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发帖数: 19210 | 1 Gary Steeves was eating himself to death. Now he’s turned his life around
and ready to race in the IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast.
http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/09/a-weighty-sub
When Gary Steeves lines up in next weekend’s IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast in
Australia he may not think about the fact that most of the athletes around
him weigh less than the amount he has lost in his remarkable battle for life
. Like other newbies around him, he'll most likely be more focused on
calming his jitters for the start.
But the American tipped the scales at 200kg (440 lbs.) before he made his
life-changing decision, and has now lost a remarkable 100kg (220 lbs.) – or
half his body weight. Triathlon plays a big part in his new lifestyle as he
travels from his home in New York to compete in the new event in Mooloolaba.
For the 57-year-old, change came when he "woke up one morning and decided [
he] didn't want to die young." He resolved then and there to begin taking
care of himself.
"Getting to 200kg was remarkably easy in today’s society and it was scary
how 'normal' it felt at the time. Even those who knew me had trouble
accepting that number,” says Steeves.
His first step was drastically changing his eating habits, including
avoiding foods with "hidden" calories such as added sugar and fat in
processed foods. The weight started to drop away significantly, which also
allowed Steeves to begin exercise. He took up cycling, then swimming in
order to build up his aerobic capacity for the bike. Soon he found himself
immersed in triathlon.
“I fell in love with it," he says. "Training for triathlon has strengthened
my leg muscles, providing more joint support and increased flexibility in
my ligaments and tendons ... its the perfect form of exercise because it is
mostly non-weight-bearing. It's also a great, supportive community. A person
can compete at any age and any level in this sport.”
This is his first full year in the sport and with family living on the
Sunshine Coast, he jumped at the opportunity to make this his first
introduction to IRONMAN 70.3.
"Australia has some of the most beautiful locations in the world for
triathlon and a reputation for well-run events," he says. "I had planned to
come next year for Cairns or Melbourne but when Sunshine Coast was announced
I knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime."
For Steeves, it was triathlon coupled with a complete dietary overhaul that
brought about what he calls a "life-saving" change. He shared some simple
tips for anyone wanting to follow in his admirable footsteps.
Know what you eat: Learn what constitutes an appropriate portion size find
out the caloric values of the food you like to eat. (There are numerous
smart phone apps for ingredients and many restaurant foods.) When you eat at
home, measure out your food before digging in. When you are dining away
from home, ask for a smaller portion.
Write it down: Keep track of what you eat, especially the calories, and your
intended consumption for each day. Again, there are smart phone apps that
help. It's remarkably easy to casually consume hundreds of calories without
noticing.
Make it a way of living: Eating healthy isn't a diet, and it’s not a
program. It has to become a way of life.
Don’t get down: Don’t beat yourself up when you mess up. There will be
days when you just can’t stay on track: it happens, we are all human.
Celebrate: But do celebrate your accomplishments, even small ones. Every
pound you lose is one less to carry around. Pick up a bag of flour or
something that weighs as much as you lost and think about not having to
carry that around all day every day. |
