Health Hero Profile 6.18.12.........Overweight Mind, Runner at Heart~Amy E. Gibault

What is your age and where are you from? 
35 Tomah, WI

What was your beginning weight? 

My weight was 212 at its highest. I usually averaged 195. The largest size I wore in high school was a 24. I now wear a 12/14.

What is your current weight and how long have you maintained it?

175 and it’s been  that for the past 2 years. I weighed 165 at the height of my running/training/marathoning.

What made you want to lose weight and exercise; was there something specific that happened or was it a combination of things?

I was always “the fat kid” for as long as I can remember. I was teased all throughout school about my weight and my sensitivity of it. I dreaded PE since I was always the slowest kid too.

At the end of my 2nd year of teaching I met a mom of 3 of my students who was recruiting people to run a half-marathon with her. Running the mile in high school was torture, but many things I had expected to dislike as an adult turned out to be things I LOVED. Why couldn’t running be the same? Amy Anderson was the ultimate trainer. She focused on slowly building up pace and mileage. She was of the Jeff Galloway run/walk philosophy. Amy also would constantly remind how DOABLE running was and how ANYONE could fit 30 minute work-outs into their daily routine.

I’ll never forget running 5 miles on my own for the first time. It was awesome. My very first race was a half-marathon. How crazy was that? Amy and I finished in 2:50 and I was thrilled.

While running was certainly making me healthier, I didn’t start to lose significant weight until I changed my eating habits. Food was a reward for me and I’d celebrate with food when I ran further. In the summer of 2007 I had a very rigorous summer job and didn’t have the time to think about food because I was so busy. Lo and behold pounds started to come off. It was awesome. I finally made the connection and decided that I needed to change my eating habits for good.

What diets, supplements, and fitness programs have you tried in the past?

I’ve never been a fan of diets. I’ve seen too many people lose weight and gain more back. The few times I tried diets, I’d last maybe a week since I’d cut out too many calories.

I’d lose 5-10 lbs, but it always came back. I am an emotional eater and when I’d be stressed out, food was always a friend. I also come from a family that “loves”  food.

I’ve mostly tried to get my friends/co-workers see how easy it is to fit exercise into their day. As a teacher, I KNOW how important it is to find ways to decompress and how important our physical health is to our emotional health.

Over my lunch, I walk 3-4 times a week for a 30-45 minutes. I also recruit other teachers and support staff. I have a couple loyal walkers, who are of a…similar healthy mind-set. Everyone knows I walk at lunch and even if they don’t go with me, I regularly hear how great they think it is.

Five years ago, at the height of my marathon racing, I started a running club at my largest school. I had a student, Andy, who was very talented in art (I’m an art teacher), but who was very angry at everything. His mother had walked away from his family when he was 4 and his dad had remarried that school year. I felt terrible for him. I knew he needed an outlet, bigger than art, for what he was going through.

After talking to the PE teacher, I found out that he was one of the fastest kids in his class. Once I knew that, I came up with my running club idea and recruited some other kids in his class. We ran/trained twice a week after school for 30-40 minutes and I found a 5K for us to do. We called ourselves the Art Runners, quite cleverly. There were 5 kids in this group.

The Art Runners have been together for 5 years now and 3 of them ran their first half-marathon in Madison, WI over The 2012 Memorial Day weekend. It was AWESOME!

Also, last year I started another running club, which now consists of 22 kids ranging in age from 8-11. Some play soccer and other sports. Some of them have never done any other athletic activity besides this. After school they run for 30-40 minutes, which for most of them is 2 miles. They train once a week and competed in 3 5K races this past year, including a memorial run for a teacher in MT we learned about who had been abducted and murdered while out on a morning run. They also raised $ for her family as well.

My entire 5^th grade runners took between 30 seconds and 3 minutes off their 1-mile run time in PE! We are also training this June for another 5K in Tomah even though school is over.

 

What were some of the challenges that you experienced on your weight loss journey?

My family, particularly my mother, questioned the “health risks” of running when I started. She would tell me she didn’t think it was good for me. She would question the mileage I was putting in, which was interesting since she had ALWAYS been supportive of everything else I’d done in life.

Once I finally lost weight, she would me I was “too skinny.” Then she would try to feed me everything in the house. It was very strange. It was also interesting to look at the food environment that I grew up. There were treats and baked goods on every surface. It’s no wonder I was overweight.

