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(CNN) — The presents had been opened; the wrapping paper was stuffed in the trash bin. Watching his 2-year-old daughter Cadence playing with her brand new Christmas toys, Kerry Hoffman was suddenly struck by a thought:
“I need to be here to walk her down the aisle.”
Startled by the idea, he turned and caught his reflection in the window, noticing his substantial arms, belly and neck. It was a sight he had grown accustomed to as the years passed, but on this particular day, a new resolve animated him.
“I can control this,” he thought. “And I’ve never really tried before.”
At that moment, he made a promise to himself that he would lose the extra pounds — he didn’t know how just yet, but he would do it all the same. At 6 feet 1 inch tall, he weighed 343 pounds.
It wasn’t always this way.
“I graduated (high school) at 250 pounds, but not necessarily fat. I was from a very small town, and football was king. I started lifting weights at about 13,” Hoffman said. The problem was, “I never did any cardio. I could care less about running. … I ate whatever I wanted.”
That was the status quo until after he graduated college and got married. Then tragedy struck.
“I lost my father to liver disease when he was 55,” Hoffman said. “I think I was subconsciously using food as a coping mechanism because I loved to cook, and I loved to eat, and I still do. … Hindsight is 20-20.”
The day after his “aha” moment — December 28, 2011 — Hoffman joined a new gym near his house. He also scheduled an appointment with the doctor for New Year’s Day 2012.
Additional Reading
Book Review: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Categories: Americas, Health, Medicine, Preventive Medicine, Psychology