Then about nine years ago, just before turning 30, I recall a moment in line at a pharmacy waiting to fill an initial prescription for heartburn medication. Standing there, I couldn't help but wonder if there was a better way for me to relieve my symptoms. The attendant asked if she could help me, and I said, 'no, I'm good.' I started running the same week and never looked back.
My pharmacy wake-up call sparked me to run again, but it was my wife who kept me going. She walked the fine line of tough love to inspire me. Like at the beginning of Rocky 2, she sat me down and gave me the 'I want you to win' speech. I didn't go chasing chickens or smashing metal in the Septa yard afterward, but I stepped up my training and nutrition quite a bit.
I never focused on losing weight; I just concentrated on gaining fitness. But in the process, 40 pounds came off. Today, I've run in over 50 races, qualifying for the Boston Marathon twice.
Along the way, I inspired my wife to start running, too. She's run several races and lost 50 pounds. Our daughter Alyssa runs as well. Together, we are teaching her that running races is a celebration of physical fitness and hard work—it is about the journey, not the destination.
My fondest running memory happened at this past year's Via Half Marathon in September. While I ended up finishing 16th out of close to 1,000 finishers, I will always remember feeling so strong that after one minute of crossing the finish line, I played with Alyssa on a playground near the finish. That day, she told me I was 'a lot of fun' and that she 'loved spending time with me.' I felt like I had come in first."
Patrick Gayot, 39, an IT specialist in Brooklyn, New York, isn't just getting into tip top shape for himself, but for his three young kids.
"I have been overweight my whole life. But in a single moment on the basketball court down the street from my house, I suddenly knew I had to change. On the Saturday before Easter 2012, I came down on the pavement after a shot and tore my ACL. At the time, I weighed 385.
The knee injury gave me a lot of time off the court to reflect. I thought about all the times I approached guys on the court to ask them to play, and they turned me down because of my size. I thought about how hard it was becoming for me to do simple things, like just stepping off a curb. Most importantly, I thought about my three kids—Josh, 11, Jessica, 8, and Jordan, 5—and how my weight was affecting them. Built just like me, my oldest son Josh was following closely in my footsteps, dealing at too young an age with how cruel others can be.
A friend of mine from high school had been encouraging me to join his gym and start working out with him and the trainers there. I decided to stop ignoring his Facebook posts and go for it. I have been in the gym ever since.
I have to admit, my first workout was really tough. I did two lunges, sweat pouring off of me, I almost fainted, and that was the end of the workout. I didn't know it at the time, but people at the gym were making bets I wouldn't be back the next day. Today, two years later, I weigh 90 pounds less, and I am at the same gym faithfully, 45 to 90 minutes a day, five days a week.
My workouts consist of Cross Fit, walking and jogging on the treadmill, and strength training. I also changed my diet, cutting out a lot of calories and carbs and making much better choices.
Although I haven't yet reached my goal weight, I feel so good. I have tons more energy and I sleep better. I may not look like an Adonis—yet—but for the first time in my life I can take my shirt off and not feel self-conscious.
But I think I'm most proud of how my weight loss has affected my relationship with my kids. We take walks to the park together where they run around the track and play. They are all watching me get healthier and learning that nothing is impossible; they, too, can achieve whatever they want to do."
John Boggess, 50, a gynecologic surgeon in Raleigh, North Carolina, let his busy schedule get in the way of his fitness. With his wife's encouragement, he got into shape, lost weight, and has completed several marathons.
"No one said to me, 'boy, you are fat,' but compared to the lean 145-pound frame I had in my 20s, I was. I also got to a point where I was waking up every morning in pain, be it hip pain or back pain. And being a surgeon, which is pretty demanding physically and schedule-wise, I was always tired.
One morning in 2012, when I woke up feeling bad again and weighed 210, it hit me right between the eyes. I thought, 'Is this it? Am I done?'
My wife, who is also a physician, had been encouraging me to see her trainer Sabrina at the wellness center where we work at UNC. I decided to give it a shot. However, the training was so tough that I became frustrated. I asked Sabrina, 'Can I get back to be an athlete again?' She said, 'Yes, but you are going to have to work.'
Being a gynecologic surgeon, I see a lot of older women who are overweight and have zero quality of life. I didn't want to get there. I also front a rock band called No Evidence of Disease, a group of gynecologic surgeons who tour the country, and no one wants to watch someone sing and play guitar who looks like crap. So I committed.
I started running, and within six weeks, I lost 15 pounds. Then I got really motivated, and I set a goal of running a marathon in January 2013. I changed my diet—I never skip breakfast now, I watch my portions, and I cut out bread, pasta, and sugar (the kiss of death).
In January 2013, I did run my first marathon, and I finished in under three hours, which was a big deal. Since then, I have run several more, including the Boston marathon this past spring. My wife ran her first marathon in February, and she's about to do her second half Ironman.
I admit, my change to a healthier lifestyle took some sacrifices. As a surgeon, there's a lot of pressure to be the best and devote all my time to my career. Professionally, I had to put my ego aside at times to make room in my life for what is more important—my health. I realized I needed to start training now if I want to continue to live a good life in my 70s.
It has all been wonderful, both for my wife and me, and for our family. We know it sets a good example for our kids at a time when obesity is an epidemic and kids are not always mirrored a healthy lifestyle. My daughter is a serious equestrian, planning to ride in college, and my son is gearing up for high school baseball, and I couldn't be more proud."
