The last straw and where my journey begin...
I began running back in 2005 and had lost over 100 pounds but gained it all back and more after a couple of years. It wasn't until October 2016 where the straw broke the camel's back. I was getting ready for a wedding and a shirt that had used to fit me when I was bigger wouldn't button up past my stomach and chest area. That was a life altering event for me where I told myself that something must change. I decided that day I needed to start eating right and exercising. I honestly don't remember how much I weighed when I started my weight loss journey, but I do vaguely remember the scale at the doctor's office close to 400 pounds.
The journey....
When I started my running journey, I could only walk less than 20 minutes because I was so big. Even when I tried to do a fast pace walk/light jog to get my heart rate up I had to stop within minutes. There were plenty of times where I had to really push myself to get out of the house and exercise even when I couldn't see the results right away. I knew from my previous experience when I lost weight, I had to be consistent and build up this habit and routine if I wanted to lose weight. It took me over a year to build up the endurance to walk/jog without stopping under a mile. After the first couple of years, I was able to gradually walk at a faster pace and mix in some running to go further than a mile. As I built on that I was able to finally go further distances after a couple of years. Eventually one day after losing about 150 pounds I reached a milestone. I was able to run a 5k without having to stop. This was a big achievement for me. My consistency started to pay off. I could not only see the results, but I could feel them. I kept my daily routine during the week of at least 1.5-2 miles a day and saved my 5k (3.1 miles) runs for every other weekend.
When I had lost enough weight, I slowly started to increase my daily running mileage. The next few milestones that I reached were running a 10k and a 15k. These were my weekend runs since I had more time to be outside running. Eventually I would set a goal to run a half marathon (13.10 miles). I finally achieved that goal in 2020 and finished in under 2.5 hours. It was by far one of my greatest accomplishments. Not only was I able to lose weight in this whole process but maintain a healthy habit. Running is my life, and I am so grateful to God that I've been able to accomplish my goals. If you find inspiration in my story and want to take something away from my journey is that it is all about creating a healthy habit and routine that works for you. Running may not be for you but find some way to stay active and exercising. Another thing is to understand that we all have to crawl before we walk. Many times, people who hear my story are so amazed by the miles I run now that sometimes it is missed that I did not start running all these miles out the gate. Make small achievable goals for yourself and remember we are not all built the same. What works for someone may not work for you.
The eating right journey....
The eating right part was probably the hardest part of this whole journey. I didn't do a special diet when I started just because I couldn't afford to start buying special diet foods or drinks. I knew about the old saying, “It's not what you eat it's how much you eat.” I used that as my motto throughout my journey. I had the bad habit of not only eating unhealthy food but overeating at meals and eating more than one portion. I constantly had to tell myself to stop eating after my first plate and that I did not have to eat until I felt full.
I ate fruits and vegetables to satisfy my cravings in between meals. I developed a routine of taking the time to prep them to my liking. I would keep them close by or ready to eat so I wouldn't be tempted to eat something I shouldn't. I had to get creative sometimes and mix it up so I wouldn't get tired of eating the same thing over and over.
One of the first things I cut out of my life was sugary drinks like soda and anything that had high fructose and corn syrup. This was a game changer because I was only drinking water, and I could feel the difference because it helped me with my exercising and my body felt great. I did cut out as much carbs as I could, but I also did not deny myself food that I enjoyed eating. I would just make sure I would eat smaller portions of it and eat it seldomly. The what you eat and how much you eat mindset takes time to train and develop. Don't beat yourself up if you have weak moments and eat something you are trying to cut out. I slipped up more than a few times but one of the best feeling you can feel is when you are able to turn down something unhealthy and walk away feeling good about yourself.
What has helped me along the journey and what keeps me going....
I couldn't keep the consistency of my running if it wasn't for my #1 supporter and sponsor, my wife. I'm so grateful for her support on this journey and for giving me the motivation when I needed it. Not only is she an incredible supporter but she is my #1 sponsor. She has gotten me so many new pairs of running shoes and socks when I needed them and has also sponsored me on a couple of virtual races. I'm also thankful for my kids who have given me some awesome gifts for running and a Theragun Pro. The Theragun has helped me recover so much faster when I go for long runs. I want to be here for my family as long as I can, and my overweight lifestyle was not going to help me be here much longer. With a family history of heart disease and diabetes I knew that I didn't want to put my family through all of that if I kept on living unhealthy. Being there for my family is what drives me to get out every day and run.
How and what technology has helped me on my journey....
I started running before smartwatches and wireless headphones were common running accessories. I ran with a smartphone, some wired headphones, and a smartphone armband. I had a Google Play Music running playlist created and I was out the door. I've come a long way since those days, but technology has really helped me keep track of my running distance and goals. I'm fully into the Apple ecosystem for everything now. My Apple Watch Ultra 2 makes it easier for me to track my time and distance. AirPods have been a godsend since I don't have to worry about wires and the noise canceling helps drown out road noise. Although the downside to that is that I must be very aware of my surroundings and pay attention to the roads. Some of the things I have enjoyed about using the Apple ecosystem is that they have gotten better with fitness tracking, health monitoring, the challenges and awards they give it for completing goals, and the activity rings. Closing the activity rings is one of my favorite things to do. When I close my rings for steps, exercise minutes, and standing it really helps keep me motivated.