My Misc Story: how I went from being a Fat Bitch to Juicy Leader of men. (long)(pics)

[JTouhey]

Hello Misc, the following is my personal story about changing the course of my life in the face of adversity and naysayers. I hope that you find it interesting and it inspires you to never get complacent.


My name is Jim, I'm a 22 year old Marine from the South Shore Massachusetts and if you knew me from high school you wouldn't recognize me today. This is because I've always been a nice guy with nice guy friends. Through high school I was fat, had low self-esteem, and came from a family that couldn’t afford to provide for me fully. To make up for the difference I worked a full time job while going to high school and had very limited amounts of female interaction. I didn't go to parties, I was too fat and insecure to get dates, and no one wanted to love the fat kid, including myself. I was made fun of, picked on, laughed at, and rarely ever stood up for myself. I wanted so desperately to be cool, to be liked by everyone, and to fit in that I let it define my self worth. I became a clown that no one respected and everyone used for self-gratification or personal gain. I was worse than a doormat because at least a doormat has a purpose. Socially and psychologically I was a wreck.

Grad 2008 - Fat Zone - Lol

As a student I was always relatively successful. I was then and still am today a firm believer in the ideals of a meritocracy and thought that if I worked hard and did well I would be rewarded for it. In a lot of ways the acceptance letter from Georgetown University was and one of my happiest moments of my life. To me it was affirmation of one of the few things I could believe in: the power of hard work and dedication. Georgetown was my first choice, I had worked so incredibly hard to get in, and I dreamt of interning on Capitol Hill. I was ecstatic, elated, and for a short time on top of the world.

Photo I Took During My GTU Interview

But the twisted hands of fate and family finances had other plans. Although I was accepted, my family couldn't muster the money to send me. They had gone bankrupt in 2005 and were still barely able to keep a roof over my head. They had no credit so private loans were out of the question, yet they made too much money for pell grants and other aid. The government doesn’t care that your parents ****ed up with their finances and owed tens of thousands in debt. I was caught in a terrible position where my family made too much on paper much to receive aid but not enough after the bills were paid to be able to help me. I had to choose a state school and even then that was a financial reach. I was crushed and jaded, I was angry at my family and at a system that I had believed to have betrayed me. But I wanted so desperate to escape the town that I believed was holding me back that I would have done anything to get out.

When I graduated in 2008 and left my hometown for college I thought things would change. But they didn't. I thought that by just being somewhere where no one knew me I could reinvent myself and be the person everyone looked up to. I thought it was merely an issue of a negative social reputation that had dogged me in high school. But I was wrong. When nothing changed I fell into a rut. I got even fatter, was barely scraping by because of financial reasons, and still had an extremely low self-esteem. At the time I was working at Staples in Fall River MA, driving a 1994 Ford Taurus wagon with no heat, and bald tires. I made $8.75 an hour and 90% of everything I made went to gas to get me to work or towards paying the university that sent bi-weekly notices of my imminent dis-enrollment if I failed to pay. One of my roommates sold drugs from our dorm room; another had scumbag friends that would steal from me. They would both be removed from the university within the year. It was at this time, when I was way from home, away from friends, flat broke, and in a new situation that I had no one I could go to for help. My family couldn't afford to help me and I was too complacent to help myself. I was more miserable and trapped than ever. But it wasn't until a cold night in January of 2009 that I hit rock bottom.

The Sex 94' Taurus Wagon

It was a Friday night, I was at work, and I remember been particularly excited because I was going treat myself to burger king when my shift ended. To me food was comforting, a warm embrace in a cold, vapid, and entitled world and I used it as a crutch. But that evening had started out normal enough, I parked in the employee lot, did my work, and was getting ready to close the store. It was about quarter to ten at night and for whatever reason my boss was in a good mood. He told me I could leave 15 minutes early, so I did. Of course Fall River isn’t the nicest area, in fact it’s downright dangerous, but I was young and naïve. Who would have thought that when I was making my way across a lit parking lot that I would be mugged. Yup, as I was putting the key into the driver side door of my car, four guys in the car next to me got out, sucker punched me in the face, stole my wallet, stole my last $30, and stole my sneakers. They then proceeded to hold me at gunpoint as they broke into my car, stole my GPS, iPod, backpack, and STOCK RADIO. They then took my keys, flung them across the parking lot into a snow bank, smashed my cargo bay window with a mag light, and called me a ‘punk ass bitch’ before taking off in their ghetto hoopty. The police were called, reports filed, but they were never identified. It wasn’t uncommon.

