Goal Weight: 195 lbs.
Today’s weight: 198 lbs.
Ran 4.5 miles this morning in the complete dark. Glad I didn’t fall into a hole!
Paul Lacoste and me
Anyone who knows my backstory knows that the last year and a half have been insane. I lost half my job (and salary), took a second full-time job to keep the house and have picked up several freelance jobs in the process. To get cheap energy to propel me through the day, I start drinking Cokes. And because I didn’t have the time to workout, I quit exercising. I went from running a marathon on Halloween 2010 at 195 lbs. to weighing 248 lbs. on Dec. 20, 2011. I was fat, tired and miserable. Enter a dare from Patrick House and an amazing bootcamp put on by Paul LaCoste and I lost 45 lbs. I’m now at over 50 lbs. lost and maintaining it — and as you probably can guess if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that exercise has improved my life in many, many other ways as well.
Today’s July 10, 2012. By August 4, I have to have a children’s book illustrated. And I have another one that I need to be doing concurrently. I currently work 13 hours a day. And I have a family with three boys who need to see their dad occasionally. Really not sure how I am going to get everything done in such a short time.
See the potential problem here? See where I could make the same mistake I made in 2010 and 2011? See how I don’t have enough time to exercise?
I’m not making the same mistake twice. Hell no. I’m not going back. I will get up at 4 a.m. and run for an hour five days a week (with a long run on Saturdays of two hours). I will not drink sodas again. I will not cheat to get cheap energy.
I will fall back on my new habits to propel me through this next month of hard work and will come out of it stronger and more fit than ever.
Why?
The exercise is the only way I have to burn off the incredible stress involved with producing a daily editorial cartoon, radio show and pages for a book. It helps keep my mind right. Otherwise the very creativity that brought me to the dance will die.
I’ll never go back to being fat and out of shape. Never. Not going back there. The next month will be tough. But if you want excellence, you have to demand it from yourself. That’s my challenge. Now to go forth and win.
Keep on dancin’, Marshall. You are the most creative person I know that I have never met in person : ) You have so many people pulling for you. So when you are feeling draggy, just let the thought that online and offline you have a massive cheering section. Go, Marshall, Go!
I’m blessed to have so many people believe in me. It’s humbling.
Marshall, you re an inspiration to so many. You are
doing something about it rather than whining and letting it go on and
get worse.
Thanks for that inspiration…I enjoy your talented writing and your radio
show. Keep on keeping on… I join with the others who cheer you own
and make the attempt to follow your leadership…tommie
Awesome Challenge. I believe you will make it.
Don’t really have a choice. ;-)
Marshall, having walked the same path of weight problems for many years(230 most of my life until 8-9 years ago when lost 60 and maintained), it is great to be able to read a talented writer who can explain so well the difference..you have a unbelievable talent in writing(especially emotionally) and can’t wait until your book comes out..
Sweet young man! Yes, you are still young, compared to me! You have inspired me also. I walked my poor dog for an hour today. I think he thought that I was crazy, but since I have to play grandma today, I had to get my exercise in. Thanks for all that you continue to do!
Karen
Marshall,
We found you when my stepson fell in love with your illustrations for Dave’s books. He LOVES Junior and all you do with him. Because of that, he now is constantly creating his own comics.
I am on my own journey to lose 150lbs (did I just put that in writing??? scary!). I *hate* exercise, but have recently found that I don’t mind running. Odd, huh?? All those years “running” from exercise and sweat, only to find out I enjoy the actual physical running.
I write only to spur you on because you inspire our family in so many ways.
As they say in Mexico “Si se puede!” (roughly translated: you can do it!)
You are truly an inspiration to many. Many know you personally and many like me don’t. But I feel like I do from reading your blog, facebook posts and the crisis with Banjo. I thought it was ludicrous when the Clarion Ledger put you on part time. To this day I only read your cartoons. Keep up the good work. You never know when you might inspire someone to do something that will change their life forever.
I’ve been there, Marshall, with a longer and later school day miles from my home causing me to drop exercise classes cold turkey and drinking Classic Coke to get me through the day of a detested job I was totally misplaced in. I lived through it because I developed late onset Gluten Intolerance (Celiac test negative) because I had actually followed the strict diet for months before) as a response to the stress of a terribly challenging Semester with 4 papers, 11 novels which I read every word of and an essay midterm & 4 hour hour essay final and weekly session with instructor all as an independent study ( I did same as the regular class) while my father had developed a rapidly spreading cancer and learned he would die in 6 months and I was setting up and heading two programs, teaching them as well, in a middle school with no one who really qualified for the Gifted and Talented programs. I wound up with heart trouble ( I was unaware off) that finally resulted in congestive heart failure with 7 days in hospital in 2008-9. My doctor said I lived through it – several people around me died of it – because of the 16 years I worked out regularly, Mon – Thurs, some doing a double class, in a desperate attempt to relieve the stress. I never ate during the day at either of those schools unless I took time to prepare a salad and that wasn’t often. As soon as my heart is a bit stronger (to stop the slight leak in one valve), I will workout again and am walking to achieve that. Exercise and proper diet is everything. The exercise made me more creative, more energetic and caused me to need less sleep. Hang in there, Marshall. You are doing the right thing. Your creativity is enhanced, you have more energy. The ideas will come, rest assured, if you keep exercising. And no unfermented soy and no Canola. Good quality olive oil!
You have gifts – trust them and be true to them, the boys as well. You are in my prayers weekly. I am proud of you.