My biggest challenge occurred in 2009. While I was training for the Portland Marathon, I began having problems with my right hip. I’d experience new pain in it that never quite went away.

Before the race I had it checked out and learned that I had a genetic hip defect. The ball joints in both hips were more oval than round and all the running I had been doing had brought on bone spurs and osteoarthritis at the age of 32. While there was a new surgical procedure they could do to “fix up” my hip, it wouldn’t reverse the deformity.

I was advised by all the orthopedic surgeons I saw to quit running for good, which felt like a death sentence. I was devastated. My healthy thinner identity was tied to long-distance running. I also LOVED to run and couldn’t imagine my life without it. I worried that I’d gain tons of weight back and spent every day freaking out over what number would appear on the scale.

After my hip surgery, I DID get back into running to prove to myself that I could still do it. I completed a half-marathon 5 months later and a few smaller races as well.

Slowly but surely I have grieved the loss of running and accepted my body’s new limitations. It’s been extremely hard, but it’s getting easier. This year I began doing yoga, which I fell in love with. I am also content to walk—super fast at that.

While I HAVE gained 10 lbs since giving up running, I feel quite content with my body and self-image. I have learned that I am NOT the unhealthy self I was once was and that while running certainly helped create this new and improved Amy, there is a LOT more to it. I’m a different person on the inside now.

In what ways has your life changed?

It has been so wonderful to finally accept my body and take responsibility for my health and happiness. I am no longer the “fat kid.” Also, looking through old pictures, I realized that I was far heavier in my MIND than I actually was. I wish I could tell my old self how amazing and beautiful I was back then. Thankfully I know that NOW.

I realize that I am a…role model for my students and my co-workers alike. They know how seriously I take my health and exercise. No one sees me as a “former runner.” They see me as an athlete…and as a go-to person for exercise questions.

What are some moments-accomplishments that you are most proud of?

My first marathon in Chicago in 2006 I ran with Amy Anderson, my trainer, and it was amazing. It was her last marathon and she was there with me. The whole experience was surreal and I was ready to do another right after I finished. It took me to a whole new level of running.

At the Flying Pig Marathon in 2008, I ran 18+ miles with bloody, scraped up knees and arms since I tripped at mile 8 during the race. I even met my goal time that day. It will always be my favorite marathon.

I watched the love of my life, Trieu, finish his first half-marathon in 2009. I have never screamed and yelled so much during a race or cried my eyes out afterward. I was SO proud of him. He has run faithfully with me and my runners since we met too.

I am so incredibly proud of my runners at schools for their training and races they’d done. They are doing things I never would have dreamed of at their age. They blow me away every week.

In July of 2011 I did my first and hardest trail run ever in Devil’s Lake Park in WI. It took me almost 2 hours to complete 6.2 miles and I was damn happy to see a MEDAL at the finish line. Halfway through the course we had to go up a ski hill, which was hard to even stand on.

Last weekend I did NOT do a 10K in Madison that I was registered for. My hip was sore and I didn’t want to risk more damage during an arthritic flare. I left my shoes and gear at home so that I wasn’t tempted later to run. I cried twice over it, but I am proud of FINALLY listening to my body when I should.  By nature, I’ve always pushed boundaries and limits, so it’s hard to back off and switch gears. I DID IT though and it was okay.

What are your ultimate "must haves"///favorites: foods, fitness routines, music and training gear?

Shoes: Asics for running. Keen sandals for walking and hiking.

Shorts: Champion C9 series at Target

Food: oatmeal, fresh fruit, hearty bread (multi-grain), cheese, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (treat), almonds, peanut butter, hummus, and food that requires a lot of chewing. I can’t “drink” my meals.

Eating a balanced diet and exercise go hand in hand for permanent weight loss. What do you do for fitness-to stay in shape?

I plan out my work-outs at the beginning of the week based on schedule. Even if I have to change my plan, it’s far easier to do that when you’ve thought about it ahead of time.

I walk 3-5 miles, 5 days a week. I do yoga in the fall/winter 1-2 times a week. I also bike and lift weights periodically too.

**Movement is a NECESSITY for arthritis. Sitting and doing NOTHING makes joints stiffer.

What motivates you to stick with your healthy lifestyle?In my family we have every bad disease you can think of from cancers to diabetes.

While genetics plays some role in disease, life-style plays a HUGE role.

Diabetes took so much of what my grandma loved away from her. She couldn’t even walk to the mailbox eventually. I want to be as healthy and strong as I can for as LONG as I can.

