The Runner Within

Well, I read a blog today by a guy who was over 300lbs and ran the Boston Marathon (after the registered racers had already started). It really impressed me that this guy, Jacob, had the guts to take on a challenge like that. Not only did he take on the physical challenge, but he was willing to face possible public humiliation to change for the better. That is the kind of inspiration we all need. I’ve already battled my demons with weight, but we all have sources of weakness and potential shame, and they can be overcome, just as weight can. So, even though I may have already been where Jacob was and gotten through that part of my life, he is an inspiration to tackle future challenges and better myself in other ways. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to overcome obstacles. I commend you, Jacob, for facing those elite runners and the throngs of people there watching. Even in my small form, I would not have had the guts to run after them, for fear of humiliating myself. You’re a true hero, not just to the obese, but to everyone! Here is his story: What Would Jacob Do?

Well, I had intended to go running today, but I screwed around too much early in the day, and now it’s raining like nuts… so I will either have to suck it up and go to the gym or wait until tomorrow. Either way, I’m stuck at home for the moment, so I thought I would post a list about the benefits and drawbacks to weightloss. I was thinking about it today, because I mentioned my upcoming surgery to a friend of mine, and he replied that he would likely have to be doing something similar in the future, when he lost weight. So, here’s my list:

Benefits!

• Clothes Fit better — Yes, I know this is obvious, but it really makes a huge impact on how you feel and how you perceive yourself. I always thought I had a badly shaped body (which, it’s most certainly not perfect), but really, being fat just accentuates the parts of you that aren’t great. And when you’re not, clothes mask a lot of that… so, here’s to well-fitting clothes! Hurrah!
• Exercising and Moving is Easier — This actually kind of surprised me… I used to exercise when I was fat, and then I took a really long hiatus from it while I lost weight (odd, I know!), and when I went back to it after I had lost the weight, it was like I was a totally different person. Thigns that had once been so hard were fairly painless, and it wasn’t like I’d just trained a lot. It was really just from the weight loss. Also, dancing has gotten so much easier. It’s like you’re more in touch with your body.
• Lower Blood Pressure — I was fairly lucky to be in pretty good health while I was heavy, but my blood pressure was elevated, although not outside of normal range. It was borderline. Now, it’s excellent! Woo hoo!
• Less Back Aches — I still get them on mega shopping days, but really, they are mostly gone.
• Better Vision! — I know this one is going to sound weird, but it is true. Not too long ago, I started getting headaches, and since they seemed to get better when I stopped wearing my glasses, I went to my optometrist for a check up. I expected to learn that my eyes had once again gotten worse, but no… they had actually gotten better! My prescription is now half of what it was a year ago.
• More Attention — As I approached my current weight, I began to notice people looking at me. Sometimes they would even smile. Sometimes guys would hold the door open for me. It was very, very weird… As a fat person, I was pretty much ignored, except by people who I already knew. I never caught people randomly looking at me or smiling at me. And I certainly wasn’t asked if I wanted drinks at bars, etc. It’s nice to get the attention, but it makes me sad that I was really treated that differently when I was fat. I really am the same person I was before.

Costs!

• Hair Loss — Part of this is from the surgeries, but part of it is just from calorie restriction. Either way, my once-thick main of hair is pretty thin these days. I’ll take it and not complain, though, unless I start getting weird bald spots. Then I’m going to be ticked!
• Loose Skin — This is a huge problem if you lose a significant amount of weight. At my heaviest, I wore a size 22 or 24, and now I wear a size 2 or 4… there’s just no way the skin can bounce back from that, especially not at the age of 29 (I’m 30 now, but I was 28 and 29 when I lost the weight). I’m really lucky to have a person in my life that can help me with this, but if you plan to lose a significant amount of weight, mentally prepare yourself to deal with the possibility of looking like someone deflated you and scampered off leaving you in your old skin.
• Replacing Your Wardrobe — Okay… so maybe this should be listed as benefit, but I’ve pretty much had to replace everything I own, except my shoes (and even some of them have become too big)… that includes bras, undies, stockings, pjs, robes, etc. It take a lot of money, and it’s frustrating when you’re a poor student like me. Before, I couldn’t shop in any of the stores, and now I can shop in any one of them I want, but I can’t afford anything! *smacks forehead*
• Confrontations with Excited People — It’s nice to have people notice you’ve lost weight, but it’s also kind of embarrassing to have people make a huge scene in front of others and ask you how you did it, and exclaim that you used to be so heavy, and now you look so amazing. I suppose it is better than the people who walk right past you because they didn’t recognize you, which has also happened to me. I guess it’s a no-win situation.

Well, there you have it I guess… a short list of the personal benefits and costs that I have come across since losing the weight. I’m sure others would have stuff to add, so feel free to leave a comment.

Hello there! I know that there is no one reading this yet, but I figured I should have something written. I’m starting up this blog with the hopes of tracking my running and training for a marathon. I’d eventually love to have a whole bit of the site where I could show graphs of my progress and schedules for runs, etc. Right now, however, it is a simple blog with a template design, and not much going on. I’m running this on Wordpress, which I have no experience with, so as I learn more, hopefully this will get more interesting. I also feel the need to tell you that I will be taking a month-long hiatus from running starting May 1, and probably lasting through the end of May… this is because I have a surgery scheduled that will preclude me from running for a while. It is part of my on-going transformation from a morbidly obese individual to a slim, althletic runner. Luckily, I’m almost there! Hopefully, this will be the last disruption to my life as far as surgery goes, so, until May 1, I will be running as often as my law school finals preparation allows.