94: Steve Ostrom on SMART Goals, Positivity, and Life By Design (M/43)

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After a family tragedy and a health scare, Steve realized it was time to change his lifestyle.

As a couple, Steve and Heather took their health back. (Also, a sneak preview of upcoming Ep#100.)

“Success is a matter of choice, not chance.”

“You know who you passed? The people who didn’t get out and do it today.”

Weight Gain Background and Contributing Factors

Steve was the youngest of four children, and his mother was the primary cook in their home until he began school and she went back to work. After that, his father started doing the cooking, and Steve recalls that “it was good!”

Steve shares that he wasn’t very active as a child until around the eighth grade, when he began playing water polo. Although he couldn’t do ten push-ups when he first started, he was motivated by the example of his older brother and eventually excelled in the sport. He was a three-time letterman and two-time All-American.

In college, Steve didn’t play sports anymore, joined a fraternity, and started drinking. He began gaining weight at a rate of approximately 10 pounds a year, for ten years.

Steve reached a peak weight of 293 pounds. (133 kg)

How Being Overweight Impacted Steve’s Life

Steve recalls having difficulty sleeping at night. He was stressed, exhausted, and often took naps during the day to maintain his energy level for working into the evening.

Finding clothing that fit was another challenge. Steve describes buying clothes, not because he liked them or they matched his style, but simply because they fit.

“You’d buy just because it fit you… shopping was tough.”

He had tried various programs and diets, including Atkins and recalls that, while they were successful in the short-term, once the diet was no longer a priority, the results were lost.

“It was all successful, but when I went off it, I gained it all back.”

The Turning Point

Steve opens up about a nephew in the family that was diagnosed with cancer and was dying. While traveling to go see him, Steve experienced symptoms of a stroke and had to pull his vehicle over.

While visiting their ailing relative, Steve also noticed that many of the people in treatment there were overweight.

With those experiences, Steve had the sobering realization that things had to change.

“That was the point I knew that I was going to do something.”

Starting The Weight Loss Journey

Steve asked a co-worker for information about the program he was in. He was determined and knew that if it had worked for them, it could work for him.

The program turned out to be a medical weight management program. It was 15 weeks of 4 shakes a day, one soup and one bar. Steve and his wife Heather met with doctors, psychologists, and had regular weight-ins and blood tests.

Thought it was effective, and worked, Steve is candid about how difficult the transition was:

“It was absolutely horrid.”

What Steve didn’t know is that his friend had begun the program while taking time off work, and Steve had begun the program while still working a full schedule. He was exhausted and hungry, and it showed. Things soon improved, and Steve shares how helpful the weekly meetings were for him.

The program is 82 weeks long. The first 15 weeks were shakes, then one meal was introduced weekly after 16, and so on. He ate a minimum of 150 grams of protein and 50 grams of non-starchy vegetables daily.

Steve shares the S.M.A.R.T. system used in the program, and how helpful the accompanying book was as well.

S – Set goals
M – Monitor your success
A – Arrange your world for success
R – Recruit a support team
T – Treat yourself

Adding activity was the next step. At 293 pounds, walking was the only option. At first, he couldn’t walk the entire trail by his home, but he stuck with it and soon began to enjoy the regular walks.

“As you are walking, you think a lot.”

Steve decided that once he reached the 255-pound mark (115.91 kg), he would start jogging instead of walking. Not only did he start jogging, but he eventually advanced to running on the school track.

There were challenges.

Steve shares that he started running on the treadmill at the gym and ended up pushing himself too hard. Also, he sometimes found it difficult to exercise consistently when he was too busy with work. He also became very aware of his “cheat” snacks and foods that it was easy to overdo, such as pickles and nuts.

Now, he bikes, which he has found that he loves.

“I feel like I’m addicted to it. I want to ride every day.”

Staying Motivated

Weekly support group meetings were really important to Steve because the others were going through the same thing at the same time. They were able to learn and share ideas with each other, and the positive feedback from others really helped.

Seeing progress has also reinforced good habits. Steve talks about a special scale that automatically uploads his weight to MyFitnessPal, and makes tracking easy.

While sticking to the program, Steve lost weight almost every week. He refers back to the S.M.A.R.T. Scales and how well they worked for him.

“I just followed what they said and it worked out great for me.”

Steve shares that, because the weight loss program cost money, he felt a deeper commitment to keep going, even when it was difficult.

“I’m paying money for it, so I might as well do it.”

Another significant help for Steve was his wife, Heather. He credits her with being very supportive and helping him with various parts of tracking he wouldn’t have done otherwise.

“Heather was really into changing our lifestyle.”

(Steve also shared that he is enjoying the reward he gave himself for losing 100 pounds (45.5 kg) – a Green Mountain Grill smoker.

What Steve Learned About Food, Exercise, and Himself

As mentioned above, Steve learned that some foods are “gateway foods” for him, and require careful monitoring. These are pickles and nuts in his case.

He plans ahead with one of his favorite “stress eating” foods: popcorn. Steve keeps Angie’s Popcorn around, because he knows how many bowlfulls equal 280 calories.

He also learned the importance of planning meals in advance.

“It’s all about planning. You have to plan your day out.”

Meal supplements have been a new discovery for Steve, and are now part of his daily routine. He is also now used to tracking calories and logs meals in MyFitnessPal every day.

“You have to have the drive to need the change.”

Steve has also learned the power of routine. He shares his regular morning ritual of having coffee, going cycling before everyone else wakes up, then having his favorite egg & mushroom breakfast – all before 8 AM.

Steve’s Advice For Your Journey

  • Find sources of motivation to keep you going! (Steve recommends Tips Of The Scale!)
  • Know your body’s specific calorie needs by taking a test (available at local hospitals and clinics) to determine your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Find a local (US) facility here: http://korr.com/facility-finder/
  • Weigh your foods! If you don’t, your calorie tracking will always be inaccurate.
  • Be positive. Focus on the wins, not the negatives. Even if you aren’t doing well on the scale, look for another goal that is more attainable short-term, such as drinking 120 ounces of water.

Resources Discussed In This Podcast

On Steve’s Workout Playlist

Contacting Steve

Steve has some awesome events coming up! On September 20-21, 2014 he will be participating in the Waves to Wine Ride, a national fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis. More info here: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=13517842&pg=personal&fr_id=22900

On November 14-16, 2014, he will be participating in the Las Vegas “Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon.” Info: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/las-vegas/

Get in touch with Steve at:

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