Overweight? What Will it Take to Inspire you? My Husband’s Weight Loss Journey
Overweight? What Will it Take to Inspire you? My Husband’s Weight Loss Journey
If you are over weight, what will it take to motivate/inspire you to get your life back? For me, that question was answered in May of 2012.
In May 2012, I had gained employment as a bus driver trainee for our school. As part of being a bus driver, we are required to have annual physicals. I went to the high school health office to do my physical, and, when I stepped up on the scales, my eyes were opened to ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I weighed 275 pounds!!!!! I decided then and there to do something about it.
NOTE! Please consult a physician before committing to an exercise regimen!
I decided to start out slow and easy. I found with past experience that if I tried to do too much at once, I’d get too sore, thus my mind would take over and defeat my physical self into carrying on. I started with 30 minutes per day brisk walk. It may sound funny, but I used the timer on my cell phone: 15 minutes out, 15 minutes back. I would increase my time when I felt I was ready to do so, 20 minutes back and forth, and so on. I eventually got to a point where I was walking roughly 5-6 miles at a stretch! It took a while-miracles don’t in fact happen over night!
Now, the FUN part: I LOVE TO EAT!!!!! That has been my biggest challenge! I do not “diet”, as I feel that if I totally commit to that word, my will power will break, and I’ll slip back in to what I was eating. The math is really quite simple: Eat less, work out more! You are “allowed” to slip every now and then; just get back on the road and do a little extra! I heard back when I was in the Army that anything is 80%mental, 20% physical. When you let the latter take over you’re screwed! I try to live by that train of thought, and it’s helped me immensely! I eventually worked off enough weight to drop a pant size from a 42 to a size 40!
It was in March of this year that I decided I needed to do more. I used to run a lot back 13 years ago, and while I dislike the first mile or so, I loved how I felt after I was done. I was not mentally up for the challenge to take that on. So, I got the idea of lifting; lift light weights and several repetitions (reps). I happened one day to work over at our middle school, and ran into our school’s strength and conditioning coach, Ralph Diliberto. Ralph works with pretty much all of the sports teams and is THE go-to guy in regards to weight training. Ralph is 60 years old and has been lifting since he was 27! Yeah….he knows his stuff! I spoke to him briefly and he said he would get with me early in the morning, as I knew he worked out with a small group of mostly older people. So, my journey into cross-fit training began.
Cross-fit training is basically weight training mixed with brisk cardio. My program consists of the following:
Monday-Bench press, bicep curls, push-ups, 10 reps, 4 sets, then reverse the sets, 4 more sets, jog a lap in between each set
Tuesday-legs, abdominals, push-ups, kettle bell squats, 10 reps, 4 sets, jog a lap after each set
Wednesday-Tricep pull-downs, shoulder pull downs, row machine (works your back muscles), 25 reps of light weights, 10 push-ups, 10 kettle bell exercises (straight arm lifts, from groin to chest, arms straight out in front), 10 kettle bell presses/above-the-head lifts, 10 kettle bell lunges (lifting kettle bell from groin to chin) It should be noted that the first 2 of those your hands should grasp the handle outside, then the last exercise bring your hands to the middle of the bar. 4 sets, lap in between each set, then reverse exercises and do 4 more sets
Thursday-reverse bench press, bicep curls, push-ups, 10 reps, 4 sets, lap in between each set. Reverse exercises for 4 more sets, jogging a lap in between each set
Friday-also called “injury prevention” the leg exercises you did on Tuesday, minus kettle bell squats, ab machines, 25 reps, 4 sets. Jog a lap in between each set. NO PUSH-UPS!
Saturday-Repeat Wednesday’s work out, minus kettle bells, unless you’re feeling up to it. I usually go for a long jog of 3-4 miles, but please work up to that when you feel you’re ready 🙂
In one year’s time I have lost 50 pounds and have dropped 2 pant sizes, and I’m not done! June 2nd I ran my first-ever 5K run in support of ovarian cancer awareness. My plan is to make this an annual event, both for my health and to help raise $$ for cancer research. I decided this year to run it, as I lost my daddy in February 2012 to bladder/prostate cancer. I came up with the idea to add names to a plain white t-shirt of those who have battled cancer and won, currently battling cancer, or those who lost their life to cancer. I had roughly 47 names of regular people like you and me, plus 6 musicians I grew up listening to, for a grand total of 53! I plan to continue to do that every year! I speak for myself that my working out has also led me to have a more positive outlook on life. I’m happier (though I have days, just like everyone else!) and more fun to be around. My nephew decided the day before the 5K run to register to run and has told me he plans on doing it again next year. My niece (his sister) also told me she plans to either run it, walk it or both and also told me my daughter plans to do so as well. I couldn’t be more happy!
Note: This is written by my husband Roger Willis. He has struggled on and off in our almost 18 years of marriage with his weight. If I am honest I love Rog no matter what size he is; bigger or smaller. I will also be honest by saying since Roger has lost his 50# he is a new and improved husband. His attitude is better and he seems to feel better about himself. Â I am proud of him for his dedication and I am hoping in him I can find myself and eventually enjoy his new found fitter life.
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