“Hey look! A flying pig!”
Written by Administrator Tuesday, 28 April 2009 18:02
Do you feel like it will never happen? Read my story about how I overcame my failure and finally succeeded. Pigs really can fly.
My name is Ruth McCullen and yes, at one time in my life I weighed close to 300 lbs! I don’t look like it now, but at one time I was depressed and desperate. And this wasn’t just with numbers on a scale or a figure in a mirror. I was frustrated because…I KNEW there was more! I wasn’t happy with the situation. Why did it seem just beyond my reach?
I was raised with typical blue collar values as one of six children. Born in southern Maine and later moving to Virginia, my family understood what working hard and surviving, with that notorious Yankee ingenuity, was. My father was in the construction business, a mason by trade, and my mom, former nurse turned homemaker. They provided the basics – food, clothing and shelter and an atmosphere of honesty – encouraging each child to develop “minds of their own”. It was simple – they were doing the best they knew with the knowledge they had. My mother took great care to provide meals she thought were healthy and good quality. We always had gardens or access to local produce, meats and dairy products. We worked hard physically too, either with household chores, helping with building projects at home or even at job sites. With all that good stuff though, the family sometime was just surviving, struggling – making do. Surviving is a great attribute and enduring it builds character, however, this needs to be balanced with understanding the realistic needs of mind and body. The “survival” mode taught its lesson – the negative: to put aside one’s personal physical and mental needs. Although, when you put aside the needs of mind and body, and don’t work with the Laws of Nature, “the dam is going to burst.” And so it did! All the family members struggled with weight – obesity really! My dad and several siblings later developed Stage 2 Diabetes.
I was overweight in grade school – weighing 165lbs in middle school! This kept escalating, until at my heaviest, I weighed close to 300 lbs, wearing a size 26/28. All this in my 20’s! Of course, you can imagine my social life and school experience. I was depressed and felt hopeless. There just wasn’t any use! Why bother? There was no hope, support or encouragement. Anything different seemed like a pipedream. Then, a family member came across a book on nutrition and I started to see results. It was slow, but I began to see a glimmer of hope. Walking became my early morning ritual. I was beginning to see more confidence, peace-of-mind, and it showed me something I never knew before – I had discipline! By my late 20s, I broke the 200 lbs mark for the first time in years! What a mile stone and encouragement! Results were happening and I was working with my body to understand more of its needs.Although, I’d come to plateaus? There would be stressors in other areas of my life or I’d experience the proverbial yo-yo? I didn’t understand something. It wasn’t working all the time. By now, I’d tried the gym, nutritionist, personal trainers, hypnosis, etc. They were fine people, some with some good information and I achieved some results, but it wasn’t coming together. I wasn’t getting LASTING results or I just knew it had to be easier. Then, one day out walking, I got it into my head…I wanted to try something. I thought it would be cool to run 5-7 miles straight! And then, to run in a “pack”! (With other people.) It was just one of those things – a crazy idea. The idea seemed huge, because I’d never run before! I just wanted to see if I could do. This started me asking a few questions, doing some research…and the rest, as they say, is history. I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, but this would be a turning point.
I went on to other cool things – SEAL Team PT, 5Ks, 10Ks, ½ marathons, marathon training, several marathons, coaching, cycling, kayaking, motorcycling, etc. I was interested and it took on a life of its own. Hmmm. Now, I was beginning to see mind and body coming together. I will never forget my first road race, which somebody convinced me to register for. I arrived with my nervous energy, tried to find a bathroom (a real feat!), met with friends and then prepared for the starting gun. As I stood at the starting line, I could see across the crowd - the colors, the sounds, hear the announcer, music and feel the energy-level and I realized I was in LOVE! It wasn’t exercise for exercise sake. It wasn’t just numbers on a scale. It was the “something more” I was looking for. I had found a passion and purpose and it was great!
I was realizing my passion. I truly loved doing these athletic things. I was bridging the gap between true internal purpose and needs of mind and body. Here I had gone from morbidly obese to running road races! I was trim and fit and mentally in totally different space. Now let me clear up a few things…you can’t compartmentalize anything.
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written by Gary Fentress, May 01, 2009
I had no idea what you were in the midst of creating. I am happy for you and proud of you, for many reasons. The website is professional and appealing. Well done. I wish you all the luck in the world with this new business venture. With your intelligence and ongoing level of enthusiasm, I feel certain it will be another success story. Gary
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written by Mac, May 02, 2009
HY,
Mac
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written by Emily Richardson, May 04, 2009
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written by lloyd, May 04, 2009
I hope this means you won't be giving up SealTeam? Who will I park next to now?
hooyah!
lloyd
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written by Linda Humphrey, May 06, 2009
Thank you for sharing our life history and your struggles. I am proud of you and your accomplishments, sis. To any that might wonder about the weight issue...she was and is no longer. I'm glad you found your passion, Ruth. Good luck with this new venture and RUN Ruth RUN!!!
Linda
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