This is your guaranteed Feel-Good Dad Story of the Day – it’s about a dad in my neighborhood who has gone on a stunning fitness journey, losing 100 pounds in 10 months. You’re gonna love this:
I pass this other dad in the neighborhood 3-4 times a month, usually when I’m walking the dog or biking my son to school…
Nice guy. We nod/wave. That’s it. Also, and this is important to the story, he’s obese… Labored walking at a slow pace. Heavy breathing… BUT…
I noticed when the school year started he’d been picking up speed. Seemed to be moving faster…
He wears giant XXXL black shirts and shorts, so it was hard to notice any change back then.
Then I ran into him on the street at the end of last year and he looked noticeably smaller. And he walked with more of an even pace – a strong gait.
Didn’t see him for a while… Then in early January my son and I passed him jogging. Slow and steady but moving.
Same giant baggy black t-shirt and shorts. But again, he seemed smaller… Like the clothes were swallowing him.
CUT TO THIS MORNING:
I’m biking home from dropping off my son and I’m coming up on a guy trotting towards an intersection.
He had on a black sleeveless shirt and black running shorts… He was moving….
As I bike closer, it hits me: NO FREAKING WAY
IT’S THAT GUY!
He was unrecognizable. I pull up to him and wave him down. He looked 15 years younger. A completely different person.
“Dude!” I said. “You look awesome, man. Congrats! I didn’t even know it was you.”
He broke out in a big smile.
“Thanks, brother. I started walking last summer. Took me 3 months to jog and now I’m running. 3 miles a day.”
Then I noticed he had some definition in his shoulders, A curve in his bicep.
“You’ve been lifting too, I can see it,” I said.
“You can, wow,” he said. “It’s a journey. I lift twice a week. Nothing big. Just full body stuff. It’s intense though.”
We fist bumped.
“Love to see it,” I said. “You’re a legend. Your kids must be amazed.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve lost over 100 pounds in under a year. Running. Lifting. Eating smart. I’ve never felt better. Thanks for stopping, I appreciate it.”
Then he took off.
Unreal. It’s not every day you run into a fellow dad who completely change his life in 10 months.
I’ve never seen anything like it. And the smile on his face when he said he’d lost 100 pounds. Priceless.
I’m telling you, this man struggled to walk the dog… and now he’s running 3 miles daily and lifting.
Dude just took control of his health, embraced fitness and reinvented himself in his 40s.
Awesome. Share this with anyone who needs to see it.
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