I am also motivated to stay healthy because I LOOVE feeling this good and I never want to rely on food for comfort again. Don’t get me wrong—I love to eat and love food. However, it’s all about moderation—not elimination.

As a teacher I am also aware of my influence on my students. Exercise/running brings so much confidence to kids and I want to pass that on to as many as I can. Obesity rates in children are on the rise and I want to combat that since I know how weight impacts self-esteem.

Tomah is also a pretty small town and I am constantly running into people who say they saw me running by the lake or…wherever. Most of them don’t know that I was WALKING—no more running—but the impact is huge. They KNOW I was working-out. They KNOW I care about my health and it’s wonderful to have it acknowledged.

Do you have any positive quotes you'd like to share?

“There are no shortcuts to a place worth going.” Beverly Sills

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."  Fredrick Douglas

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." Pablo Picasso
"Poor is the pupil who does not surpass their master."  Leornardo da Vinci

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly." Anonymous

"If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can surely make something out of you."  Muhammad Ali

What words of advice can you give to someone who is struggling to lose weight and exercise?

You have to pick one or 2 things to do—small goals—and start doing them. People who start out with plans that are too lofty or ambitious tend to burn out fast.

You also have to start with “where you’re at.” You can’t change anything that you don’t acknowledge.

I work out to feel STRONG and to relieve STRESS and to enjoy NATURE. I don’t just do it for weight loss. You have to commit to a life-style change and a mind-set change for weight to stay off.

**Keeping off the weight is far trickier than losing it and you gotta have a plan.

I think races are fantastic ways to set exercise goals and to be inspired by other healthy people and yourself. I’ve never seen crabby angry people at races. They are excited and motivated…tons of positive energy.

Also you have to accept that you WILL have set-backs. You will miss a work-out or eat too much from time to time. You just have to hit the reset button the next day and start again. Some work-outs also will be hard and your legs will feel like lead, but there are the awesome ones too.


Amy and Dick Beardsley




What are your best life lessons and the keys to your success?
I’ve been successful because I fell in love with exercise first, which for me is easier than managing my eating. The food part, which is ultimately the key for me, came second. Both are a necessity for a healthy life style.

Working out with other people and encouraging others also is a huge part of my success. I don’t “sell” anything to anyone. However, I look for ways to help people get motivated, especially with exercise. I was given a gift by my dear friend Amy...the gift of running. I know how it changed my life and how could I not want to share that with others?I am healthier now than I was in my early 20s and have no intention of going back to my old ways. I’ve come too far and know too much. As Maya Angelou says, “When you know better, you DO better.” That’s where I’m at.

And lastly, do you have any short term (3 months or less) and long term goals?

My goals are to keep up my work-out routine this summer…maintain a 15-20 miles a week of walking. I’d like to bike more, but I AM a runner at heart.

I want to compete in the Devil’s Lake 10K again in July and finish faster than last year.

I want to compete, eventually, in a 90 mile bike race around Lake Winnebago in WI.

I want to take more yoga classes and possibly teach yoga someday…make a bigger transition from running to yoga.

I’d like to lose 5-10lbs this summer or maintain my current weight for the rest of my life.

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Rosie's Note:  Amy is an incredibly beautiful, generous and mutlifaceted person.  She's used her love for movement-running and nutrition to influence people in her community and started a running revolution/group with the children that she teaches.  Amy and I have been sister friends since 2009 when we met at the Portland Marathon and meet up somewhere every summer.  Amy, you are a bright light and true powerhouse of inspiration.  Thank you for your continued dedication to our youth.  I look forward to seeing you in July and meeting some of your tack stars!!!  Love and hugs, RR

Health Hero Profile 6.4.12........I Used to be Fat~Eric Hanson

What is your age and where are you from?
I was born December 22^nd. 1970. At the time of writing, I am 41 years young.

What was your beginning weight?

During the holiday season of 2009, I topped out above 350 pounds.

What is your current weight and how long have you

maintained it?

My current weight ranges between 198 and 204. I reached 205 in just one year of dieting. I have maintained a weight in the previously mentioned range now for 16 months.


What made you want to lose weight and exercise; was

there something specific that happened or was it a


combination of things?

