Name: Mark Carlson
Age: 41
Hometown: Hampton Bays, New York
Start Weight: 257 pounds
End Weight: 208 pounds
Time Running: 4 years, 2 months
Growing up, I stayed fit by playing sports and staying active; I even played college lacrosse. But in my late 20s, I gained so much weight; I was bartending full-time, and I would stay up all night, and drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
I ate anything I wanted, ignoring the effect it had on my health, and at 28, I hit my peak weight of 260 pounds. I would get out of breath doing simple tasks. I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin, and when I looked at myself in the mirror I was ashamed. For someone who played college lacrosse, I was really angry that I was having such difficulties.
When I was 37, with my third daughter on the way, I decided I needed to make a change. I wanted to live a healthier, happier lifestyle so I could have the most time with my family. My turning point was in January 2017, when I saw a picture of myself with my stomach sticking out under my shirt. It was embarrassing—and it was time to do something.
I started running in February 2017 because I always associated running with weight loss. Running was convenient. Other sports require things like equipment and meeting times. With running, I just had to get out and go.
It was awful at first. I had to use a treadmill because it is so cold and icy during New York winters. I started by running three times a week and only about two miles at a time. My goal was sign up and run a half marathon the following fall using Hal Higdon’s training program for beginners.
4 Editor’s Choice-Winning Treadmills
As the weeks went by, runs became easier, and weight came off at a fast pace. I also made a number of dietary changes, such as decreasing the amount of food I was eating and incorporating more vitamins. I limited sugar and alcohol intake to once a week. These days, I eat cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, a salad with protein for lunch, and a sensible meal with protein, carbs, and vegetables for dinner.
Basically, I’m more conscious but not unrealistic. When I want something, I have it, but I weight the options before I put it into my body. It leads to much better choices. It also helped me get across that half marathon finish line.
After that year of running and changes, I set my goals higher and I chose to run the NYC Marathon when I turned 40 years old in 2019. I also decided to join a running group, use the Zwift app, and start other forms of exercise like swimming and weightlifting.
All of these have given me new excitement for a healthy lifestyle. Now, I run four to five days a week, and I run between four to six miles each time. When I am training for a race, I increase the mileage on weekends and do more long runs. Having races on the calendar as goals has really helped.
Over the last four years, I have lost 46 pounds. I am comfortable at my current weight and feel stronger and confident. I have been documenting my weight loss journey through social media, and I have used that platform to motivate others. I get a great feeling of accomplishment by giving back to others what I was looking for in myself. Although image was my motivator in the beginning, I have found a new appreciation for the emotional component that has gone into my training and how that has had such a positive impact on me.
We want to hear how running changed you! Send your story and submit your photos to us via this form. We’ll pick one each week to highlight on the site.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
"weight" - Google News
April 28, 2021 at 04:22AM
https://ift.tt/3b2h1oP
Weight Loss Transformation Mark Carlson — Run to Lose Weight - runnersworld.com
"weight" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2IYacqe
https://ift.tt/2z81TFZ
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Weight Loss Transformation Mark Carlson — Run to Lose Weight - runnersworld.com"
Post a Comment