I never intended to get fat! Like many other people, I was a high school and college athlete, and never even thought about being overweight. But somehow, I guess, over the years I just got busy with work and my family and year after year gradually put on a few extra pounds.

Well, those few extra pounds over the years ended up creating a 6'2" thirty four year old pushing close to 270 pounds. My cholesterol was high, my triclecrides were high, my blood pressure was also high, all this at age thirty-four. I was on a direct course for developing diabetes, increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of cancer, and a ton of other diseases related to obesity.

It gets worse. Did I mention I am a doctor, sports chiropractor to be exact? I know this stuff; I know the health risks associated with obesity. I talked with my patients about living a healthy lifestyle, and yet I myself was not managing my own weight. Wait, it gets better.

Did I mention that my office is located inside a health club? Day after day, year after year, pound after pound, my bouncing belly walked into the health club and into my office. Like many other doctors out there, I was not practicing what I preach.

Don't get me wrong; I was not a complete slacker. I did some running and lifted some weights. Trying to defend my weight, I walked around the gym like a hasbeen football player. I'm not fat, I'm big.

Well, I live in sunny Arizona, land of the endless summer. Sooner or latter you have to go to the lake, the water park, or you are invited to a cookout and pool party. That is when my excuses caught up to me. My kids wanted me to play with them at the pool party, they wanted me to go down the waterslide with them, and I made up excuses because I did not want to be seen in just a swimsuit. They did not understand. They did not see that I was embarrassed, they just wanted to play with their dad, they did not care that I was fat. So, despite knowing the health risks associated with being overweight, it was the feeling of low self-esteem and embarrassment that finally drove me to action.

So there I was, a doctor ready to get the weight off. I tried Atkins and many of the other fad diet plans out there that did not work. I tried working my butt off in the gym. That got real boring, and I found out that running everyday is not the best thing to do when you weigh close to 270 pounds. As a result of my workouts, I spent many hours in my office with electric muscle stimulation on my knees to help reduce the pain and inflammation from all the bounding on my joints.

I had no direction, no focus, no drive, nothing to guide me. Frustrated about not getting any results and what to do, I thought I just had to accept that I was overweight and learn to deal with it. I gave it a real effort and it did not work.

The answer was right there. The chiropractor that I bought my office from, Dr. Dean Micalizio, was competing in triathlons. He would mention how he did in the swim or the bike part of the race. Honestly, I did not know much about triathlons. Dr Micalizio mentioned that he was beginning a weight loss program at his office, which was based on triathlon training. He told me he was getting some pretty good results, so I decided to go over to his office and check it out. He explained to me how triathlons involved swimming, cycling, then running, and that this was the foundation for his program. He also explained to me that he was having all of his patients wear heart rate monitors to record the exercise session for review.

I lived too far from his office and I would not be able to come to his office for supervision, which was a big part of the program. So I told Dr. Micalizio I would give it a try on my own. I remember the smerk on face as I left the room, I am sure he was thinking that I would not be able to do this thing on my own, without the supervision and support. That was because he saw me try different programs over the years with no results.

Because of this program, I began researching triathlons on a number of great on-line triathlon sites. The more I read about triathlons and triathlon training the more sense it made to me as a way to help me get in shape and lose weight. If you are going to do a race that involves swimming, cycling, and running you obviously are going to have to train that way. I was not that excited about getting into the pool for an exercise swim but then I remembered how painful my knees were from running around with all my extra weight, and a swim would be easier on the knee.

The more I searched the triathlon web sites the more I became interested in triathlons. The people who competed in the races looked really fit, therefore, I decided to take my weight loss commitment to the next level. So, I signed up for a triathlon, which, at the time was five months away. I signed up for a sprint race, which was a 500-meter swim, and 15-mile bike, then a 3-mile run. This was a much shorter distance than many triathlon races. However, at the time, weighing close to 270 lbs., I could not do even one of the events, let alone all of them back to back.