I had been a big guy my entire life. Generally I was ok with it, as most of my life was spent in the regular overweight range (for me, 240-275). Unfortunately things began to get out of hand in my mid 30's. The wake-up call for me was a physical I had at age 39. My bathroom scale had long since stopped reporting my weight , it only went to 325. I knew I was fat, but I didn't know how fat. When the scale tipped at 350, I was dumbfounded. My doctor explained that at that weight, I was a ticking time bomb. I don't think my doctor thought I was taking the problem seriously, later he would angrily tell me that though my measurable numbers (cholesterol, etc) were not that out of line, my 40’s would be a decade of sharply declining health and that in all likelihood if I kept a weight at 350 or higher, I would not see 60.

I was looking at turning 40, and I knew he was right. My clock was ticking. I had seen my best days.

Over the next couple of months, I couldn't get it out of my head. I had to lose weight, or I was going to die far too young.

Depressed after the obscene amount of eating I had done over the Christmas holiday and learning that I had continued to gain weight , I was now 356. I decided to give download the app -Lose it-and give it a try.

What diets, supplements, and fitness programs have you

tried in the past?

Starvation, Atkins, exercise overkill, fads- none worked long term.


How'd you lose your weight?

I lost my weight by calorie counting. I used an iPhone application called Lose It.  I still use it every day.


Did you share your plans with other people? How did

your family, friends and co-workers influence and

support you?

Not at first. For the first several months I kept my diet close and personal. Only my wife knew and was good enough to not make a big deal out of it. Like most heavy people, I had started down the diet path MANY times and had quit every time. Most of the time long before I had lost any amount of weight whatsoever. After I had managed to stay on the diet for about four months, and people began to notice, I knew I could do it and began to open up a bit about my journey, but still kept it a relatively personal journey.  My wife supported me by allowing me to begin changing the food we had in the house and the way we ate. This was a critical piece. I'm not sure I could have done it if we had kept all the same junk food in the house.

 

What were some of the challenges that you experienced


on your weight loss journey?

Hunger! At first when you transition from eating 7,000-10,000 calories a day to 3,500ish, it's a shock! It got worse too, with each pound I lost, the amount I could eat each day went down! It was also hard learning how to eat.



If you have dieted in the past and regained the

weight, what did you do differently this time?

I had lost weight many times before. The most notable was getting down to about 240 on Atkins. The MOMENT I stopped eating that crazy way, the weight FLEW back on! WORSE, I gained even more!

This time, I focused on a very important word - sustainability.  I knew if I was going to lose weight and keep it off, I had to make choices and do things that I was SURE I could do forever. When I started, I didn't know if I could give up fast food, so I continued to eat it , but it had to fit into my caloric budget.  I didn't think I could give up the occasional beer, so at first I didn't. But again it had to fit. I took my changes gradually, and ate what I wanted as long as it fit in my budget. I wouldn't commit to any new exclusions or big changes unless I knew I could live with it.

Eventually, I learned that I could live without fast food (except Subway, can't live without it!), that I could live without beer (today I don't drink a drop of any kind of alcohol and I don't miss it). Eventually I learned to LOVE fruits and vegetables and now I crave healthy food.

I don't eat the perfect diet. I'm still too high on sodium, my foods are often too processed, and I consume more artificial sweetener than anyone ought to. I have left almost every vice in my life behind, diet pop and artificial sweetener will be next.  It will be tough, but I will get it done. Right now though, I'm not ready. It wouldn't be sustainable yet. I haven't taught myself to drink only water, and plain tea, and coffee yet. I will.

In what ways has your life changed?

I don't think you can understand unless you've been through it. Until age 39, my life had revolved around food. I wasn't eating out of pain or emotional duress, I was just a pig. I laughed at being fat, it didn't THINK it bothered me. But at 350 pounds that was changing. I suddenly found that I couldn't see my shoes when I looked down from a standing position. In order to tie my shoes, I had to exhale and have my foot propped on something. I had let myself grow out of clothing that could be purchased from a regular store. Size 46 (or higher) pants are just not something you pick up at a boutique. I started to have problems with my feet (plantar fasciitis), and my doctor was giving me dire warnings for my morbid obesity. Age and increasing obesity don't go well together. I could literally feel my health slipping away.

Now, I can even begin to tell you how much better life is. I am 41, but feel 25, maybe younger. No kidding. . I have almost unlimited energy, I am healthy  in a good way!

I have become addicted to running and I am more driven than ever to keep the weight off. I am planning on a retirement full of activity and good health.  In twenty years, I fully expect to feel great and be loving my active life.

