Walking: Weight Loss, MARTA and Prosecco

I am not a gym person. I am a “glass of Prosecco on the patio” kind of person. That explains, in some way, why I found myself where I was some years ago: 275 lbs, high blood pressure, pre-diabetic and dealing with depression. As with many things in life, where we find ourselves in middle age is not where we ever imagined ourselves.

1992 was a long time ago

Throughout high school, college and my 20s, weight was never something I ever had to think about. I never worked out; I ate what I wanted and enjoyed many a cocktail. I switched careers in 2005 when I was in my early 30s, becoming an outreach coordinator for BATMA (the predecessor to Livable Buckhead). I loved the organization’s mission of helping Atlanta’s air quality and wanted to do something more meaningful with my work. For the first six months, I drove from just south of downtown Atlanta to Buckhead every day…by myself. Habits die hard, I know. Then I switched to MARTA…to walk the walk. Even though I lived less than a mile from a MARTA station, I drove to the station every day.

Here’s the thing about your 30s. While the habits from your 20s are still in full force, your body starts to change.  According to the CDC, the average man in his 20s weighs around 185 pounds, but by his 30s, he’s closer to 200 pounds. And it creeps up on you. No one warned me about the creeping. So I kept eating like I was in my 20s and drinking that Prosecco on patios on Sundays. And since exercise wasn’t in my repertoire, I found myself tipping the scales.

Now, I’m not going to bore you with the adverse health risks associated with obesity; you either know them or can guess. Four years ago, I found myself obese, dealing with a bad breakup and literally not finding anything to wear. Then one day, after my car died, I ended up walking to the train station. It was just under a mile and took me nearly 30 minutes to get there. I was sweaty. I was tired. I took the elevator instead of the stairs at the train station. But I decided to do it again the next day. And the next. And the next. I went three years without a car (a blog for another time). Walking to and from the train station every day. Lugging home groceries. Lugging home Amazon orders delivered to the office. Walking in the heat. Walking in the rain. Walking in an ice storm.

Livable Buckhead’s creation of PATH400 was one reason to start walking

During that time, as I lost a couple of pounds here and there, I was encouraged and changed other bad habits. I left my desk daily to take a quick walk outside. I bought a Fitbit (soon to be replaced by a Movado fitness tracker, because I’m bougie like that). I walked to meet friends at local pubs instead of Ubering. I took my two dachshunds (who are also exercise-averse) for walks. I cut down my alcohol intake. I replaced eating beef with fish. I replaced eating pork with vegetables. And I kept walking to the train station.

All of these changes took place over a four-year period. Individually, none of them were remarkable, but added together, they changed my body, my outlook and my life. I’ve lost 60 lbs so far. I can fit into a pair of GAP leather pants I’ve had in my closet since 1999 (not that they will EVER be seen in public). Every day that I walk to the train station, I get to see, actually see, my neighborhood. I get to smell the azaleas in bloom. I get to play with the dogs in Tower Place Park when I’m walking from the train station to the office. I get to experience the world around me rather than the tail lights in front of me.

The simple power of walking is more than just moving your body from one place to another…the power lies in moving your life in a different direction.

And I’ll still have that glass of Prosecco on the patio.

Scott Cantrell is the Communications Director for Livable Buckhead. In addition to Livable Buckhead communications, the feet you see in all of the photos on our Instagram feed are his. 

Join us for buckheadWALKS!, the month long walking challenge this May. buckheadWALKS! encourages residents and commuters to compete for prizes and bragging rights on their own or as part of a team. Participation is easy – after registering online, participants sync their fitness tracking device and then walk as much as possible during May. Participants can earn additional points for attending buckheadWALKS! events. There is no cost to participate, and registration is open to anyone who lives or works in Buckhead.