Weight Loss Success: Mark D. Rucker Made Small Changes And Lost 100 Pounds

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Name: Mark D. Rucker
Age: 43
Height: 6'2"
Before Weight: 365 pounds. I was probably heavier than that, but I stopped weighing myself.

How I Gained It: I've been overweight most of my life. I gradually put on more after I graduated from law school, until maxing out in February of 2011. I was not engaged in any form of physical activity and I ate anything I felt like eating, at pretty much any time. I drank a lot of soda and ate fast food frequently. I loved pizza, wings, cheeseburgers and beer.

Breaking Point: I had high blood pressure, sleep apnea and was borderline diabetic; I woke up the day after the Super Bowl in February 2011 and realized that I needed to change my life.

How I Lost It: The first thing that I did was to cut out sugary soft drinks. I switched to diet soda, but limited myself to one a day. I also determined that once the 24-pack ran out, I was going to be done with soda. I also decided to cut out all processed sugars and carbs to allow my body the time to process out the bad stuff that I had been putting in for so long. Instead of processed foods, I started eating whole fruits and vegetables. And it worked! I started losing weight.

After a week I made some more changes. I cut out salad dressings and switched to raw almonds instead of roasted and salted. I had tried in the past to lose weight, but I always tried to change everything at the same time. After two to three weeks I'd go back to my old ways. I found I was having more success sticking with small changes, and I continued to lose weight.

In March I decided that I wanted to start exercising. So I started walking -- just a mile at first. I was very slow and it was difficult for me, but I stuck to it. I walked at work on my lunch break. Over a few weeks I noticed that I felt much better than I had felt in a long time.

In April I decided I wanted to be a runner. I started using the Couch to 5K app from Bluefin Software on my iPhone. I remember the first day like it was yesterday. I had to run nine intervals of 60 seconds with 90 seconds of walking in between. I thought that I was going to die. But I stuck with it and ran my first 5K on July 4. Then I used Bridge to 10K and trained for my first 10K, which I completed on July 30. I also started biking; I love to ride. I joined the local cycling club so I could have others to ride with. I was intimidated at first, but the people in the club were so encouraging.

After my 10K, I decided that I wanted to run a half-marathon, so I began training using another app from the same company. On October 23, I ran my first half-marathon in 2:42. I was thrilled. I have now moved on to marathon training. I am days away from my first marathon; the big day is February 18, when I will push myself above and beyond everything that I've ever imagined possible. I plan to complete a half-Ironman in July and my first full one in August. I can hardly wait.

My ultimate goal has always been to get healthy so I can live a long life and set a positive example for my kids. But I also hope to inspire other people who feel like they are stuck being overweight. I want them to know that they aren't. I was probably the world's biggest couch potato. But if I can change my life, I know that anyone can. Sometimes it just takes a little spark of inspiration from someone to light that fire.

After Weight: 265 pounds. I still want to lose about 60 more, and I know that I'll make it.

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Comments

[big2small9696]

11:14 AM on 10/25/2012

Too bad all he cares about now is getting famous, what a shame

[meandjorge]

12:21 PM on 02/12/2012

Congratulations Mark! That is an amazing thing! I also lost my weight by cutting sugar, carbs and artificial sweeteners. I am wondering if you cut out artificial sweeteners altogether or just the soda? Kicking the diet soda habit seems to be a key with my weight loss! Thanks so much for motivating us.

[blyaduha]

07:23 AM on 09/18/2012

I think you need to change what you eat.
You need to eat less fat and flour.
There are a lot depends of the food.
I used a lot of different diets, but only what helped to me is a gym and revise my menu.
Unfortunately, I'm cooking bad :(.
But my friend recommended me a site http://www.funnycookingbook.com.
There I was able to find a book with lots of recipes to lose weight.
Sorry for my English. It's my third language

[anne1202]

10:31 PM on 02/01/2012

Amazing!!!...I'm on that road!

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

12:18 PM on 02/02/2012

Thanks you and Congratulations! Keep going and you'll accomplish your goals.

[uusqrd]

02:17 PM on 02/01/2012

Great looking man (before and after) but being a healthy man can be more important! As a single mom, I want to be around for my son. I am working hard to get back in shape (50 to go) and the reminder to take it in baby steps instead of trying to be "perfect" is a great one. Congratulations on your achievement Mark!

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

02:40 PM on 02/01/2012

Thank you so much! Sounds like you're well on your way to achieving your goal as well. Congratulations. And keep up the great work!

[nanaofmysky]

12:26 PM on 02/01/2012

Mark, you have inspired me to take little steps at a time. I know I'll never run a marathon but at least I could walk more than I already do. I do have some health problems but like you said small changes are best. Best of luck July and August.Keep up the good work.

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

12:36 PM on 02/01/2012

That's so awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me! And if you had told me when I started this journey that in 12 months I'd be running a marathon, I'd have told you that you were CRAZY! I had trouble walking a mile let alone running 26.2. But these small steps really can add up to some amazingly huge leaps over time. I'm proof of that. Just set your goals and plan your course of action and take those small steps. You'll get there. Best of luck to you and YOU keep up the great work.

