Murray Hann admits that he wasn’t the kind of person that you’d expect to find on a tennis court. At 315 pounds, he looked more like a spectator than a player. “But I played a decent game, even as a fat guy,” he says.
His love of the sport helped him launch a regular fitness program—and helped him lose almost half of his body weight.
Murray, a 38-year-old mechanical engineer from Palm Bay, Florida, had a weight problem throughout his entire life. “I grew up with a wonderful, Aunt Bea type of mom who regularly baked cookies for my brother and me,” he recalls. “I ate more than I should have, and it showed.”
At age 30, Murray started feeling self-conscious about his size. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone, and I believed that that’s what would happen if I didn’t slim down,” he says. “There was no woman on Earth who was tolerant enough to see through all that fat.” ; ^
As much as he wanted to shed the extra pounds, Murray refused to go on a diet. “Diets provide only temporary results,” he ex- j <j§ plains. “I wanted to lose the weight permanently. I knew that that would mean making lifestyle changes.”
Murray thought about how much he enjoyed tennis, along with a number of other sports. He figured that he could stick with a regular exercise program, which in turn would help him lose weight.
“I made up my mind to work out every day, no matter what,” he says. “Sometimes, I felt selfish because I put exercise so high on my priority list. It became almost as important to me as food, water, and sleep.”
His brother gave him a rowing machine, which Murray used every night. “I wouldn’t fix dinner until I completed 40 minutes,” he says. He continued to play an occasional game of tennis. As his fitness improved, he graduated to racquetball, then mountain biking, then walking, then jogging, then running.
To support his new exercise habit, Murray began paying more attention to his food choices. He cut back on fat while making sure to get an adequate amount of protein.
With regular workouts and a better diet, Murray was able to take off 150 pounds in about a year. He has maintained his weight at 165 pounds since 1992.
Exercise had another, unexpected benefit that made Murray even happier than his trim physique. He met his wife, Susan, on the racquetball courts at a local recreation center. “We played against each other, and she kicked my butt,” he recalls.
S These days, Murray and Susan often work out together as part of their active lifestyle. In addition, during his lunch hour, Murray usually runs with a group of coworkers. “I enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and camaraderie more than food,” he says.
WINNING ACTION
Do what you love; love what you do. There’s no rule saying that you have to walk or run or pedal a bike to lose weight. Anything that gets your body moving burns calories. So find an activity that you love. Murray is a great role model: He loves tennis, and he used it as a springboard to establishing a regular exercise program. The point is that if you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re more likely to do it.
*92\89\8*
Apr 22 2009