I have always been over weight. Well at least since I was about 16. I lost my brother in a car accident and the pounds sort of flew on me. I think it was comfort eating at first. Around the age of 24 I decided I need to get back in shape. The problem was I hated running. Not only did I hate running but I knew that I couldn’t run very long or far.

I decided I would slowly work my way into it and see where it went. Over the course of about 8 months, I went from barely being able to run half a mile to running 6+ miles. I also went from 200 pounds down to 140. I will tell you what I did and what helped me the most and got me fit. You don’t have to go to a gym or have a fitness trainer. Follow these guidelines and you’ll begin to get in better shape. Every little bit of exercise helps.

The first thing I would recommend to get into shape would be to start small and don’t push your self too hard. Anytime I set my goal too high too quickly, I would give up. Set small goals and stick to them. You will feel good about finishing and completing the goals and it will keep you motivated.

If you have a hard time running very far just simply walk. The first couple of days you should walk. After you have walked a few days, do a short jog. Job for 15 seconds and then walk for 1 minute. Repeat this several times. After you have done this for a few days try to jog for 30 seconds and do a 2 minute walk. Repeat this process several times and then stop for the day. A few weeks later try increasing again. Try to jog for 1 minute and then walk for 2. Keep repeating this process adding a few more second to your jog and decreasing the amount of time you spend walking.

I followed this process and I was running a solid mile in about a month. By month two I was running 2-3 miles without stopping. By the end of 8 months I was running 6 to 7 miles without stopping and was limited simply by the amount of time I had available each day.

I also began to eat better and drink better. I cut way back on soda and drank far more water. I cut some of the fried foods out of my diet. I didn’t give up anything completely. I felt like if I gave up something I liked completely, I would fall out of the routine. I just watch what I eat and how much of it I eat. I make sure to include vegetables and fruit and limit sugars.

There were other simple things that helped me get my fitness going. Don’t do the simple stuff. If you normally park the closest spot at the store, park a few rows back. It won’t take you 10 seconds longer but you’ll burn a few extra calories. If you normally take an elevator for only a flight or two of stairs, climb the stairs. You will burn a calorie or two extra just but taking the stairs. In the long run, simple changes like these will make you lose weight and get fit. Remember, any little exercise you do is better than doing nothing.

This is me after I lost me weight.