How Running Changed Megan Marie

Name: Megan Marie
Age: 37
Hometown: Connecticut
Occupation: Vice President of Product Management

Start Weight: 351 kilos
End Weight: 145 kilos
Time Running: About a 12 months


Before beginning my weight-loss journey, I used to be a busy mother of two attempting to stability motherhood and a profession. I prioritized the whole lot above my very own well being and wellness, which confirmed up in my meals selections. Often, I leaned on quick meals after an extended evening working or shuttling the children round to numerous actions.

I wished to be current and concerned in all features of my life, however I used to be bodily and mentally exhausted. Things like climbing the steps to mattress at evening left me breathless. I suffered from sleep apnea to the purpose that my husband stated I might cease respiratory at evening, and get up coughing and gasping. My legs swelled to extraordinarily massive sizes. I apprehensive about blood clots. Despite all of this, I used to be nonetheless afraid to go to the physician for worry of judgment about my weight.

Everything was harder for me at my heaviest. I had been chubby my whole life, however once I noticed 351 kilos on the size in January 2019, I knew I wanted to alter. I used to be 35 years previous, and I wished to be there for my youngsters and be there once they had grandchildren. It was time to do one thing to assist myself.

As I had many instances earlier than, I made a New Year’s decision to the drop extra pounds for good. But this time was completely different—this time, I used to be going to verify everybody in my life knew what I used to be attempting to do. In my thoughts, I knew that to be able to achieve success, it couldn’t be one thing I did in secret. I wanted family and friends for help.

Previous weight-loss makes an attempt started with large calorie deficits and figuring out six to seven days per week. That led to me feeling exhausted and depleted, and in the end, I might stop.

For this new journey, I made one small change at a time to construct new habits and targeted 100-percent on vitamin to begin. There was lots to work on. My weight-reduction plan beforehand consisted of processed meals fabricated from largely carbohydrates. So, I began by decreasing my carb consumption on a weekly foundation, eliminating processed meals and refined sugar. Before I knew it, I had by accident began the keto diet.

I caught to this weight-reduction plan for a 12 months, dropping 180 kilos. But I wished to reintroduce carbs into my life and attempt to discover a means of consuming that actually might be sustainable long-term. That’s when working entered my life.

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For my first 12 months of weight reduction, I walked every day at 6:30 a.m., however I had at all times wished to strive working. So, I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and repeated weeks one and two again and again. But for some cause, I had this psychological block past that, and I couldn’t go farther distances. Then at some point, somebody instructed me that I simply have to decelerate to hit these distances. Once I heard that, I used to be lastly capable of end this system in May 2020. I ran my first (digital) 5K on the anniversary of my grandma’s birthday in July 2020.

Now, I run 3 times per week. Running for me is about constructing endurance, not pace, each mentally and bodily. Mental endurance is all about self-discipline, studying to push ahead even whenever you need to stop. Discipline results in consistency, and consistency results in outcomes.

I additionally run as a result of it makes me really feel freed from the physique I used to be trapped in for thus lengthy. Running is the self-care time I had been lacking in my earlier life. It’s the time I’ve to myself to decompress and assume. It’s solely me on the highway, surrounded by my ideas that I really feel like perhaps, simply perhaps, I can fly.

The hardest a part of my journey has been reaching the top, the extremely wanted “purpose weight,” and being confronted with the query, “Now what?” Once you hit that purpose weight, what retains you going?

I’ve needed to study to seek out new objectives, new challenges, and working has been an enormous a part of that. I’ve misplaced over 200 kilos in 15 months. So many individuals inform me that they want they may run, however they simply can’t for any variety of causes. I would like them to know that they will, and that it’s by no means too late to alter their lives. Finding working has been like lastly dwelling the dream I’ve had since I used to be a baby, like I’m free, like I can fly.


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