Yesterday morning I walked into a room full of strangers and was greeted like an old friend. There are only a few times that this has happened to me before. The first was at a bar in Pearl Harbor, but that was because everyone in there was really, REALLY drunk. The second was a few months ago when I met a group of friends I had previously only known through websites and chatrooms (think more online gaming and less me wrapped in Saran Wrap stuffed in a trunk).
Yesterday was the first Take Shape For Life meeting that I have ever been to. While I’ve spoken at length about the role that community support takes in this program, the majority of that support occurs on Mr. Zuckerburg’s playground. There aren’t meetings where we all sit in chairs, one at a time rising to our feet and droning, “Hi, my name is Dietrich, and I once ate a jelly doughnut three minutes before Thanksgiving dinner.” But there is a remarkable amount of community interaction and feedback on the pages of Facebook. Occasionally, though, it’s a good idea to emerge behind the curtain and let people see the man behind the ramblings, and to meet a few of the people that have embarked on this journey as well.
The presentation was excellent, with a lot of good information, and if you’re participating in this program or want to learn some good ways to help others get healthy, I can’t recommend attending these meetings highly enough. But the most amazing thing was meeting some of the other people who have made the same decision that I have. It helps draw you out of the perceived island that you live on, populated only by yourself and your coach. It’s easy to forget that while you’re dealing with the cravings and wind sprints to the bathroom, others are doing the same thing.
I met a man who went to the doctor at age 36 and was bluntly told that he would drop dead by the time he was 50. Instead of giving up, this Batman-like individual decided that that was 50 pounds of grade-A horseshit, and dove into TSFL with a determination and level of commitment most of couldn’t show if our lives depended on it (and to be fair, his did). Less than a year later, he’s dropped over a hundred pounds, is healthier than he’s been since he was 14, and is bulling forward to lose another 100. I meet that dude again next year, I’m buying him ALL the drinks. (Somewhat less of an expensive proposition since he’s on TSFL, but I’ll buy him all the Powerade Zero he can chug.)
I also got the opportunity to meet the local Presidential Director, Kim Fiske. In the family tree of coaches to clients that make up the Middle Tennessee TSFL community, all branches lead back to Kim. If one were to calculate how many pounds of fat that she has directly or indirectly contributed to melting away, I’m fairly sure the resulting pile of blubber would obliterate a mid-size city in a horrible adipose tsunami. She’s smart, personable, and attacked me with glee and excitement not thirty seconds after I entered the building. While watching her speak to the group, I came to three conclusions. First, this is a woman who is genuinely passionate about seeing people get healthy. Two, the level of experience she brings to the table is staggering. Third, I’m about ninety percent sure that when she wakes up in the morning, she injects a quart of raw hummingbird adrenaline into her jugular. I have never seen someone so charged and energetic. At one point, I think she might have been hovering. Her enthusiasm (a term that feels woefully inadequate for describing the blast wave of thrilled excitement she puts off) is infectious as all hell. Go see her speak for five minutes, and if you’re not excited by minute three, we can go ahead and zip up the body bag, because you’re a damn corpse.
Anyway, it was a great experience, and I’m hoping to attend more of these in the future. At the very least, it will remind me that I’m not alone in this program, and I’ll meet more and more people to add to the army of supporters I already have. At most, we’ll learn how to tap into one of Kim Fiske’s presentations and power the city of Nashville for three months. Either way, it’s chock full of win.
Jan. 2, 2013 Starting Weight: 280 lbs
April 7, 2013 Weigh-In: 228 lbs
Total Weight Loss in 81 days: 52 lbs
