ObesityHelp

What Are Your Goals?

OH member Michael Bialowitz (username: Michael B.) had the goal to hike to the top of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. That’s just what he did! Here’s what he had to say about the experience:

Camelback Mountain is not a tremendous mountain that you need ropes and equipment to climb, but it is a 1275’ gain in elevation from the base to the summit. I actually hiked it once before when I was in high school and about 50 pounds heavier then I am now. Back then it was an ordeal to say the least. I had to stop every five minutes.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of hiking the past few weeks, as I have found that it is a type of exercise I actually enjoy because it allows me to combine several things I enjoy: nature, flowers, photography, exercise and adventure. I had been saving this hike, though. And the date I chose for this occasion? The one-year anniversary of the surgery that started me on this path!

I decided to take the Cholla Trail, which traverses the southwest side of the mountain. Thirty-five minutes in, I took my first break to enjoy the view and get a short breather. A little further up the trail the hard part appeared: a 1/4 mile run up about a 45-degree slope of boulders. My heart pounded as I set off scrambling up the boulders. I had to pull myself up in spots, picking and choosing my route, but amazingly I made it up that section without stopping, although my thighs were burning and I had to remind myself not to whine.

At the end of this section, I got my first glimpse of the summit. I was almost there! My legs were tired, but thanks to the enthusiasm that I felt from glimpsing the finish line, adrenaline began to course through my veins. I began walking faster, scurrying over boulders the size of small cars. I was almost there—a few more steps. The theme song from the Olympic Games started playing over and over in the soundtrack of my mind.... I made it! One thousand, two-hundred and seventy-five feet, over a trail one-and-a-half miles long!

I found the tallest rock at the summit and climbed up. I just stood there. I took it all in and then started thinking about the moments in the anesthesia holding room at the Durham Regional Hospital in North Carolina. It had only been 365 days ago, but it seemed like such a distant memory. I thought about how grateful I was for the opportunity to be given the tool that I needed to finally turn around and walk away from my life as a morbidly obese man headed down a dark road of complications and suffering. I turned around, started walking, and didn’t stop until I was as high as I could go.

Where will I go next? I don’t know for sure, but I can tell you that without the extra 130 pounds weighing me down, the sky is the limit!

Share your achievements with OH Magazine by sending high-resolution photos of yourself achieving your goal to editor@obesityhelp.com.

SHARE A GOAL ON ObesityHelp.com! It’s easy to create and share your goals with other members.

1. Go to www.obesityhelp.com/goals and log in to your account.

2. In the “My goal is to …” box on the top right, type your goal. (example: run three miles)

3. Press the button that says “I’m going to do this.” You should see a list of similar goals.

4. If you see a goal you like, click on the link that matches. (example: Run three miles)

5. On the page for that goal, you will see a button that says “I want to do this too.” Click it.

6. Press “Save”.

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