Belly Off: Running Weight Loss Success Story  

NAME: Michael Young  

HOME: Laguna Niguel, CA 

AGE: 46

HEIGHT: 6'2" 

JOB: Sixth-grade math and science teacher

THE GAIN

Young, a teacher, injured his shoulder playing with his students. After his rotator-cuff surgery, doctors forbade him to do any exercise that would cause him to sweat. The onetime college athlete and gym rat "got puffy and sloppy."

THE CHANGE

Once he'd completed rehab, docs gave Young the go-ahead to resume exercise. He started small, with 2-mile jogs. "Soon, I was just running like mad, because it was one thing I could do without pain," Young says. His shoulder couldn't handle heavy weights, so he concentrated on doing lifts slowly with perfect form.

THE LIFE

Young eats fish four times a week and chicken stir-fry or barbecue the other days. He cut out high-fructose corn syrup, and snacks on energy bars or fruit. Young runs 7 to 10 miles 5 mornings a week and does light weight training, range-of-motion exercises, and up to 30 minutes of abs work three times a week.

THE REWARD

Young now works with a group called Students Run L.A., which helps at-risk kids in bad neighborhoods stay off the streets by putting them in a marathon-training program. In March 2005, Young completed the L.A. Marathon with a dozen of his 11-year-old students and his wife. "She loves my new body," he says. "For the first time in my life, I'm able to see my abs, and I feel light on my feet and more alert."

MIKE'S TIPS

Take baby steps. "When you're running, take shorter steps and turn it over faster. You pound less and buzz right along."

 

Lift light. "Don't be embarrassed to lift less weight. I can get a great burn by increasing reps and being a lot stricter with my form."

 

Drop your diet. "It's okay to kick back and eat pizza once in a while -- if it's just a break."

 

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