So there I was, I had five months before the race. I was not going to back out of it so I was ready to get with the program and start training

The program started out nice and easy, I started with a 10 min run and a 10 min bike and I was supposed to keep my exercising heart rate better 65 and 75% of my maximum heart rate. This was not too hard. In fact, I was running at a slower pace than what I had been running before. So, I strapped on the heart rate monitor and went for a run at the speed I did before, my heart rate skyrocketed! Near 90% of my maximum heart rate, this was not a good thing. This was not a full sprint, just a nice jog. This actually meant that I was in really bad cardiovascular shape. That simple activity should not result in such a high heart rate, and in fact it could be dangerous. A similar thing happens every year after a big snowfall. An over weight out of shape guy, who never exercises decides to go out and shovel all that heavy snow off his driveway. The activity is such a stress on his cardiovascular system that he suffers a heart attack.

Therefore, the use of the heart rate monitor became a very useful tool. It kept me from working too hard and too little. The monitor I was using, the Polar 610, also came with software, which I could download my exercise sessions into. Then, I was able to objectively document my exercise program, I was able to track my calories burned during exercise, my average heart rate, hours spent exercising and much more.

Alternating between swimming, cycling, running, and about an hour of weight training a week, really added variety to the exercise program. One day I would just bike, the next maybe run 10 min, do a weight session, then bike for 25 min. The next day I would just do a bike, the next a swim and run. My knees were holding up very well, little if any pain. It was looking like I was not going to be able to use the "knee pain" excuse to stop exercising. At the same time I started eating better, no real diet, just avoiding the sugars and white breads.

After a few weeks I began noticing some changes, more energy, sleep better, less stress, and yes losing some weight. Which caused me to watch what I was eating even more. I also noticed that I had to work hard to get into the approiate heart rate. This was actually a good thing. This meat that my cardiovascular system was getting in better shape, I was getting healthier.

Since I was getting in better shape the heart zones that I was supposed to exercise in began to change. On day I would run at 70% of my maximum heart rate for 10 min. then bike at 80% of my maximum heart rate for 10 min then go back to running at 70% for another 10 min. This was a fun way to exercise; I actually began to look forward to exercising. Another thing... I really began looking forward to way my morning run. It started out as a walk, then a light jog, then and a nice run. It felt fantastic going into work knowing that you already did something healthily for your body.

I kept up with my program and after about four months paid another visit to Dr. Micalizio's office, I was thirty pounds lighter. Again, I remember the look on his face, a smile of disbelief. He asked what I did, I said your program. I told him I even signed up for a triathlon, there went the look again, sure did.

A month later there I was, ready for my first triathlon. It had been five months since signing up for the race; I was thirty-five pounds lighter, and scared to death. I thought about backing out, but my wife and kids were there to give me support. I did the sidestroke, the backstroke, I even floated on my back to try and catch my breath, and somehow I made it through the swim. I walked like I had been drinking when I got out of the water, but I made it. Then came the bike. I honestly thought I was going to do pretty well in this event. I did not pass a single person. I found out that there is a big difference between riding a road bike and a mountain bike. My full supension mountain bike just did not cut it. It took me awhile but I finished the bike. Then it was the run. I am not sure you can really call it a run, more like a wobble. Anyway, I made it the three miles without stopping, I did it. It felt great, and I really enjoyed myself.

Again, I started reading more and more about triathlons. I found another race six months later that was about twice as long as my first race, 1000-meter swim, 15-mile bike, and a 5-mile run. I signed up for it.

My wife bought me a road bike, to help me with my on going weight loss and training, what a difference. I continued with the Tri for Life program. Exercising in different heart rate zones, mixing and matching between swimming, biking and running, downloading my exercise information into my computer for me to review. The weight just kept coming off and coming office.

At the time of my second race, eleven months after learning about triathlon, I was sixty pounds lighter. My brother in law joined me in this race, I beat him. I was hooked on this type of training.

My patients and the members of the health club were constantly asking what I did to lose all the weight and asking me if could help them. That is when I began offering a weight loss program at my office called Tri for Life.

As I am sitting here writing this article, it has been a year since my first triathlon. Just two weeks ago, I completed my third race; I finished second in my age group. I even picked up a sponsor, Amino Vital, a sports performance drink. But more importantly, I had two of my patients who are on the Tri for Life program do the race with me. They had lost weight on the program and wanted to try to complete a triathlon. It was the exact same race I did for my first triathlon. They were just as scared as I was, but they both made it. They are continuing with the program and are both planning on racing in the fall.

I am no longer embarrassed to go to the water park or a pool party. I am hooked on the sport now, it has completely changed my life, and it continues to change the lives of my patients.