Running News Daily

After Overcoming Drug and Alcohol Addiction, He Ran Off 216 Pounds in Two Years

“I used to assume that I’d be that fat guy forever—but my life is just starting.”

Before I started my weight-loss journey, I struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. But after I stopped doing drugs, the weight piled on. The drinking continued, and instead of drugs, I turned to food.

I fell into a vicious cycle of drinking and eating, and the bigger I got, the more depressed I felt. At my heaviest at 28 years old, I weighed 446 pounds. I was experiencing heart palpitations and sleep apnea because of the weight. My wake-up call was when I realized I had to hold my breath to bend down to tie my shoes.

I wanted a better life. I knew it would take time, but I needed to heal from my addiction and unhealthy habits. Finally, in my 30s, I became sober from drugs and alcohol. But I remember looking at my son and thinking becoming sober wasn’t enough—I wanted to create a healthier example for him. I was wearing a size 54 pant and a size 5X shirt. I felt like I wasted so much of my life—all my 20s—to the party scene. And if I didn’t change anything, I may not even make it past my 30s.

In 2018, I joined a CrossFit-style gym, and I had to run during the workouts. I remember running 100 meters, and thinking that I was going to die. I thought, This is crazy. I’ll never be able to run with my son.

At the time my son was running cross country at school and in local 5K fun runs. He asked me to run one with him, and I was so overwhelmed because I had just started running. But it motivated me to keep up with my workouts—and I made some serious dietary changes. When I was at my heaviest, I ate any food that crossed my path. I switched to eating an organic, plant-based diet whenever possible, and the weight started falling off. I lost 170 pounds and started running more.

I was honestly winging it when I started. A nice employee at my local running store gave me some good advice on training plans. Between that and watching some YouTube videos, I just listened to my body and mixed in sprints, calisthenics, and long runs. I began running 5Ks and 10Ks.

It wasn’t until 2020 that I really took running seriously. I had finally gotten comfortable lifting weights and doing group workouts when COVID-19 forced gyms to close. Not wanting to lose my results, I started running more.

I now run six days a week and have two strength-training sessions a week. I don’t follow a strict training plan but have slowly upped my mileage—I recently completed a 30-mile and a 40-mile training run. In November I did a virtual 100-mile challenge called the Corona Lisa 100 Mile Challenge, and I plan to run my first official marathon, the Clearwater Marathon, in January 2021.

In two years, I have lost 216 pounds. I’m hungry to show people that anything is possible, no matter how young or old you are, what your background is, or where you’ve come from. I’m hungry to push myself as far as I possibly can encourage others to change for the better.

Not only has running made me healthier physically, it has also been a mental and spiritual outlet for me as well. I run by myself with no headphones, and it gives me time to think, pray, and observe the world around me.

Running is something more than just running to me now. It’s time for me to just feel myself moving and to remember how hard it was just to walk down the street before. It reminds me how I used to be chained down with my addiction to drugs and alcohol. Running is more than just moving your feet— it’s a feeling of freedom with every mile I go.

The work isn’t over yet either. There is still a hunger. Currently, I’m hoping to do an in-person 100-mile race in 2021 at the age of 41. Plus, I want to lose another 30 pounds to reach my goal weight of 200. 
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I wish everyone could feel the happiness that I feel while I’m running. I can appreciate the body I have. Even though I sometimes get overwhelmed by seeing my loose skin shake as I run, it makes me think how much I’ve changed from my past.

Running has brought so much happiness to myself and to my family. I used to assume that I’d be that fat guy forever—but my life is just starting. If I can encourage just one person by sharing my journey, then it’s all worth it. If you’re feeling discouraged about your weight, figure out what’s holding you up mentally, and eventually it will happen.