Some research shows that by this point in the year, more than 50 percent of Americans will nix their resolution.
But Tom Slater, of Olmsted Falls, said that’s no excuse.
Fox 8 first introduced you to Tom earlier this year. About three years ago, he weighed nearly 300 pounds. But after his brother-in-law died of cancer, he decided to change his life.
“I realize I was killing myself slowly with cheeseburgers, donuts and pizzas,” he said. “I had a choice. He didn’t have a choice. It kind of hit me into fifth gear, and I was like, I can make a difference here. He’ll always be my hero.”
Tom dropped more than 100 pounds in six months–and everyone wants to know his secret.
So now, Tom’s sharing his story every day through a web blog: The Slater Challenge.
“So I made a commitment to myself, whether good, bad or indifferent, throw a little paragraph out there every day, and just to keep checking up on people and getting their vibe and feel for what’s going on in their life,” Tom said. “I just want to try and help people where I can.”
On his blog, he shares inspirational messages and his family’s experiences to getting healthy.
Tom said the first step to sticking to your goal is accountability and support.
“If you don’t put in those 6 weeks and get over that hurdle and make things a part of your life, that’s where I think people tend to fall off the wagon,” he said.
Tom’s wife, Stacey, said they try to be realistic about getting healthy.
“We didn’t all of a sudden say, ‘I’m never going to eat sweets again.’ That would be horrible and you’d never stick with it.” she said. “But if you say, ‘You know what, I like my sweets, so I’m going to eat something really healthy at this meal, so after this meal, I’ll can eat a little sweet,’ That’s OK.”
Stacey said she hopes what they practice today will stick with their two children.
“I’m hoping that we’re instilling it in our kids, so that when they’re at an age when they can make their own decisions, that they’ll know why we’ve done what we’ve done,” Stacey said. “It’s transformed our whole family.”
It’s a goal that’s helped bring their family closer together. Tom said he hopes other people consider sticking with their goals for the New Year–weight loss or otehrwise.
“Let’s not wait until next January. Don’t start this thing in 2012,” he said. “Time is precious. Just take it and go with it.”
You can check out Tom’s blog by clicking here.
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