Name: Jim Maister
Age: 56
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
Occupation: Pharmacist
Starting weight: 325 pounds
Current weight: 190 pounds
Time running: 2 years and 3 months
I had been overweight practically all my life. I tried so many different diets that I lost count. I would be able to lose weight for a period of time through dieting, but I would always gain it all back—if not more. It was always about trying to get a quick fix. But without a lifestyle change, I would always revert back to old habits and end up right where I started. I was miserable in my own skin.
As a medical professional, I was embarrassed and felt hypocritical about being morbidly obese while giving healthcare advice. I could never shop for clothes in a regular men’s store—I had to go to specialty stores just to find pants and shirts that fit me. Most activities that required even a minimum amount of exertion were exhausting, and I could not do them. I would even look for a parking spot close to the entrance of a store or restaurant just so I wouldn’t have to exert myself.
My health suffered significantly. I had uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe obstructive sleep apnea, and was prediabetic. I was taking several medications to control my blood pressure, and I had to use a sleep apnea BiPap machine every night so I wouldn’t stop breathing while asleep. I was quite literally tired all of the time.
My turning point was Thanksgiving 2018. I had just turned 53 years old, the age my father died from complications of being obese. My girlfriend had started making changes to her diet several months prior to this, and she was losing weight. We were invited to have Thanksgiving dinner with my boss at a restaurant. We were seated in a booth, and I could not fit at the table. I realized that I was going to die if I didn’t make a change.
Since my girlfriend had changed her eating habits, it was much easier for me to start to make changes as well. I began a low-carbohydrate diet and lost about 60 pounds in about six months. At that point, I started doing yoga. At first, I couldn’t bend over or do many of the poses, but I persisted. After about six months of practicing yoga, I could actually bend over and touch my toes. Eventually, I became more proficient in my yoga practice. I was feeling much better and stronger than I ever had.
I was quite pleased with my progress and my lifestyle change, but I wanted more. I had used a treadmill on and off during this time and was introduced to running by a local running group called Run Tampa. I started running around September 2019. The coach, Debbie Voiles, made it easy with her Couch to 5K program. At first, I could only run for 30 seconds and then walk for a minute, but eventually I was able to run a mile nonstop. That was an awesome feeling. My first official race was a local 5K called The Goody Goody Burger Turkey Gobble sponsored by a local restaurant chain in Tampa on Thanksgiving morning. My time was right at the 47-minute mark.
In the beginning, I would run two or three days a week, and I would run between two and three miles each time. I used several running apps at first, but ended up using Strava for the most part. Eventually I bought a Garmin smartwatch, and now I use their app.
After running that first 5K, I wanted to do more. My next official race was my running group’s annual Christmas run called the Run Tampa Tinsel Run. My time was a little better for that run. After that race, I was feeling a little more confident and wanted to try a longer distance. The next local race was the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K. I signed up and had a great time. This was a huge race, with several thousand runners and several different races over a weekend. Then the pandemic happened, and most in-person races were either canceled or made virtual. So from that point on, my running was done in small groups.
Jim’s Must-Have Gear
→ Brooks Running Shoes (Adrenaline GTS and Launch GTS): I love them because they are light and cushioned, plus they provide the stabilization I need.
→ Garmin Vivoactive 3 Smartwatch: I love being able to see my running stats, as I have them customized. The app also provides me with a detailed breakdown of my activities. I also love having my running playlist on my watch so I don’t have to carry my phone.
→ Shokz OpenMove Headphones: I am able to hear my music while running and also be able to hear what is going on around me. I do a lot of running in a very busy area with lots of cars traveling to and from downtown Tampa, and I feel safer knowing I can hear the traffic.
Currently, I run three or four times per week, and my base run is five or six miles. My weekly long run is 10 miles. I am currently training for my first half marathon, which will be February 27, 2022, at the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic. I am both excited and nervous.
In terms of my diet, I have cut out bread, pasta, sugar, fried foods, and highly processed foods. Typical meals nowadays consist of chicken breast or fish with a vegetable and a salad. My favorite meal is salmon done in the Air Fryer with roasted asparagus. Don’t get me wrong, a nice juicy steak isn’t out of the question, but it’s not going to be an obnoxious size hunk of meat.
These three tips helped make my running journey a success:
1. Take it easy
Start off with a run-walk routine. Anyone can run for 10 seconds then walk for 30 seconds. Then increase the running time gradually.
2. Recovery days are essential
You don’t have to run every day to reach your goal. Our muscles need time to recharge after use.
3. Don’t quit before the miracle happens
Stay consistent, even when you can’t see anything good happening. It will happen if you work for it.
I have lost 135 pounds. When I started my weight loss and fitness journey I was 325 pounds. It’s been a little over three years and I weigh 190 pounds. My goal weight is 175 pounds.
I really want others to know that it can be done! If you don’t think so, look at me. I’m nothing special. I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I made a decision to do whatever was necessary to not feel that way. I hope I can be an inspiration to someone who is in the same situation I was in. I was that person who was destined to live an unhappy and unhealthy life. Running changed all of that for me.
