Another life reinvented

You can change anything about your life that you want to.  Make the decision, and be determined.  I've recently had the honor of meeting another gentleman who has reinvented himself.  He was kind enough to allow me to share his story with you.

Here is Anthony's story.  Enjoy.

"It all started about a year ago a friend convinced me to do Tough Mudder -- a 10 mile obstacle/mud run course. I signed up for this on July 27th; on August 1st I started my training. I had made up my mind that I signed up for this therefore I must complete this! When I stepped on the scale on July 31st I weighed in at 281 lbs. I also smoked 1-2 packs of cigarettes a day and drank at least a six pack of BudLight a day. My lifestyle was not what you call healthy by any means. I started with P90X and cut down on the beer and cigarettes; by Day 35 it started getting old and I fell off the workout wagon.

I started up quickly within a week but this time I started going to the track on the cardio days. This started with 3 miles walk/jog -- more walking at first -- till I could run 3 miles, then I started to increase my mileage. I quit drinking on October 3, 2010 and really started to see a dramatic change in my body. On December 23, 2010 I quit smoking because it was hindering my running. In January I hired a personal trainer to get me through Tough Mudder and work on explosiveness for the obstacles. A group of friends and I completed the course in 2 hours and 45 minutes which is about average.

So between August 1st and January 29th I had lost a total of 53lbs, quit smoking and drinking. Then I was wondering what I was going to do next. I started a weight lifting program and continued running. I wanted to do something else so I decided to give triathlons a tri. I signed up for COMBAT and had no clue what to expect, but I had been hearing about this group of crazy workout fanatics called BAM! It was a match made in heaven -- this is a group of amazing people from all walks of life who enjoy busting their butts in the gym, pounding pavement, rolling down the road and spending time in the water. We encourage each other and cheer each other on and if you need a training partner you don't have to look very far. I have only been a part of the BAMily for a few short months but have felt welcome and accepted. My stats to date I am at 230lbs and in size 34 jeans down from 281 and 44 jeans, and from 3x scrub tops down to large. I have done two sprint triathlons and am training for Clear Lake International Olympic distance.

My goal for this year: I would like to do a half sometime next year and start training for a full along the way I would like to get down to about 200lbs.

My advice to beginners: Be accountable, start a program, any program and stick with it and write down workouts/progress. I also used MyFitnessPal phone app which I think is a great tool to track diet and workouts. And of course join BAM! Also don't forget to have FUN!!!"






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad