Walking With Bob

Submitted by Canton1 on
by Bob Moore, Canton
The mirror sees me as I am
As a kid in grade school and until June 12, 2006 I have been up and down from plump to overweight to fat. Reality set in during the 1990s when my blood pressure got to 204 over 103 and the scales hit 254. I was obese and out of excuses.

Then came “that day” in Panama City, Florida. I was up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the iron man race start with a two-mile swim, then I hurried to the start of the 115 mile bike ride, ate a big breakfast, rode to watch some of the race, ate a huge lunch, then took my daily afternoon nap. I woke up too soon, and looked in that dang mirror.  I walked out into that beautiful Gulf of Mexico and I remember what I said: “If I keep on drinking and eating like I am right now, and keep spending big bucks for pills, docs, stupid diets and weird food, where will I be in five years?” I WILL BE DEAD.

Years ago I was a motivational speaker. It still hurts to admit that very few companies want to hire fat motivational speakers. That experience gave me my punch line right there in that water up over my knees.  “I can’t do everything, but I can do something. I will do something I know I can do. I WILL WALK.”

It started walking about 5 minutes each day and then just a bit more every day from that point on. I got better, kept records, using running shoes, competing in 5Ks and started eating healthier food. That dang mirror proved I was getting better and it started to show.

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