I Did A 5K. Well, Really A 3K. I Got Lost. Twice....

If someone, last August, came up to me and told me that in 6 months I was going to do a 5k, I probably would've laughed in their face. I weighed 452 lbs and was out of breath just walking across the room. Yet, here I was walking 3.12 miles without stopping and not out of breath for a moment. Was I fast? Not at all. Did I run? Not at all. Did I finish? Yes. Dead last, but most importantly I finished. It was the first time in my life I WANTED to walk that far! I have walked that far before, but not by choice. One night while going into Norman, I ran out of gas. At 2:30 in the morning, I walked that far to get some gas for my van. This time I enjoyed myself. Melody stayed with me for awhile, but I told her anytime she feels like it to run ahead of me. I'm fine by myself, and I was. She took of shortly after we crossed the bridge. I put my headphones in and walked and just took the time to think about my journey. To be honest, I love my wife, but I am glad that I had those moments to myself. I had 2 1/2 miles just to think about me.

Have you ever watched a reality show on television? One of those where on the final episode they do a recap of everything that lead up to the last show. That's the way things started playing in my mind. Scene after scene replaying of my journey up to my first 5k. Mine would start with the first time me and Melody went to our first Weight Watcher meeting. Walking in and meeting our fabulous leader, Nanci, for the first time. Her warm smile and bubbly personality make each meeting a blast! Then there was the first time I went to the gym and met with Jared. His knowledge helped me so much, but I didn't know what what to even expect at the time. I had my first assessment. Couldn't hardly bend over to touch my toes. Riding a stationary bike for only a few seconds before I was totally out of breath. The first time in my life I had actually worked out. Our first weigh-in where I lost over 16 lbs. in one week! Slowly I embarked on this journey of a new life style. Finding new and exciting ways to be active. Walking a nature trail, to going to a corn maze too. I found the more active I got, the more my body started to feel better. The pain of arthritis was still there, but it was getting way mor tolerable. I was learning how to eat different and exercise daily. I was growing stronger and the weight was falling off. My energy levels started rising. It was paying off too. I was getting compliments at work from customers and other workers. The management team started noticing too. My store manager is now behind me getting a promotion. Every week something new and exciting was happening, and I embraced it all.

With every step I took, I found my self becoming more and more emotional. I kept fighting back the tears as each memory made its way into view. As I crossed the bridge heading back into to town, I had my head down. Thankful for my journey and for all its moments. Then I looked up and I saw her. Melody had went on and finished ahead of me, but circled back to be with me as I crossed the finish. I couldn't ask for a better wife and a best friend. I am not good enough yet to finish with her and her
accomplishment, but she came back to be with me in mine. I love her more than words can describe.
My official time was 57:02. As I crossed I had a bunch of people clapping for me. They knew what I had overcome to be here. I even had a few friends that stuck around to see me finish. It was definitely, as Weight Watchers would put it,  a "Beyond the Scale" moment. I am doing more things in my life now than just losing weight. I'm actually living life!

Me, Melody and Dee Snider (before)

My family and And David Brown trying out for The Biggest Loser (before) 

Me and my Dad (before) 

Me and Melody (before) 

Me, Melody, and Mom

Me at the beginning on my bicycle

The corn maze 

Thinking I saw children in the corn 

Then I heard aliens 

Melody trying her best to not get us lost. 

My 10%charm

2 weeks after starting 

Walking selfie 

me and Melody a few weeks ago going to a OKC Thunder game 

Me, Melody, and Russell Westbrook 

My 5k coming into town 

Melody Finishing

Me finishing with Melody 

                                  

 

At the start

Out on the town after the race 

Before and currently

Mind = Blown

My family at open casting call of "The Biggest Loser" 

with Season 15 Runner-Up, David Brown

It was before dark. Hopefuls started showing up at the Planet Fitness in OKC when most people were still asleep. They brought lawn chairs and blankets. They came by themselves. They came with friends and families. It didn't matter the age. Male or Female. Everyone was there for one purpose. They were all hopeful they would get picked for the next season of "The Biggest Loser." Everybody had different stories. Everybody had their reasons. There were a few at first. Then more showed up. The few became ten. The ten became a hundred. Till eventually the line wrapped around the strip mall and around back down the alley. More than a thousand people had showed up. Each one hoping they would get a call back. 

I was one of the lucky ones. The company doing the casting held a contest on Facebook. Be one of the first five people to take your picture in front of the Planet Fitness where the open calls were being held and get a front of the line pass. The odds were against us, but me and Melody drove fro our little town of Washington, just south of Norman, to 44th and Western in OKC. Soon as we pulled up, Melody said #4 just posted a picture. We hurried and pulled up. I jumped out and she took my picture. I got my picture sent and clicked on refresh and saw another picture ahead of mine. CRAP! I just barely missed it! I sat the phone down and drove the sad ride back home. A little while later Melody picked up my phone and noticed a message. It was from the casting company. I had made it! I was number 5!

So, here I sat with my family waiting for our chance to go in for our shot at greatness. Excitement filled the air. The current season had just ended, and the runner-up had been from OKC. Everyone in line was talking about how another Okie would get picked. Our plan was simple. I'd wait with my family. If we got in before I could use my pass, I would. If not, I would use my pass, then come back and set with them and help them prepare for their interviews. As you can see in the picture above I was the largest one in our group. At that time I weighed 425 lbs. I was desperate to change my life.

Then the buzz happened. It was small at first, then got loud. We were looking to see what it was all about, when we saw David Brown coming towards us. We shook his hand and asked him a few questions, but he said something that stood out to me that day. "90% of your struggle is in your head."   I could quite grasp what he was saying, but I couldn't forget it. The question I kept having was, "How can I change my way of thinking, when I don't know how to change my way of thinking?" When I started my journey, I kept looking for that magic trigger. That one switch I could flip that would change me, but I never could seem to find it. As I started losing the weight, I started to realize for me there wasn't a switch, but there were two. 

1st Switch - You finally get so fed up with being you, you decide to change. I call it the straw that broke the camel's back switch. One of my favorite sayings I've told myself during this journey is, "If you always keep doing what you always done, you'll always get, what you've always gotten." That drives me to change. I can't keep eating like I've always eaten. I can't keep sitting on the couch like I've always had. If I do, I just going to get fatter and more unhealthy. I've got to change my habits. 

2nd Switch -   Be Active. That's it that simple. Get off the couch. Get out of bed. Do something. Eating is an important part, but activity is just as important. I'm not talking exercise, but moving. I find adding little changes in my daily life has yielded the best results. Instead of lifting a 40lb crate I work, I'll lift 2 and push myself. When I go to the back of our store, I'll take a different route instead of the most direct route, just to get some extra steps. If I have to get up and do something, I try not to get upset that I'm having to get up, but to get excited that I'm being more active! 

Don't get me wrong. Everything isn't all Sunshine and Rainbows. I still have to work hard at losing weight, but when my mind is right, I find it easier. 

Latest Update - Current weight loss is 75.4 lbs. lost. I started with a size 56 waist and last week, I fit in to a pair of  size 48's! I have my first 5k this weekend in the Warrior Way 5k if you happen to be in Washington, OK on the 5th, around 9:00 that morning, stop by and cheer me on! I'd love to see you!

My picture that won me the front of the line pass.

Me in the same shirt tonight. It's a little loose.