A very similar parking lot to where I was robbed

As I silently drove back to the dorms that night, with the fifteen-degree wind from the busted window freezing the tips of my hair I became enraged. I flipped the **** out. All of the frustration, pent up aggression, and self-loathing manifested itself all at once. I wanted to kill myself. I wanted to jerk the wheel into on coming traffic and end it. I wasn’t mad at what happened to me, but angry with whom I had become. The person I saw staring back at me in the rearview mirror wasn’t me. It was the fat, lowly, lonely, slacking, entitled, vapid, nancy boy that blamed everyone else for their problems. I weighed just below 300lbs, had never lifted in a weight or a razor in my life, had no drive or motivations to succeed at anything anymore, and basically was the person I had come to hate the most out of anyone I had ever known. I hated myself. Of course I’m alive to tell this story so my senses got the best of me but I had reached a culminating point in my life where there was no turning back. I became so angry and so motivated by my anger that I took drastic measures. I dropped out of on campus housing, got a new job, bought a new car, bought a gym membership, purposefully segregated myself from my friends, and endeavored to not stop until I had become the true me. Someone who handled their business like a man, led from the front, apologized to no one, and helped others. It was time to get down to business and I had no intention on stopping until all the people who thumbed their noses and looked down at me were firmly in my rearview mirror. I wanted vindication and in doing so I took and active lead in my community.

Local Supporters

It all began when I ran for selectman in my hometown in 2009. It was a great experience that taught me the importance of appearance. What you look like matters. What you wear matters. The tone and fluidity of your diction matters. It all matters because people make snap judgments about you are within seconds of glimpsing you. I was too naive to understand before that all these factors and more made up who you appeared to be. I started to pay attention to the way I dressed, the way I carried myself, and the way I spoke. In doing so I garnered a lot of local support for my election. We rose a bit below $5000 and ran a tough race. Although I lost by 14 votes, it taught me a lot about who I was, and what direction I needed to push myself. But for as far I had come I wasn’t happy with my body.

September 2009 - 268lbs - Too Ashamed to take photo before then

No one ever makes the conscious decision to become fat. It sort of just happens and in my case I didn’t care. Women didn’t like me and I didn’t like me. Food was something I thought I had control over, I loved to eat, and the fact that I could only afford fast food didn’t help either. But either way I had resolved to change the way I looked. I began going to the gym religiously, every day, and on some days for more than three hours. I started by walking on the treadmill, then running, and eventually hauling ass for long distances. In tandem with my running I began a rigorous weight lifting routine. I was so weak when I began, I couldn’t even bench press 135lbs. There were times that I had to roll the weight down my chest and on to my lap because I couldn’t lift it. Pull-ups? Forget about it, I couldn’t even do one. Overhead press? 85lbs. Squat? 185lbs. Dead-lift? 225lbs. Given my weakness, I knew had a lot to answer for and even more so, a lot of lost time to make up for. I wore a size 46 pant. I had so many stretch marks that I had to lose the weight slowly so that I didn’t become Jabba the Hutt. I decided upon 2-3lbs a week as my goal weight loss. At my biggest I weighed in at a whopping 294lbs of pure lard.

