RUN FAT BOY RUN

Weight loss a difficult and socially unacceptable practice, seriously go to a braai and tell the okes you can’t have a wors roll or beer cause you are on diet, see what happens. This journey I undertook on the day in 2001 when my doctor told me I am a walking dead man after an angina attack has been long filled with disappointment, bad choices, ridicule from others and just plain embarrassment. For those who have never been obese pray to God that you never will be but then you would never understand where I came from.

Where did I come from, well gave up smoking cold turkey, the first brave thing I did apart from chasing that armed suspect in the middle of the night in the bushes of Kwa Mashu. Stupidest thing I did was give up smoking and you go WHAT.

Okay I gave up smoking 60 cigarettes a day but still carried on with my normal life style, braai, beer, Kentucky and Steers. I got on the scale one day and it said ERR I said up your. People look at you and wonder how the hell did he let himself go like that, well you know, you just don’t see coming, one minute I was a SADF soldier 84 kg next thing I was a mass of moving fat at 200 kg. Well there was like 18 years in-between that process. Nevertheless I could not weigh myself and I asked a friend at a scrap dealer if he would help me out, he did and in their scale it was 200 kg. Just picture this I am standing on a scale used to weigh scrap metal, the workers and clients see me on this scale, can you think of anything more embarrassing but I was desperate I needed to know where I where I was.




Doctor what the hell do you mean I am a walking dead man. He looked at me and said that there is nothing he can do for me, I am obese and I am the only one who can help me.

I asked him what must I do and he told me change your life style, do it today, I asked how do I do that. He said that I needed to change my eating habits, I need to exercise, hell go for a run…that when the running thingy started.

I went to Edgars and bought a pair of Nike cross trainers, My wife made me a pair of shorts as I could not get any anywhere. My 5xl tshirt and if anyone watched the movie Run fat boy Run, well that first run of his came from my life, 100 meters shuffle.

If took me ages to actually get to 5 km stage of not running but walking and shuffling. I progressed from this to a 10 km but in fact it was not a 10 km but a 21.1 km which I did finish.

I think back and do know that this half marathon did change my life, when I found out about 9 km that I was in the wrong race I decided there and then to press on, The cut off on this race was three hours, I finished 3 hours 54 minutes. The organiser left the finish up till I crossed the line, that meant a hellva lot to me but even more where serious runner types who were having beers at their tents, they saw me come in and they lined down the cordon tape clapping and shouting. Right there was the moment I knew this is where I was at home, with the runners.



I foolishly tried the Atkins diet and yes I did lose weight but it did come back and I was worse of from starving myself from carbs.



After much trial and error I found the right combination and that is a healthy eating plan, note plan not diet, diets do not work. A personal trainer who is the best in the business or weight loss, I owe her so much, she really changed my life as she has done for many many other obese people.



For the first time since starting this journey I weighed in at Virgin Active and it told me I was overweight, do you know how overjoyed I am to hear that, since 2001 I have been obese every single time I have weighed in, I am overweight joy absolute joy.

Recently I entered the Biggest Loser here in Durban run by Herbalife, well percentage sucks, it is not your weight loss that wins it is the percentage of weight you have lost that wins and on this twelve week program I lost 13.2 kgs I only got third place but that does not phase me, sure I feel like I let my trainer down but I have had many set backs, just keep on going ne’

So the journey which started in 2001 is almost complete, I am currently 4 kg's away for my goal however 14 kgs away from my trainers goal for me.

Yesterday I cleaned out the cupboards of my shirts and trousers, I tell you it is hard to believe I wore these things, shirts 5xl hang on do that properly xxxxxl....jeepers, size 56 trousers......

Better than that is I am a 100 miler runner, I have done 5 marathons in 42 hours and currently waiting for the start of the Comrades Marathon 2010. Next year George Archer 6 day event, 403 km.




So those who are overweight embrace it cause you can do something about it very easily, it is not a mountain to climb, those who are obese, man do yourself a favour stop what you are doing to yourselves, get out of your destructive patterns, eat healthy, exercise, hire a coach if you must I know one.

Okay so what did I lose well in total I have lost 86 kgs and dropped 16 trousers sizes. So what am I now ? XL to Large and 38 to 40 cm trousers depends on the cut.

There are two people who I must thank for this and that is my lovely wife who has stood by me through this whole thing and to the best trainer in the world Jillian Michaels, without you in my corner I would still be struggling along.

4 kg’s to go to my goal !!!!