My name is Scott Sparks and I live in Northeastern Oklahoma with my wife (Ellen) and two kids (Sarah & Jonathan).
After reaching 221 pounds, being put on my fifth medication, and being
diagnosed as a pre-diabetic, I realized that something in my life needed
to change if I was going to be around to see my children grow up. In
addition to my diagnoses, I had little to no energy, was having a hard
time getting around, and would struggled to catch my breath (when
exerting any energy) frequently throughout my day. Further complicating
the situation was the fact that I had begun having migraine headaches
and lower back pain. All of these added up to make a very uncomfortable
and unhappy person.
At this point, I decided that
enough was enough and that I wanted to move from simply surviving (in
this unhealthy state) to living life to the fullest. What would it take
to become healthy again? What radical steps were needed in order to
reverse this trend?
I am not a dieter so I was not
interested in starving myself in order to get healthy. Instead, I began
to eat only according to the serving size on the container (which is
usually a lot less than you think) and to not eat anything unhealthy
after 7 pm.
Additionally, I began to walk around a
track that is close to my house and gradually increased my activity over
time. First, longer walks and then eventually I did began to run one
lap, then two, then three and I continued to increase.
After
I grew tired of running around the same track for several laps, I
ventured out to the trails along the turnpikes and highways in my area. I
determined that if I could consistently increase my distance and reach
10 miles, I would run in the Tulsa Run that year, which I did. My goal
was simply to complete the run and survive. I was pleasantly surprised
when I finished the run in the top half of all runners that day. My
diligence had paid off.
Although the time-frame of my
transformation and renewed life was approximately 1-1/2 years, the
benefits are evident today. It is truly a lifestyle change and yet one
worth making and keeping. At my last physical I was told, "you are very
healthy, we do not even need to do any blood work on you."
The
three biggest factors in the success of my plan was 1) my faith in God,
2) motivation to live for my wife and children, and 3) diligence.
Although
the goal of losing weight or fitting into clothing is ok, for a longer
term result, it is good to have a motivation that will keep you moving
forward.
If you are struggling with health issues,
weight concerns, or simply lack motivation in your life, I encourage you
to start your journey of complete renewal of body and purpose with me.
It's
ok if you cannot run! You can start right where you are at by taking
one step, then two, then three. Consult with your physician before
making any drastic changes and certainly keep him/her in the loop as you
are making progress.
You can do it!
Scott Sparks
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