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
   

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2. FAT, HAPPY, & FIFTY
   @MarcBenzak

   @DesktopServer
   twotofive.us
   

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3. WARNING!!!!!
   MAN IN TOWEL PICS
   #ThingsYouCan’tUnsee
   #AvertYourEyes
   #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou
   

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4. Recent Before:
   October 8, 2016
   #NoFilter
   #NoPhotoshop
   #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou
   Before:
   Some Time in the Late 80s
   #BusinessUpTop
   #PartyInBack
   #MulletsRule
   

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5. JUST
   ONE
   THING
   

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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.”
   

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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
   

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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
   
   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 ”
   

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9. #NoFilter
   #NoPhotoshop
   #MaybeALittleCreepy
   

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10. WARNING!!!!!
    MAN IN TOWEL PICS
    #ThingsYouCan’tUnsee
    #AvertYourEyes
    #Don’tSayIDidn’tWarnYou
    

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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. ”
    

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12. How Did I Do it?
    What Was Different
    This Time?
    

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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.
    

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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
    

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15. JUST
    DO
    IT
    

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16. JUST
    DO
    IT
    BETTER
    

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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!!!!
    

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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”
    

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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
    

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20. DIET
    

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21. On the Road
    

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22. My Pocket Peeps
    

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23. To Summarize
    • Recognize that it’s going to take work
    • Tip the scales in your favor
    • JUST DO BETTER
    • GOALS SUCK
    

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24. FIT, HAPPY, & FIFTY
    @MarcBenzak

    @DesktopServer
    twotofive.us
    

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25. FIT, HAPPY, & FIFTY
    @MarcBenzak

    @DesktopServer
    twotofive.us
    

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