[NetKnowHow]

09:32 AM on 02/01/2012

Yes, slow and steady wins the race. Great to see how Mark made small changes and got results.
Folks, get away from processed foods and sugar. Forget milk and milk products (bad for joints) and give up grains. Go in for lean meat, fish and seafood. Fruits, vegetable and nuts are good. There are foods and spices which will increase your metabolism. So, cut the sugar and processed foods and go for the healthy living. This might help. I wrote the articles here on the Paleo Diet and foods to eat to increase your metabolism and burn fat. Losing weight is a combination for healthy food and exercise.

==> http://weightlossintoronto.blogspot.com/

[Dubagee]

07:22 PM on 01/31/2012

Phenomenal! I really LOVE seeing transformations like this!

www.gigieatscelebrities.com

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

09:30 AM on 02/01/2012

Thank you! It's been an amazing journey so far.

[raekmorris]

10:58 AM on 02/01/2012

Mark you've done a wonderful job. I wish you much success in keeping it off. I've fought with myself over food since I was a child. I am morbidly overweight as a senior citizen now. I think to myself...what's the use in fighting it anymore. I'm miserable. I want to lose this but I don't know if I have the energy inside me to fight off the food. I have diabetes and would like to get off the meds and insulin, but it just seems easier to keep doing what I've always done. I know all the words of encourgement. I've been a Weight Watcher drop-out 4 times over the last 40+ years. I know how to eat healthy I just don't do it. I'll do it for a little while, but it is so hard to keep it up and so easy to fall back. I'm on the weight gaining merry-go-round and am too lazy to get off. I tell myself at the beginning of each new day that today is going to be different...but then it turns out the same. I truly admire you. You are my hero!

[Donna Carrillo]

05:43 PM on 01/31/2012

Dear Mark, congratulations to you! God bless you dear!

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

09:31 AM on 02/01/2012

Thank you so much. God truly had blessed me. I hope to share that with so many others now.

[JasonHealy72]

05:15 PM on 01/31/2012

I always check out this website before buying any products in weight loss - http://www.http://diet-solutions-review.com/ . My personal favourite is "The Diet Solution Program". I was fat 93kg until last year. After 11 months using this product I am 76kg and so exited who finally I found a product on web that works :)

[teach4kat]

11:36 AM on 01/31/2012

I am so happy for you! You are an inspiration, and I know you will achieve your ultimate goal. Also, may you achieve many healthy years ahead, and keep up your motivation to be fit and trim. I am going to share your story to a brother in law and son...... they will benefit from your story.

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

11:41 AM on 01/31/2012

Thank you so much! And thank you for such kind words. I truly appreciate it. If your brother in law and son have any questions please feel free to ask. I'm always happy to share what I can. I'm on Twitter as "MarkTheBeastR" and on Facebook as Mark D. Rucker

[jgarma]

01:50 AM on 01/31/2012

This guy is one-in-a-million... but I hope that after reading his inspirational story, there will be two, and then three...

[Hernan Reyes]

06:51 PM on 01/31/2012

You will be amazed how many people are losing weight today with a product called SiseLean.
The major advantage is that you don't put that weigh back !
Check it out! Is made by Sisel International . I manage to lose 20 pounds in less than 3 monts!

[William Anderson LMHC]

09:40 PM on 01/30/2012

Great achievement, Mark. Your example will inspire others.

I just celebrated my 27th anniversary of losing 140 pounds for good, after being an overweight diet failure for 27 and a half years. Now, I've spent as much time being at my ideal body weight as I did being overweight! Who says permanent weight loss can't be done?

I admire you for your self-discipline and will power, which I never had until I learned how to conjure them up as a behavior therapist and addictions counselor. Now I teach others.

William Anderson, LMHC
Author of 'The Anderson Method - Secrets of Permanent Weight Loss'
www.TheAndersonMethod.com

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

09:24 AM on 01/31/2012

That's awesome! Congratulations. And great job helping others now.

[William Anderson LMHC]

10:21 AM on 01/31/2012

Thanks, Mark, and the same goes for you.

[Dawn M Barclay]

09:27 PM on 01/30/2012

oops, sorry--because of my bad knees.

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

09:33 PM on 01/30/2012

Just take your time. You can do it.

[Dawn M Barclay]

09:26 PM on 01/30/2012

Congratulations--you built on little by little and you've been very successful. I'm going to try running again this spring. Can't do a lot b

[Lilliana Vegana]

08:27 PM on 01/30/2012

Why do people that lose weight always look hot in the after photos?... What is that Edward guy doing there?, he just got a tan and oil...

[Mark The Beast Rucker]

09:13 PM on 01/30/2012

I assume you mean hot as in temperature and not as in "great looking"? My after photo at the beginning of the story was just after I'd finished my first half marathon so I was, indeed, very hot.

[Lilliana Vegana]

09:22 PM on 01/30/2012

LOL, hot as in great looking Mark... :D.

[LivelyLexie]

09:02 AM on 01/31/2012

lol yeah, he doesn't look like he lost weight, just gained muscle tone!