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. I lost 63 pounds and was able to come off of all of my medications. 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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