Marty Schram has always struggled with his weight. But it wasn’t until one night after eating four burger combos at a local fast-food chain and still not feeling satisfied that he realized he had a problem.

Says Marty Schram: “I still have weeks where I will put weight on because I’ve fallen off. But I just forgive myself and get back on track.” JASON KRYK / WINDSOR STAR

“I went to McDonald’s,” he said. “I had been fantasizing about it all day and ordered two super-sized burger combos. It’s like I went into a trance. I parked in the corner and I ate it all.

“Before I knew it, the food was gone and I don’t even remember eating it. And, I was still hungry. So I went to another McDonald’s and got two more combos.”

Schram, 53, of Windsor, knew his weight was hovering around 400 pounds, but it wasn’t until he purchased a scale and weighed himself in the privacy of his own bathroom that his world came crashing down. The numbers on the scale kept rising until they finally stopped at 416 pounds.

He stepped off and smashed the scale in disgust.

“That’s when I realized I had a problem, but I still didn’t do anything about it,” he said. “I’ve always been big, but about five years ago I became addicted. Food became my substance. I used it as a companion, a friend. I used it to cover up feelings.”

It took him another 2½ years before he did something about it. On May 12, 2016, Schram decided it was time to step out of the darkness and take his life back.

He weighed 405 pounds and was six-foot-one. His pant size was 58 and his shirts were a 5 XL. His brother suggested he joined TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) — non-profit weight-loss organization that offers classes and group counselling.

Schram said he joined because he knew he needed help to get his weight down. He was working as an electrician and found his weight was causing serious challenges on the job. He couldn’t use a ladder, since most only support 350 pounds, and he was also too big for a body harness.

Schram said along with the work issues, his weight also made him feel insecure. He hated the looks he would get from people when he walked into a room or down the street. He admits those insecurities also fed his addiction to food. When he took a plane out west he felt like everyone was looking at him hoping he wasn’t going to be sitting next to them.

“I felt like a freak. Even just having to get the seat-belt extension. If they were busy they would ask what seat I was in and I hated watching them walk down the aisle with it. It was so embarrassing.”

The first TOPS meeting was the hardest.

“When I weighed in I didn’t know I was that heavy,” he said. “There were tears in my eyes when I saw 405 pounds. I wanted to run and hide.”

But he returned to the meetings and found he really enjoyed the support the group offered. The weight started to come off him quickly at first, but rather than excitement, he felt something else.

“I was ashamed that I had let myself go and gain so much weight,” he said. “I shouldn’t have had to lose so much weight. I was ashamed to even tell people how much weight I had lost.”

So far, Schram has lost about 135 pounds — now weighing in around 270 pounds — and proudly wears a size 42 pants and a 1 XL shirt. He was recognized this past summer for having lost the most weight in Ontario in 2016 and was second in the international division.

Windsor’s Beth Abson, area captain for TOPS, said Schram’s recognition was well-deserved.

“In all of Canada and the U.S. he placed second for his weight loss,” she said. “That’s a really big deal. He’s a great inspiration to all of us and I often brag about him. His weight loss definitely motivates everyone in the group.”

Schram’s journey is continuing. He is focused on eating healthy, balanced meals and he drinks a lot of water. He works out at the gym five days a week and walks to build his cardio. His doctor has taken him off five medications for things such as gout, arthritis and water retention.

To keep himself focused on his weight loss, he keeps a picture of himself when he weighed more than 400 pounds on the refrigerator along with a picture of the scale showing his weight of 416 pounds.

Schram admits there are times when he still struggles and may fall off his regimen for a few days.

But one of the biggest lessons has been not to beat himself up when he struggles with motivation.

“The best advice I can give is to reach out to someone you trust when you are struggling. It’s tough. I still have weeks where I will put weight on because I’ve fallen off. But I just forgive myself and get back on track.”

Source: WindsorStar
“Recovering food addict credits weight-loss program for turnaround”