That Was Then, This is Now

As always, I would be remiss if I didn’t send a big THANK YOU to all the people who read the blog, email, Facebook, or face to face share comments on how happy you are, how proud, how inspired by the lifestyle changes I have made. It truly is humbling to realize the cheering section out there!

Chris Thomas-2002

I wanted to share my experiences from this week.  As many of you know I have been in software sales for 10+ years. This week was the 2011 kick off meeting in San Francisco. It was a tremendous experience and a reenergizing event…but let me provide some context.

These events while enjoyable for the camaraderie and spirit can be a wreck to your health, especially if you live like this guy --->

Remember, my 400 lbs was attained by a lack of self control and bad habits around food, drink, and sleep.  Now picture me at these events…Vegas, Orlando, New Orleans, San Fran, food of all kinds on buffets at all times, a bar (very often an open bar), any guess what happened?  You got it, I went after it like it was the last time I would see food and drink in my life.

I shared with a friend this week…a guesstimate for an event for the “old Chris”

• Breakfast Buffet-Croissants, eggs, bacon, more bacon- 1200 calories
• 10 am break- Cookie (or 8) and soda pop- 300 calories
• Lunch Buffet- Everything X2- 1800 calories
• 2 pm break- ICE CREAM!!!!- 400 calories
• Happy Hour- 2-3 beers and 6 dirty jokes-400 calories
• Sit Down Dinner with Dessert (duh)- 2000 calories
• Close Bar- 11 drinks, 4 rude comments and a partridge in a pear tree- 1100 calories
• 2 am Room Service- Wings- 800 calories
• No physical activity- the only thing I could say no to!

By my math that is a day of roughly 8000 calories, enough for a small village.  I am still not sure why I used to feel so bad at these meetings J

Fast forward to this week with the “new Chris”…connecting with friends via email to line out running not drinking, packing running shoes and running maps, a plan for food and drink.  Can I share my Monday?

• 4:30 am- 6 mile run with Shana- a nice young lady from the Omaha area, she was in town for a work event as well and she didn’t look comfortable running by the homeless people by herself at 4 am so I invited her to run with me, I guess I was a safer option that the homeless J  She is a career woman, a triathlete, and a great mom (daughter is a swimmer and she does the swim leg with her mom during the tri’s in support)…super good run.
• 7:00 am- Clear head, eggs and coffee for breakfast- 500 calories
• 10 am- snack- banana and bran muffin- 400 calories
• Lunch- Chicken and salad (skipped potatoes and desert)- 600 calories
• 2 pm-Break- Kind Bar- 200 Calories
• 5 pm-Protein shake- 200 Calories
• 7 pm-Share my story on 5K Company run with CEO and 2010 Hawaiian World Champion Ironman Chris McCormack
• 8 pm Dinner- Salad and Seafood- 1000 calories
• 9 pm- 2 sips of wine and in bed by 10:30 pm

I ate less than 3000 calories (not optimal as my daily goal is 2300, but I will take it). I ran 9 miles out in the great weather, a PR for the 5K (26.50 min).  Oh and did I mention I ran with a World Champion Ironman?

Our key note speaker on Monday was Chris McCormack, he shared a truly inspirational story about leaving his finance career in his 20’s to go train to be a professional triathlete.  He struggled with his body breaking down, lost his mother to breast cancer, but continued to push and persevere to become the only person to do 4 sub 8 hour ironman’s (2 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26 mile run). Look for him on a Wheaties box this Spring.

Chris and Chris- Taleo 5K

Our company in a great effort to promote a healthy lifestyle sponsored a 5K run, Chris asked to join us and he came down to the race.  As we are running our 1 mile warm up to the start line I am next to Chris, he tells me the Nike Free’s I have on will revolutionize running…I told him to stay out of my head…I was out to win (kidding). I shared with Chris that I picked up running 7 months ago, ran 2 half marathons, started a running club and lost 50 lbs in 2010 to bring my total weight loss to 180 lbs in 8 years.  He was very supportive, our CEO was running in front of us and heard me mention my story, thought it was great and I then held Q&A with our CEO and the current Ironman World Champion about my lifestyle changes.  Can’t believe I just typed that...what a surreal moment.  I will remember it forever; up until the moment Chris pushed me up against light pole so he could pass me (kidding again).

In all seriousness, a really special day/trip, connecting with a GREAT support network I have that are more friends than co workers, sharing with Mike, sharing with Chris…having control of my life, happy and healthy, not a bad way to start the 2011 work year.  Will see many of you at the meeting next year, I WILL be at my goal weight of 200 lbs, down a total of 205 lbs…half the man I used to be!

My best-

Chris “I ran with the World Champ” Thomas