Running - Final Weigh-In for Work Challenge

One of the life events that pointed me towards a body weight goal of 200 pounds was a weight-loss challenge at work that started in July. At the time I looked at myself - 270+ pounds and probably climbing - and felt tremendous desperation at the thought any sort of possible weight loss. It truly was a helpless feeling, a sense of one's self that is so low that nothing active seems possible. It took a month before I decided to try something, anything, to put a hold on the weight gain and possibly reclaim some of the physical well-being I had when I was younger. Perfect timing for the notion of running to once again - as I put it back in August - "tap on my window." But it took more mental effort to run that first 1/4 mile than ever before, because I had to dig my way out of a downward spiral first. Being 70 pounds away - and for some even more than that - from a healthy weight is not only a physical burden but an emotional one as well.

That was 2 1/2 months ago. Along the way I followed and supported my coworkers in their challenge to each lose 10% of their body weight. They all started mid-July, but by the time I decided to join in I was a month behind everyone else. So I went my own road but continued to record what weight loss I experienced at FatBet.net. My goal was just to get stronger, and what I found was that diet changes followed along with the increase in activity. I started craving different kinds of foods; rather than a Angry Whopper I became more inclined to gobble down a plate of steamed veggies instead.

There were boxes of these in my department when I arrived at work.
This is my Kryptonite .

Today was the final weigh-in for the work challenge. While the team didn't make the goal of 10% across the board, they got darned close and lost a bunch of weight overall. One person lost 40 pounds - not sure how he did - and another was just a shade under that with sensible eating and exercise. My final weight? 248 pounds. That's 24-pound loss since I first weighed in 2 1/2 months ago! Funny thing is I was only eight pounds away from my own 10% goal; so if I had started a month before I might have made it. This goes to show that you'll never know your capabilities if you sit and say "I'll never be able to accomplish that." Sure, I didn't hit my goal - two of them actually, since I posted my goal weight at 240 pounds instead of 10% of my starting weight. But I was close. More importantly, I've lost 80+ sticks of butter from my body, regained my physical strength, and rekindled my love for music. Not only that, but potatoes look far more tasty to me now.

Especially if Sherry grows them like the one below!

So even if I didn't fully participate in the weight-loss challenge at work, it still put me on a path to a healthier diet and more physical lifestyle. Based on how my body is responding, I will be forever thankful!
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Blog Link: http://www.clarkblog.net/search/label/Running