January 2012 - 194lbs - On my way down to 185lbs

By maintaining a rigorous exercise diet this I have been able to lose a grand total of 103lbs. But after bulks and cuts the number is probably in the 300lbs range. Today I bench 360lbs, overhead press 225lbs, can execute 22 pull-ups, squat 365lbs, and dead lift 530lbs. I weigh 194lbs and am on my way to 185lbs. It’s been a long three years and I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles. When I first began running I couldn’t even make it a mile. In April of 2011 I ran my first marathon and regularly run 5 miles at a 7-minute mile pace. Through my new found physique a lot has gone right in my life, I garner a lot more respect from others, and attention from women. Although dealing with women is still a bit difficult because I’m still trying to break down psychological barriers from when I was a nice guy. I know it’s a learning curve and I’ll get better at it.

OCS Graduation Aug 2011

Otherwise, I’m taking a commission in the Marine Corps when I graduate. I’m really proud of this accomplishment because it’s antithetical to everything I once was. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I know that fire that ignited that night three years ago is still as strong today and now I know what I’m capable of. The key is to believe in yourself and never stop moving forward. Take lofty goals and break them down into a series of more manageable goals.

Finally, one of the hardest things for me to do was let go of the past. I spent a lot of the past few years angry at things and people that were out of my control. I held a lot of grudges and wished a lot of ill upon others. It made me a angry, uptight, and serious person that many did not want to be around. Sometimes you need to learn to let go and not give a **** because sweating the small things will tear you apart inside.

I just want to thank the Misc because without this community the past few years wouldn’t have been as bearable.

I'm stronger because of my hard times, wiser because of my mistakes, happier because of my sad experiences, and smarter because of my decisions.

Semper Fi

[ReconRon1b847077]

Oorah!

Nice work man, thanks for serving.

[vagpounder]

awesome brah.

[Project_BelAir]

GJDM srs

But you never replied to my PM about the FBI

[BraaZero]

Good job on taking action instead of being a self-pitying disgusting slob of shit

[DiamondSwagg]

Air force goes harder than the marines any day.

[slvrgtmiscer]

gj brah

[caonima]

great diary, will read again

[Animalwannabe]

I think you did great but I dont support the military view. You view it as a way out of something but the military as a whole is a giant propagandated kill machine. Would give much more props if you didn't do it for/with those reasons.

[Ronceiro]

I'm a 22 year old Marine

This is all I needed to read to rep you.

[Bro-seidon]

Damn bro, after reading that I couldn't help but post. Congrats dogger.

[kinfolk321]

good luck OP

[uracowman]

read the whole thing

reps on recharge

[JTouhey]

I think you did great but I dont support the military view. You view it as a way out of something but the military as a whole is a giant propagandated kill machine. Would give much more props if you didn't do it for/with those reasons.

It was never a way out. I want to be here. We're just going to have to differ on this one.

[BXR99]

simply amazing story

[ReconRon1b847077]

Air force goes harder than the marines any day.

Tough life with your own maid.

Chairforce for the real men!

[12204]

Was Too long to read, but I read it, op please stay safe and stay motivated!

[JTouhey]

GJDM srs

But you never replied to my PM about the FBI

Send me your questions again, I'll do my best to answer them.

[NewJerZBrah]

Congratulations on making the biggest change of your life. I, too, am joining the Marine Corps once I graduate and am looking forward to the challenge and rewards that it brings. And congrats on graduating OCS too. What's your MOS gonna be?

[NivVo]

ooorah.

[LockRun]

good story brah keep it going repped


nvm already did will on R/C

[stheticsBra]

This has inspired me to do the cardio. At least that's what I'll type in this reply box for now.

I will rep if I can run more than a 1/4 mile straight, or if I am enthused by cardio.

[AFSFK]

Awesome sorry bro. Glad you turned your life around

[ScotlandBrah]

Damn that an intriguing story. Good for you changing yourself and finding some drive, motivation and direction in life, really inspirational stuff. Hopefully some others can learn from this, I certainly did.

[Linzzz]

Great job, great post.

Very proud of you

[wildchild11]

cliffs:

rep OP now, please

10/10 story, would read once a week and tell to grand children.

[GALICKGUNVEGETA]

will save story on flash drive and read to future generations

[BK303]

read the whole OP, great job brah keep up the good work

[Christaras9]

Bloody inspiring,thank you for your story OP.

[elchacon]