Couch Potato To Marathon

Tomorrow is the conclusion of our online Biggest Loser Challenge.  We had to submit before/after photos, final weigh in, and a 500+ word essay about our journey.  I’ve attached the essay below:

What the Biggest Loser Challenge Has Meant to Me

Over the course of five months, I have begun an emotional, physical, and spiritual transformation.  I am not finished.  I have more pounds to lose and more strength to gain.  Here is what I have discovered about myself along the journey:

1. I am in control of my health.  For years, I accepted my family history as an early death sentence.  My parents suffered from diabetes, heart attack, and kidney failure–both dying in their 50’s.  I have carried the pain with me of burying my father during sixth grade and my mother during college.  I do not have to follow in their footsteps.  This is not my destiny.  I owe that much to my future children.

2. I am a runner.  I am not a fast runner, nor am I a competitive runner.  I do not have perfect form.  I do not win races.  But I run.  I run 5k’s for fun.  I run 10 miles on a Saturday morning to fellowship with other runners.  I run to think more clearly.  I run to prove to myself that I am capable.  I run with a sense of pride, no matter my speed.

3.  My body is extremely adaptive.  My body will adjust to whatever demands I place upon it, as long as I am sensible and safe.  I can gradually increase my time and speed, and my body will become stronger.  Before this challenge, I was out of breath within 15 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I can now cross train for two hours with an increased resistance.

4. I need to eat a balanced diet.  I had no concept as to what I was consuming until I began tracking my protein, carbohydrates, fat, calories, and fiber.  After marrying a vegetarian, protein was nearly eradicated from my diet.  The majority of my diet consisted of carbohydrates.  It is more than counting calories.  I now understand how to truly read a nutrition label and what to look for to stay within the appropriate ranges.  

5.  I don’t have to pay anyone to teach me how to eat.  No infomercial or Today’s Special Value can do the work for me.  Weight Watchers taught me that I could have an entire bag of 94% fat-free popcorn, can of green beans, and a slice of cheesecake and stay within my points range for dinner.  NutriSystem taught me that I could consume lots of high-sodium, packaged food and still be hungry.  L.A. Weight Loss taught me that I could lose weight as long as I ate their protein bars and shakes.  (They also taught me that I could go in debt after paying $1,000 dollars to a company that would go bankrupt within a few months!)  I never needed any of those products; I only needed to be willing to make a change.

6. I can be a positive role model to others.  I can inspire others to be healthy.  This past weekend I had the pleasure of running a Girls on the Run 5k with some of the students that attend my school.  I was a mentor runner for two fifth graders.  They were exhausted and mentally drained, but I held their hand and ran.  I refused to give up on them like so many had given up on me.  I repeated over and over, “You are strong.  You are beautiful.  You will finish.”

7. I can accomplish any goal I set.  In December, running a half-marathon was laughable.  I was embarrassed to tell family and friends about my plans because it was such a ridiculous goal, considering I couldn’t even run a mile.  I can recall sitting in my recliner over Christmas break eating ice cream and surfing the web late at night.  I was disgusted with myself.  Like so many Americans at the time, I was contemplating New Year’s resolutions.  I literally thought, “What is the hardest thing I can do to push myself towards better health”.  Finishing a half-marathon was the first thing that came to mind, and that is what I decided to do.  When there is a will there is a way.

8. I will never be thin and I am content.  I embrace my curves.  I know how to dress to flatter my body.  I know how to look and feel good.  I am confident. 

9. Mistakes do not mean failure.  I get mad at myself and I am too hard on myself sometimes.  I am still tempted by certain things.  I have to accept the fact that I will make poor choices sometimes.  One poor choice does not give me permission to make even more poor choices.

10. Weight will be a lifelong battle for me.  I have to make conscious decisions about my diet and exercise each day.  I need accountability.  I need to track my food daily.  I need to blog regularly.  I need to check the message boards consistently.  I did not choose to participate in this challenge to lose weight, simply to gain it all back within a few months.  I finally possess the necessary knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle.  It’s up to me if I want to maintain that lifestyle.

December 2009–Decided to join BL Challenge  (above)

May 2010–After Photo (below)