Running and Weight Loss (20+ pounds and counting)

April 16, 2009
I went through an annual physical examination as part of the health benefit package in our company. I was diagnosed Overweight and was recommended to modify my lifestyle and reduce weight. At 5'7", I weighed a whopping 165 pounds. (Well, a junior whopper.. but still a whopper..)

I did not take the recommendation seriously. I know I'm healthy, just a few pounds over the limit. I do boxing. I play basketball. I jog. I even lift weights, so a few extra pounds don't matter.

Well, it still does matter. After a while, I asked myself "I have been doing all these exercises and I'm still overweight?." The belly fats tell the truth Jayson, wake up!

That is when I questioned the things I do and the food I eat. That is the time I had to analyze what is lacking and what needs to be improved. That is the time I started jogging and became more conscious of my food intake.

Two days in a week I jog for 10 to 15 minutes. Tuesdays and Thursdays I continued to do boxing. Sundays I did jump ropes and shadow boxing.

Regarding food intake:

• I slowed down on coffee because I can't drink coffee without sugar and sugar contains lots of calories.
• I needed more carbohydrates for my exercises so I chose Pandesal for breakfast.
• I began to choose vegetables over meat for my lunch and dinner. I still eat chicken and beef once in a while.
• I started to feast on fresh fruits and fish and avoided fatty foods, junk foods, ice cream and chocolates.
• I drink lots of water and started to stay away from carbonated drinks and commercialized juice drinks.
  

It's not a strict diet, just choosing the right kind of food.
You can also check this article from Runner's World: The Best Food For Runners.

Walking from the office to the canteen or food store around 200 meters helps. 400m back and forth. Additionally, walking from the condo to the office and back also helps burn fats. I take the stairs instead of the elevator to reach the 4th floor of the condo. Same goes when I go down, I take the stairs. It all starts with little adjustments and little lifestyle modifications. And those little things accumulate to help me achieve a much bigger goal.

July 16, 2009
After 3 months, I dropped from 165 to 157.8, I lost 7 pounds.
What exercises have helped me lose pounds? I have been doing boxing. It must have been the jogging and running exercises.

August 23, 2009
Slowly, I increased my running time and distance. From 10 to 15 minutes, I did 30. I stopped boxing but was still conscious of my food intake. I joined 10 kilometer races and a 10 mile race.
After 5 more weeks, I dropped 5 more pounds and weighed 152.

September 4, 2009
By now, running is already a part of my life and weight loss just comes naturally. I will also join a half marathon and a full marathon so I know I will continue to lose more weight and excessive fats.
After just 2 weeks of marathon training, I have dropped down to 149.

I love to go back to the boxing gym and be very fit to compete. At my target weight of 140, I'll be a lot more competitive. And since running has been integrated into my lifestyle, I expect to improve my race times and who knows? I might eventually end up winning a race. Hehehe. Probably not.

In any case, I have been enjoying my level of fitness right now and I am very well right on my normal weight range. As a boxer, runner, basketball player.. I always want to be able to compete and to give my best all the time. My weight loss slogan "To Compete, Get Fit" has been a very effective motivation and reminder when I'm getting lazy.

Right now, I am so thrilled to continue with what I have done physically and I could not be more satisfied.
Marathon here I come!!!

Sept 21, 2009
Training for my first half marathon, I continued to lose weight naturally. I did not change my food intake. I actually needed the energy to sustain my running workouts. Still, the excess weight comes off naturally. Training consistently burns the fats little by little.

After the Rota half marathon race, I dropped to 145.2 pounds. I came all the way from 165, now I'm just around 145. I am fully satisfied. And very happy. It has been a success weight loss story by discipline, hard work, patience and perseverance.

Oops, the battle is not over yet. 140 pounds is the ultimate target. I have set it as my year-end weight goal. I still have 5 more pounds to shed and it should be the toughest last 5 pounds. I weigh 147-150 pounds when I'm not training and then I drop to 143-145 after an intense workout session.

It is no longer a pressure to drop weight. I feel comfortable and confident during my runs. I know I can be at my best because I am physically cut for it. That was not the case two months ago. I thought I cannot compete being overweight because I still carried those belly fats. Now I can concentrate on being the best I can be. I may not outrun a lot of fellow runners but I have already conquered myself. And that is one motivation which makes me a tougher athlete mentally and physically. It's a different level of self confidence knowing you have what it takes now to compete at the top level.

Being fit however does not answer everything. It's just a tool to propel myself into a more competitive runner. Hereon, I must work doubly hard to compete against the best athletes out there. And it's not gonna be easy.







Nov 8, 2009
Will I drop all the way to 140? To be continued..

Oct 2, 2008(Left) and Oct 2, 2009(Right)..

Getting Ripped and Ready to Race.

Even the hair got ripped. Haha.