Saco Sport & Fitness Get Fit Newsletter

Peter Benham
Age: 56
Occupation: Mental Health Professional
How long have you been a member of Saco Sport & Fitness? 8 years

What made you decide to start coming?
I have been trying to lose weight for some time. I had tried many diets and exercise programs without much luck. I'd lose some weight then put it back on reaching a high of 345lbs. About 18 months ago, I developed a shooting pain down my leg to the point that I could not stand for longer than 5 minutes without being in pain. It was diagnosed as a disk problem and was I looking at surgery. This was on top of my other problems that included Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a stent in one of my arteries, and arthritis in my knee.
How have you been able to reach your goals?
At this point in my life, I was on a lot of medication. My doctors described me as a ticking time bomb. I had to lose weight, but that challenge had never been so easy. I was lucky enough to have a group of friends that started Weight Watchers, so I decided to give it a try. I had tried all of the other diets, why not try one more? It was the best decision of my life. With the support of these friends and my family, I started to realize that this was not a diet, it's a journey. On all journeys there are ups and downs, but you always complete the journey. So with this mindset, I started by monitoring what I ate and working out on a regular basis.
Losing weight was easy at first and after I lost my first 30lbs my back pain went away...no surgery. (For some reason when you feel ok, you never believe the doctors that your weight is a problem) This gave me the boost to know it does make a difference, and I was seeing it.
Weight Watchers is working great for me. It doesn't deprive me of any foods, but forces me to make choices based on all foods having a point value.
Exercise has become an important part of my life. I would always find excuses not to do it, but now I realize how important it is and how I have to make time for it. I take my workout clothes to work and go straight to the gym. If I go home there is a strong chance I will get pulled into home issues or just sit down and not want to move. I try to exercise 7 days a week but sometimes that's not possible and have set a minimum of 5 days a week. This allows me to be guilt free if I miss a day. I've gone from working out 20 minutes/day to 65minutes/day at a higher intensity. I keep changing my exercise routine as I get stronger so I don't get bored. Now if I don't exercise, I miss it.
I now weigh 230lbs, have gone from a 52 inch waist to a 40. My medications have either been reduced or stopped, and I feel great.
What are your health/fitness plans for the future?
This journey continues as I still have some weight to lose. I would like to get down to between 200-210lbs, but as I get older, it is more important that I stay on the journey. My son wants me to run the Mary's Walk with him next year, and I would like to set this goal for myself because when I was younger, I was not a bad athlete. It would be nice to come full circle.
Has it been easy? No. Have I broken down? Yes, but this journey will continue for the rest of my life. It's a journey I plan to enjoy and hopefully it will be a long one.