These Incredible Weight Loss Transformations Will Inspire You to Get Healthy
Learn how 55 people turned their lives around through running.
For these 57 runners, all it took was one single step to change their life. They’ve gone on to lose hundreds of pounds, run thousands of miles, and finish marathons, ultras, and Ironmans. Here, they provide advice on how they got started and the challenges they faced along their weight loss journey.
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Courtesy Sharif Aboelnaga web form. We’ll pick one each week to highlight on the site.
Sharif Aboelnaga
“Read more of Bernies story sleep better and gives me a massive boost of adrenaline. My cholesterol is back to a healthy range, and I feel great. I am the same weight I was back when I graduated high school, and probably in as good shape now at 48 years old.”
Mike Murphy
“Courtesy of Tim Gourley long-distance races in my late 20s and early 30s. I was never “good” at it, but I loved it. There was something therapeutic about it for me—it was a way for me to gain mental clarity and focus. I knew I wanted it to be a part of my weight loss story, so in February of 2020 I signed up for a 5K. I wasn’t sure where running would take me, but I was determined to push myself beyond my comfort zone.”
Amanda Brooks
‘To anyone who wants to start their journey, I know the unknown is really scary. There’s a lot you’re going to learn, but it’ll be so worth it in the end. For me, I knew I couldn’t continue to live my life the way I was, so I was willing to put myself out there no matter what happened.”
Bernie Isacovici
“Speaking of how I feel, I feel like myself now. I hear many people in their 60s say that they are old, but I also hear others in their 80s saying that age is just a number. I have regained my life. I do feel like I lost a lot by being so unhealthy in my 20s, but I am making up for that now.”
Lokesh Meena
“In November 2016, one of my three daughters was diagnosed with leukemia. As a father, it was tough to handle that news and the following treatment. For the next two years, running is what held me up and kept the family together. All of those races over those the next two years were my medicine as my family went through hell during my daughter’s chemotherapy. Luckily, she’s okay now, but without running, I don’t know if I would’ve been strong enough to make it through that journey.”
Christopher Hasty
“The miles were obviously slow, but each time I went out, I got a little better. I could see the progress physically, and I became hooked on setting and accomplishing goals. I made my weight loss one of those as I dedicated myself to a healthier lifestyle.”
Stephanie Hall
“The feeling after you finish your run is amazing to me. The point where you feel like you can’t go any further and you prove your body wrong by pushing through. I always feel so accomplished afterward. I use running as a stress reliever. It is very therapeutic. It has helped me more than any medicine I’ve ever taken.”
Kim Barefoot
“Everyone is different and everyone has their “moment” that motivates them to make that change, whether it’s an unflattering photo, a health reason, or whatever the case may be. My advice to anyone who wants to start is don’t make up excuses for not working out. When you least want to go is when you need to the most. There were plenty of evenings after working all day when it was raining and 40 degrees outside, but there I was with my bag headed to the gym.”
Bob Page
“I have had people I’ve known for years but haven’t seen in awhile not recognize me. I love that. I love the way I feel, the way clothes fit, and being able to shop in regular clothing stores. Mostly I stay motivated for the years, days, hours and minutes I’m hopefully putting on the end of my life. I’ve got two adult daughters and amazing wife, and I want to be here with them for as long as possible.”
Marie Krueger-Miller
“Like many—and I know this dates me—Oprah was my original inspiration. However, the sense of accomplishment running gives me is my fuel. It is far more to me than a calorie burner, a meditation, or even a chance for alone time. It is now necessary to be my best--energized, focused, connected to my city, my dogs, and myself. (Here’s why you should try meditating while running, and how to do it.)”
Tanisha Crichlow
“Understand that it is a marathon, not a sprint. Some days may not be great but don’t beat yourself up. Also understand what works for you—maybe only for you. Tracking my food and running have been my unlock, but everyone must figure out what’s best for them. It could be meal prep, cutting out certain foods, doing more cross training... Whatever it is, do what you can practically manage, and also enjoy.”
Tim Gourley
“When I started running for real, my choice was validated that first time I was able to run an entire 5K without feeling like I was going to die. I experienced joy through the physical pain, and the freedom that comes with moving on your own. I was hooked to the point of obsession, reading every book I could find on running, watching documentaries, tweaking my training program, and signing up for every race that would fit my schedule.”
Rebecca Rybicki
“This journey has been incredible. My husband also lost 40 pounds after he started running, and my family lives a much healthier lifestyle, being active and eating well.”
Katie Rider
“The key to success is being consistent. I think many people get caught up in fad diets and then fall off the wagon quickly. I know because I’ve done it 1,000 times. This time I did what we are always told: eat right and exercise.”
Gary Snow
“I thank the good Lord for the opportunity and ability to run. Running is a great sport that virtually anyone can get into, and I’m so happy to be numbered among the millions who call themselves a runner.”
Christie Dougherty
“I was 18 years old and 230 pounds. I was unhappy and realized after my freshman year of college that I needed to change my lifestyle. I come from a family of marathoners, but in 2012 when I told everyone I wanted to run my first marathon, I was told I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it—by family, friends, and even professors in front of my whole class. I took that adversity and have run the Marine Corps Marathon five years in a row, competed in six half marathons, and lost 83 pounds along the way.”
Liz Rock
“There is no secret. The only thing that I did differently was stay committed. I made a promise to myself not to give up and even when I wanted to quit, or when I messed up I just kept pushing. I took on a low-carb diet and started to run consistently. I also joined a weight loss clinic named Transform Institute, which gave me the tools and support that I needed.”
Kendall Des Vignes
“I stay motivated with a mixture of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsically I do it because I love it. Extrinsically I do it because I want to keep the weight off, I want to keep being an external source of motivation for others, for my soon to be patients, and for my own improved health and well-being.”
Karra Busch
“The most rewarding part of running for me is knowing where I started, and seeing where I am now. Running has shown me that I am capable of whatever I put my mind too. I love feeling muscle instead of mush, and I can credit that to running.”
Stacey Oldt
“The most rewarding part of running for me is the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it, and pushing myself beyond what l ever thought was possible. It has been rewarding to see a transformation in my body, and to feel a transformation mentally and emotionally. My husband sporadically runs and he used to tell me that I should run, too. At the time, I was more than 100 pounds overweight, and that seemed like a ridiculous thing to say. I recall telling my husband back then that, ‘I will never run.’ I laugh now because he rarely runs, and I run all the time.”
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