn more calories than you consume.

I also suggest finding activities yous can enjoy as well as burn calories like hiking or biking.

[Benjo333]

06:21 PM on 06/26/2012

Calories in calories out is not necessarily effective. Simple sugar/fast carbs are not really a healthy choice...

[chetvs]

06:35 PM on 06/26/2012

If you are already have an ideal bmi burning more calories that consuming is how you keep weight off. Agreed! Simple carbs are unhealthy.

[NMPayne]

02:57 PM on 06/26/2012

Happy he wil now have a healthy life playing with his kids! :)

[dhank6933]

01:51 PM on 06/26/2012

was nice looking when he was big looks hot now

[bmitche]

01:46 PM on 06/26/2012

EXCELLENT! You look fantastic Richard.

[blueteal2]

12:41 PM on 06/26/2012

anyone agree that some people look better when fat? maybe not in this example, but a girl I work with lost a ton of weight, she was actually prettier when chunky. I'm also glad this wasn't another article about getting stomach surgery, why would take such a risk of life instead of just giving up on the food and exercising.. losing weight is basic, burn more calories than you take in. eat less exercise more, the way it's always been

[Arlyn Tratt]

11:28 AM on 06/26/2012

This is fantastic.
Good for you! You look great.
Be careful on the 5-6 meals a day plan though.
I believe that it can lead to insulin resistance.
It happened to me. I learned a great way to attack that issue and it works great!

[evelyn49]

02:15 PM on 06/26/2012

Actually doctors recommend eating 5 to 6 times a day for diabetics. 3 real meals and 2 to 3 small snacks to keep blood sugar levels from dropping of course the food you are suppose to be eating is not refined carbs which are converted to glucose by the body. Glucose is the sugar that is transported in the blood to the cells that insulin is needed for in cellular uptake.

[Arlyn Tratt]

02:40 PM on 06/26/2012

Evelyn,
I understand that concept really well. It is just about what most people are talking about these days. My opinion is that with 5-6 meals, your pancreas is making so much insulin over time that it essentially gets burned out. Thus creating the insulin resistance.
When people are starving every 2-3 hours as a result of eating 5-6 meals a day without preparation, then it is actually not a hunger they are experiencing, it's the bodies cry to regulate blood sugar they are experiencing. I'm not a doctor, but this is my own personal experience, opinion as well as an opinion that is out there, just not a very popular one. Look at all the diabetes out there, also think about in history when any culture actually ate every 2-3 hours. It's not a very natural way to eat. It's something that came out of a body building regiment and has leaked into our mainstream society.

[hlnpayne]

11:24 AM on 06/26/2012

HE LOOKS VERY GOOD..I HOPE HIS WIFE LOSE WEIGHT

[hilndpuppy]

12:53 PM on 06/26/2012

That is my thought also.

[tophat2431]

11:22 AM on 06/26/2012

Good for you stay heathy.

[Soican]

11:00 AM on 06/26/2012

Woof!

[jenjen123]

10:51 AM on 06/26/2012

It is always easy to put on the weight and then not so easy to take off the weight. Richard you did a fantastic job.You have shown that commitment and willpower can and does work. Thanks for sharing your story.

[stormeeweatherahead]

10:19 AM on 06/26/2012

Richard I am glad you focus on you and your family all together never lose sight of that and that will be your goal you will win this and you did a great job.It is about health eating right and exercising.So if you can continue this with a positive attitude you will win the battle and the victory~

[paulandlynns]

10:19 AM on 06/26/2012

Good for you Richard...A healthy thing to do for you and your family... I will not add anything else like other people who comment and are critical of you. Shame on them!!!