Enjoying Life 1KM at a time

I was obese, unhappy and hung over. Actually I was still in my bed at this time ignoring the phone ringing from the girl I was supposed to take out on a date. My head was pounding from hitting the ceramic soap dish in my bathtub. That’s what happens when you are drunk and try to take a leak and lose balance and just don’t care about anything. This was me at the party that night November 28th 2009.

I woke up in the afternoon and called my date. We were still on and I would go pick her up later in the day. I had zero motivation, but really wanted to meet her. Just by the way we talked on the phone I knew that there was something special about her. 

Some how we talked about weight loss and how she had lost 35lbs.  She gave me some tricks and tips that I actually adsorbed into my alcohol filled brain. 

We parted ways, and didn’t think I’d ever meet her again. 

That night changed my life for ever.  It was the best date ever even though that we wouldn’t get too date #2.  Something clicked, the stars aligned and my path was set. I was going to lose weight and be happy.  

I took her words of advice and started with “Garbage in the garbage or garbage in your body?”  I rifled through my pantry, freezer and fridge. Emptying it of fatty and unhealthy food. (Pizza pockets, frozen dinners, Pepsi etc..)  I cut out pop, cut out bread, starting drinking more water, did a body detox, starting taking protein shakes all this combined with wii-fit for 30 minutes a night.  The lb’s started coming off slowly.  Each week would vary, 1lb here 3 lbs there. I was embarking on the holiday season and never weighed in. January rolled around and when it came to weigh in I was petrified. I tried to stay healthy and eat right during the season. I weighed in after a month of no weigh in’s and managed to trim off close to 15lbs! I was excited and knew that there was hope. 

I kept going and the weight kept coming off, my clothes got bigger by the week. I was down to a size M and size 32 jeans when my friend Julie told me to run, and sign up for a 10K. I didn’t know what a 10K was, basically I thought she was nuts and I laughed in her face “I’ll never do that, I can’t run, I’ll die”  Just more excuses.  That was the old Tony talking.  A few days after that conversation the new Tony decided to register for the Ottawa race weekend 5K. I thought, wow 5K that’s far!

I went out and bought a 30$ mp3 player, some $60 running shoes. And decided to give C25K a go. The first day was brutal. Run for 30 seconds straight, that’s just crazy.  Once again that was the old me talking, taking the easy way out and trying to find a way to quit. I went back and did day 2. Then day 3, every time I got better and faster with each outing. 

Come March of 2010 I hit a weight of 158lbs. You can read what happened next here.

My training for the 5K was no walk in the park. I remember in April 2010 while I was with my parents in AZ, I was around week 6 of C25K. It had asked me to run for 5 minutes straight.  Well I didn’t make it and I couldn’t do it.  That is when I officially quit C25K.  I’ll run when I run and walk when I have too.  In other words, I knew nothing about pacing. I was more “Lets sprint for 5 minutes” not the way to go about it. My 5K came up and before the race started my girlfriend at the time said “I’m not waiting for you, just to let you know. I’ll see you at the finish”  She had been running for over a year now and this was her 3rd 5K.  ”Sounds good to me!” We took off at the same time, then I blew past her and finished ahead of her.  I was just happy that I finished in under 60 minutes (30:15). This was a very emotional time for me as not only did I finish the 5K, I finished it with the woman that changed my life forever and my awesome sister!

I had slacked off of running after that 5K, I only thought they did the one race a year.  Turns out there was the army run 5K in October. During the summer I gained weight and hit 162lbs, it was brutal, I was devastated and scared to go back to 210lbs. The new me told me everything was going to be ok, and too get back on track.  I dropped the lb’s and my weight would fluctuate between certain numbers, which I was fine with as long as I didn’t see the 160’s.  

The army ran came and I had 2 goals in my head, beat my old time and finish without walking. Both of my goals happened that day, I shaved over 3 minutes off of my old 5K time finishing in at 27:03.

So with my blog starting in March 2011 just after my breakup with the woman that helped change my life. I took my life by the horns trying too find a balance, no more slacking on anything, I’m in it for the long haul. Eat better, run more, challenge myself.  I am now sitting here writing to myself and a bunch of strangers that I can call friends. You guys have helped me beyond belief, you may not know it but you did, and I am forever grateful of finding a place that is my 1st home in cyber space.  You guys have helped push me towards things that I never thought possible. In 2011 I completed 17 races, ranging from 5K’s to a Marathon and some triathlons. That night on Nov 29th 2009, I would have said you are all on crack thinking I could do something like that. That was the old me, the new me says “Go! the only thing stopping you is your own imagination”. That’s my outlook on life today, I don’t stress as much as I did. People have said I have become a more positive person. I have inspired others to start their own weight loss journey and create a new chapter in their book of life. 

Everyone on here that I follow is kickass in one way or another, it’s amazing what I see every day here, and that makes me want to get out of work, well actually quit work and do amazing things! Weather it be running the Chicago Marathon in 312 days (what?) or doing a 2nd Ironman with a bunch of you guys, Soaring wings in less then 330 days. Kevin thank you, for helping get to where I am today. Pushing me constantly coming up with stupid ideas like going out and running 21.1K for the fun of it, and putting the Ironman bug in my head. I may have laughed at the thought, but the jokes on me now. 263 days brother!!

With that being said I am just enjoying life and pushing myself everyday to the best of my ability. 

This brings me to today’s weigh in.  

November 29th 2009 - 210lbs  Xl Shirts, 36-38 Pants

November 29th 2011 - 153lbs  Size Small Shirts and size 29 pants.

Total loss and maintenance 57lbs.

This is how I feel about it today!

Have a great week people! Live large and go for your dreams!