Lose Weight By Running Success Stories

I started my weight loss journey on January 28, 2017 at 301 pounds. This was the day after my grandson was born, and I realized that if I did not make serious lifestyle changes, I would likely not live to see him grow up. That was terrifying to me.

I had sought treatment from a weight loss clinic in 2014. Their intake form asked for your goals in losing weight. I listed wanting to be able to run again. During my appointment, the doctor said I had done too much damage to my knees and ankles from being so overweight for so long that I would never be able to run again. Recalling this statement made me desperately want to be able to prove her wrong.

I started running again last July when I got on a treadmill at the gym to see if my body was capable of running when I had gotten down to 274 pounds. It was not. My “run” lasted eight seconds before I had to stop. My knees and ankles were in unbelievable pain. So, I gave up, saddened that I would never, apparently, become a runner after all.

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But on August 1, I found the From Fat to Finish Line One Mile training program. Its interval training started with 30-second runs and 90-second walking intervals. I had to break those 30-second runs in half. After more tears than I could count, I ran my first nonstop mile on October 3.

I then began the C25K program, but, after a bad reaction to an energy drink, stopped running that program in December. This past February, I started it all over again and finally graduated C25K in May. On May 22, I ran a nonstop 5K and cried in disbelief that I had accomplished this when I could not physically run at all less than a year before. Running makes me feel alive in a way that I thought I’d never feel again.

Consistency has been critical for me, both in terms of eating habits and exercise. In the past, I’ve given up so easily at the smallest of setbacks. Now, if I have a setback, I pick myself back up and keep going, always seeing tomorrow as a brand new start.

Weight Loss Before And After Photos, With Tips

Social media has also been a Godsend for me in terms of support. I’m active on a couple of Facebook groups, one started by Planet Fitness, a “spinoff” of that group, and the From Fat to Finish Line group as well. Everyone in those groups has been a never ending source of support and encouragement for me. I was moved to tears when I ran my very first nonstop 5K (no walking intervals), posted my achievement in the FFTFL group, and read the congratulatory words of support and encouragement. I’ve made lifelong friends and know that I would not have reached this point in my story without them.

I realize now that this “journey” will never truly end; it is a lifestyle for me now that will last the rest of my life. As of May 29, I am at 220 pounds and my immediate goal is to get to 175 before I maintain that and see where if that is comfortable. I have been over 300 pounds for so long that I do not yet have any idea where my “goal” weight truly is.

I have never done a race so I would like to do some official 5Ks in the near future when I am closer to my goal weight, so I plan to start working on my outdoor running. I live in California, so now that I know I can run the entire distance, I want to run across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco this summer. The treadmill has been like a bicycle with training wheels on it, and it’s time to take them off. I do not yet have lofty goals like a half or full marathon, but when I think about how far I’ve come in the past few months, there is no telling what the next few years may bring.

My 100 Pound Weight Loss Journey Led Me To Running

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“Running has completely energized me. It helps me sleep better and gives me a massive boost of adrenaline. My cholesterol is back to a healthy range, and I feel great. I am the same weight I was back when I graduated high school, and probably in as good shape now at 48 years old.”

“I had run in several long-distance races in my late 20s and early 30s. I was never “good” at it, but I loved it. There was something therapeutic about it for me—it was a way for me to gain mental clarity and focus. I knew I wanted it to be a part of my weight loss story, so in February of 2020 I signed up for a 5K. I wasn’t sure where running would take me, but I was determined to push myself beyond my comfort zone.”

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‘To anyone who wants to start their journey, I know the unknown is really scary. There’s a lot you’re going to learn, but it’ll be so worth it in the end. For me, I knew I couldn’t continue to live my life the way I was, so I was willing to put myself out there no matter what happened.”

“Speaking of how I feel, I feel like myself now. I hear many people in their 60s say that they are old, but I also hear others in their 80s saying that age is just a number. I have regained my life. I do feel like I lost a lot by being so unhealthy in my 20s, but I am making up for that now.”

“In November 2016, one of my three daughters was diagnosed with leukemia. As a father, it was tough to handle that news and the following treatment. For the next two years, running is what held me up and kept the family together. All of those races over those the next two years were my medicine as my family went through hell during my daughter’s chemotherapy. Luckily, she’s okay now, but without running, I don’t know if I would’ve been strong enough to make it through that journey.”

Before And After Photos

“The miles were obviously slow, but each time I went out, I got a little better. I could see the progress physically, and I became hooked on setting and accomplishing goals. I made my weight loss one of those as I dedicated myself to a healthier lifestyle.”

“The feeling after you finish your run is amazing to me. The point where you feel like you can’t go any further and you prove your body wrong by pushing through. I always feel so accomplished afterward. I use running as a stress reliever. It is very therapeutic. It has helped me more than any medicine I’ve ever taken.”

“Everyone is different and everyone has their “moment” that motivates them to make that change, whether it’s an unflattering photo, a health reason, or whatever the case may be. My advice to anyone who wants to start is don’t make up excuses for not working out. When you least want to go is when you need to the most. There were plenty of evenings after working all day when it was raining and 40 degrees outside, but there I was with my bag headed to the gym.”

Diet Success Stories

“I have had people I’ve known for years but haven’t seen in awhile not recognize me. I love that. I love the way I feel, the way clothes fit, and being able to shop in regular clothing stores. Mostly I stay motivated for the years, days, hours and minutes I’m hopefully putting on the end of my life. I’ve got two adult daughters and amazing wife, and I want to be here with them for as long as possible.”

“Like many—and I know this dates me—Oprah was my original inspiration. However, the sense of accomplishment running gives me is my fuel. It is