I do things for fun now that would have killed me two years ago. Chores and yard work that once left me exhausted now take almost no effort to complete in half the time.

My life has changed and I can't even begin to describe how it feels!


What are some moments-accomplishments that you are

most proud of?

Losing 150+ pounds, and keeping it off. Becoming a runner, and maybe the best of all - though I don't overtly try to do so, I have inspired others to lose weight and get healthy too.


What are your ultimate "must haves"///favorites: foods,

fitness routines, music and training gear?

My iPhone and Lose it. I still log my foods EVERY DAY!

Food: Subway! Fruit, especially apples (I eat up to four a day), healthy cereal/granola bars

Exercise gear: Under Armour (especially Cold Gear). If you think you won't wear stretchy clothes when you get thin , I promise you that you are wrong. You will.

Fitness routines: RACING! I love to run and races keep me in it and motivated.


Eating a balanced diet and exercise go hand in hand for



permanent weight loss. What do you do for fitness-to


stay in shape?

RUN! I now proudly call myself a runner. I have run well over 1000 miles this year and have completed 15 half marathons so far (including the Sporty Diva Half of course!), and will complete 20-25 half marathons in 365 days. (see my running website for more info)


What motivates you to stick with your healthy lifestyle?

Being thin and fit! I had no idea how it felt to be thin and fit. It is GREAT! I can't even begin to tell you how worth all of the work it is to get here. I have NEVER been happier! If you are just starting down your path, I promise you, you can't begin to imagine how worth the pain and discomfort it all is!

This may cost me a few macho points, but looking good in clothes is huge! I had NEVER liked what I saw in a mirror. I do now! I actually love to shop and buy clothes. After a lifetime of frustration associated with shopping, suddenly, everything fits. Seriously, I don't think there is much I can't wear and I really dig that!


Do you have any positive quotes you'd like to share?

I like being thin more than I like ________. (cake, cookies, whatever). I remind myself of this fact a lot when temptation arises.


What words of advice can you give to someone who is

struggling to lose weight and exercise?

I have written lots on the topic. See my websites

But here's a few: Be honest with yourself. Don't look for excuses.  As soon as you can admit to the fact that 99% of people are fat because they eat too much..... waaaay too much, then you are ready to lose weight.

Understand this: it IS as simple as people say. Weight loss is very simple.   It's all about calories in and calories out.

Believe that it will be worth it. It is.


What are your best life lessons and the keys to your

success?

Life lesson: It's never too late. Even after a lifetime of obesity and failed attempts, it can be done.

Keys to my success: Routine, honesty, drive

And lastly, do you have any short term (3 months or less) and long term goals?

Run faster and farther. Become even more fit! Finish a marathon!

Click on and read more about Eric's story and success:

http://fatbassman.fatcow.com/fatstory.html

https://sites.google.com/site/ericsfavoritehobbies/home/150pounds

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Rosie's Note: 

I received Eric's profile in April and he's accomplished his short term goal already! 
On May 28th here's what he wrote about his first full marathon:

First Call Spring Half that morning. Finished with a time of 1:43:01. Drove to Marysville and started running with the 1 mile fun run group but kept going. Did laps around the campus totaling 7 miles. The 45 minute break in between was not a help... I was pretty tight and sore before I began, but settled into a nice an easy 9 ish min mile pace. The treadmill was delivered and I had to stop running and transfer inside. After 15 minutes or more of waiting the tightness and soreness were back ... Worse than ever. By the time I started the last 10k, I was feeling it. Though that last part was a struggle, I finished. As soon as I was done my attitude magically improved, and I remembered why I had done it - for my school, for the kids. Totally worth it!

We were raising money in order to provide a charitable fund for some of our families that have the greatest need as we move to become an iPad school. We have applied for grants that will hopefully provide the infrastructure, and special 0% financing will provide families the mechanism for ownership. It's a huge undertaking, but we are all-in! We have put hundreds of hours into research and planning to make this work. We believe that this will be a paradigm shift on learning and it's impact will be profoundly positive on student achievement.
http://www.10thstreetboosters.org/10th_Street_Boosters/Hansons_Run.html

Eric, congratulations on accomplishing your first marathon!! Thank you for being a wonderful role model to the students at 10th Street Middle School and your local community.  Your personal comittment to your health and running is astonishing and impressive.   You are a powerhouse!    Stay in touch and let us know how we can help you with the fundraising efforts for your school's  technology program, RR


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