Gareth gets back on track
It’s been two weeks since we last checked in on Gareth Taylor, who is on his #journeyof100pounds. Let’s see what he has been up to.
Gareth weighed in at 482 pounds on Januray 24, 26 pounds down from the 508 pounds he weighed in September 2016. When we last checked in with Gareth, he had lost 27 pounds since his start date.
Still reeling from the holiday period that was compounded by his duties as a chef and his effort to deliver superior products for his Christmas cake catering business, this masked a bigger problem — his food addiction.
Being faced with food all day has been tough mentally for Gareth, but he is seemingly getting stronger everyday.
As a result of the constant battle, Gareth gained a few pounds, causing him to slip on his weight loss target, but the coaching by Selena DeLeon of Core Fitness Studios has helped him to get back on his feet and drive his heels down in a new resolution for 2017.
The support of the followers on social media and from those people who recognise him everywhere he goes has also helped him to regain his mindset and get himself back on track.
Over the 10 days prior to his weigh-in on January 24, Gareth lost five pounds. This was due largely to him eating on time, every 3.5 to 4 hours, increasing his water intake, and committing to walking four days per week.
Gareth is now so excited about his progress that he has added a fifth day at the beach where he swims, walks in the water and in the sand for an extra burn. The activity also helps him with his blood circulation problems, which he has developed as a result of the excess weight.
His carbohydrate portions are now carefully measured — no more than two fingers of green banana per meal — and the meats are slowly transitioning from stewed, which is his trade specialty, to grilled and baked instead.
He needs the daily contact with his coach to stay on top of things, and this communication has helped him tremendously. He knows that he has a weakness, so he keeps his daily food diary and sends it in every night as a rule so that he is held to account. This his has been the one thing that has really made the difference over the 10-day period.
This is the time of year when most people battle to uphold their new year’s weight loss resolutions and maybe feel the confines of their commitments around about now. One thing that we can remember is that when we feel that we are struggling with our own hurdles of pounds to lose, there is always someone else out there who has to dig even deeper. The support that we all can show Gareth is helping to lift him up out of a place where he sometimes feels deeply trapped, and this also serves us to know that our own goals are also possible.
Take heart in knowing that if it is possible for Gareth to overcome this fight, it is possible for you too.
Your support goes a long way in helping to keep Gareth going on his #journeyof100pounds. Use the hashtag and log on to the
Jamaica Observer social media as well as Core Fitness Studios to throw your support behind this young man’s journey back to health and a better life.