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Health & Fitness

Weight Loss by Running

A large topic of conversation when fitness folks get together is losing weight. A lot of information is passed around these discussions. People discuss methods, diets, pills, exercise routines, amongst other weight loss ideas. As a fitness professional I can many people discover their passions in fitness and a common discovery is that they enjoy running. Most people don’t know they enjoy running. In fact, most non-runners go so far as to say they hate running. I feel hate is a strong word to describe anything, never mind running. On a more serious note, I want to confess that 6 years ago I was at a Boston Marathon party and as the runners ran by I remember thinking they were all just suckers. The reality was deep inside I was jealous. I was in no position to accomplish a marathon. I was over-weight, out of shape, and ruled by fear fueled doubt. That is really the truth. I’m not saying that is even remotely close to where you might be in your life. I’m just saying the day of that marathon party I hated running, and runners. Fast forward 6 years and I am an accomplished runner/triathlete, I have hardware to back it up, and I even put all my chips on the table to open TriJake Fitness Co. in Wellesley to help others reconnect with sparks of life that will catch fire to freedom.

I don’t have a scale in my fitness studio, track your weight at home. In fact, don’t bother. Who cares how much you weigh. It doesn’t matter and I’ll tell you why. So many of us get so bogged down by tracking the scale we don’t go to the gym, or worse, we get so aggravated that we only lost 3 lbs. in 2 weeks we give up and hit up the doughnut rack on our way home. This is sad to me because weight loss doesn’t have to be punishment, nor should it feel like punishment. Weight loss is a joy, living well is a joy, being healthier in your everyday life is a joy. Unless you make it miserable. How do you lose weight? Less calories in, more calories out. We learned this from the girl who lost weight on the Starbucks diet, and the guy that lost weight on the McDonolds  diet. Congratulations, you cracked the code, but how do you feel? I’ don’t know about you but fast food leaves me unsatisfied in the end. Like an Plymouth in a junkyard, put me out of my misery, please. If weight loss is all you focus then you too can feel like a slug, but you you want to feel like a super hero then you might want to keep reading.

6 years ago I was over weight, unhappy, and angry. I’m not sure what I was mad at or why, but I had a short fuse. I was very familiar with the words “can’t” – “should” – “no” – and many other downers. I could tear you down in a second with my words, yet had zero self value. I don’t know why, but on a particular bad day I decided to go for a run. I didn’t say to myself, “I hope I lose weight.” or “I hope this gets me in shape.” I was simply out of ideas. The girls weren’t working, the booze stopped working, and my high profile job wasn’t cutting it either. So, I decided to run. I had no idea what I was doing, but I remember this run clearly. At times I’d laugh out loud, other times I’d get choked up, and my legs were heavy as I lumbered along the streets of Boston. When I returned home, I felt alright. I felt like I had lived a lifetime in an hour. That was what stood out to me, all the feelings and all the thoughts that came and went on this maiden run. I laid on my living room floor and thought more about what just happened. Then I feel asleep on the floor , woke up a couple hours later and I was a runner. You are a runner when you say you are my friends.

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I continued to run, I was single at the time so it didn’t matter much when I ran. Often times my favorite times to clip out some miles was between to hours of 11:00pm and 2:00am, but I stayed with the run. I’d read text books about running development and started doing run exercises in my living room on days I didn’t run. The first race I signed up for was a marathon, because I’m nuts. (Admission is the step to help. lol) I ran it in April, my time was 4:45 with the worst cramps I’ve ever had to date. Now my times reflect that of a more seasoned runner, but the journey was hard. I learned many things through distance running. Life lessons of honesty, patients, perseverance, camaraderie, and grit. As I continue to write my story I help others write their stories. I train many running the Boston Marathon, one of whom was directly effected by the first bomb the was set off at the finish line. I am choked up while I type, but he didn’t think he could, in fact he told me in the beginning that he hated running. He is going to finish the race, and has already told me about other events he wants to do after. Events as he put it, “were out of his reach.” That is inspiration, that is why I am of service in the fitness arena.

What about weight loss? Ever heard the expression, “A watched pot never boils?” By taking right action and showing up one day at a time I lost 45 lbs. The same is true for all my clients, and we work hard for muscle gain to strengthen our bodies back to health. I never set out to lose the weight, but I remember looking in the mirror and noticing a difference. I remember thinking “fringe benefit” of running is you look better. The main benefit is you feel accomplished, you are more reserved and collected, and you have a higher self value. Want to lose weight? Come see me in Wellesley, I’ll set you up on the miracle marathon diet. Take action, You can do more than you think you can. Believe that I believe and together we will be Always4ward.

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