Fat, Happy, & Fifty

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been inspired by many people within the Community who are doing things about their health, both mental and physical.

This year I turn 50. I have spent the last few months getting into the best shape I’ve been in, in almost twenty years. It’s been a journey that included depression, programs that didn’t work, burnout, and unhealthy behaviors that impacted not only myself, but my family and my work.

In this talk, I plan to get down to the nitty gritty of what I went through, how I overcame it, and what I’m doing to continue down the path of both physical and mental health. It will be very personal, raw, honest, possibly uncomfortable at times (for me), and hopefully inspirational, as I plan to share not only my own story, but the stories of some of the others within our Community who have been through their own journey (with their permission, of course).

Transcript

1. FAT, HAPPY, & FIFTY @MarcBenzak
 @DesktopServer twotofive.us
2. FAT, HAPPY, & FIFTY @MarcBenzak
 @DesktopServer twotofive.us
3. WARNING!!!!! MAN IN TOWEL PICS #ThingsYouCan’tUnsee #AvertYourEyes #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou
4. Recent Before: October 8, 2016 #NoFilter #NoPhotoshop #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou Before: Some Time in the Late 80s #BusinessUpTop #PartyInBack #MulletsRule
5. JUST ONE THING
6. John Hawkins “I don't know if there is really just one thing. I remember stepping on the scale and being my heaviest in my life and not liking that very much.”
7. Cory Miller “In July, I walked into a doctor’s office and weighed in at the most I’d ever weighed. I was also generally miserable, physically. 
 When I got a physical a few weeks later, and after seeing the blood test results, it became truly a sobering, “wake up” moment for me and the kickoff to my physical health journey. ” http://www.corymiller.com
8. Michelle Schulp “I realized I was constantly surrounded by unhealthy habits and I was depressed and didn't like how I looked and felt and realized YOLO... But in the way where you only get one life and feeling mentally and physically <bad word that starts with an ’S’> all the time is a crappy way to spend it, and all I can control is myself, so I should really seize the day and be the best me I can be ”
9. #NoFilter #NoPhotoshop #MaybeALittleCreepy
10. WARNING!!!!! MAN IN TOWEL PICS #ThingsYouCan’tUnsee #AvertYourEyes #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou
11. “I stepped on the scale and realized I was the heaviest I’d ever been in my life. I weighed 235 pounds. I decided that if I ever wanted to live to see grandkids, I needed to take steps to a healthier life. I was unhappy. My energy levels were low, and I realized that I was not setting a very good example to my loved ones or those around me. Oh ya . . . and I was going to be 50. ”
12. How Did I Do it? What Was Different This Time?
13. Recognize (and accept) that it’s going to take time and work • I didn’t plan on getting something for nothing (especially when it comes to fitness) • It took a long time to get where I was. It’s going to take a while to get where I want to be.
14. Tip the Scales • Started small • Addressed one bad habit at a time • Waited until I had replaced the bad habit with a good habit before moving on
15. JUST DO IT
16. JUST DO IT BETTER
17. I Realized That • I decided to focus on the process rather than focus on the goal • With goals, you fail until you succeed • With process you succeed until you fail • Goals change. Process, not so much. GOALS SUCK!!!!
18. “I love working out! It’s my ‘ME’ Time” “Very, very much so. But that hasn’t always been the case. Now, I look forward to it every week as I continue to do more and more of it. I didn’t do formal athletics in high school, so I never really learned any kind of real exercise routine and always dreaded the thought of what I viewed ‘exercise’ as. But exploring and learning new ways to exercise, in particular, running, or what I call ‘rualks’ (run-walks), has been immensely gratifying. From the past, I knew if I didn’t find ways to actually enjoy exercise, I’d quit, so I’ve focused only on activities, or ways to do or view those activities, that I find immense enjoyment out of. “ “I love the results and sometimes I love certain parts where it's going well. But I hate starting”
19. “I love working out! It’s my ‘ME’ Time” “Very, very much so. But that hasn’t always been the case. Now, I look forward to it every week as I continue to do more and more of it. I didn’t do formal athletics in high school, so I never really learned any kind of real exercise routine and always dreaded the thought of what I viewed ‘exercise’ as. But exploring and learning new ways to exercise, in particular, running, or what I call ‘rualks’ (run-walks), has been immensely gratifying. From the past, I knew if I didn’t find ways to actually enjoy exercise, I’d quit, so I’ve focused only on activities, or ways to do or view those activities, that I find immense enjoyment out of. “ “I love the results and sometimes I love certain parts where it's going well. But I hate starting” LIAR VERBOSE LIAR
20. DIET
21. On the Road
22. My Pocket Peeps
23. To Summarize • Recognize that it’s going to take work • Tip the scales in your favor • JUST DO BETTER • GOALS SUCK
24. FIT, HAPPY, & FIFTY @MarcBenzak
 @DesktopServer twotofive.us
25. FIT, HAPPY, & FIFTY @MarcBenzak
 @DesktopServer twotofive.us