Liam loses 50kg
It’s about 10.30pm on a Sunday night when a white car pulls alongside Liam Butler as he runs toward Nelson. A stranger sticks his head out the window and yells “Hey – you shouldn’t eat so many pies.”
That’s why he used to run in the dark.
Looking back, Liam laughs about the embarrassment he felt as an obese man exercising in public. Its funny now because he realises it was a small sacrifice to make for his wellbeing.
Just over two years ago Liam weighed 135kg and couldn’t jog the length of Trafalgar Street. Today he is 50kg lighter and runs marathons for fun.
“It has been a long journey,” he said.
“When I started trying to get back into fitness, I couldn’t run 700m and I did that in the dark so people couldn’t see me.
“I realised it was achievable and I knew it was going to be hard work.
“Sometimes you just have to be stubborn.”
Liam pushed past the initial embarrassment and worked through the pain. Juggling family commitments and a full time job he made time to exercise every day.
Now he’s hoping his remarkable story will inspire others to take control of their weight.
“There are plenty of excuses you can make not to do it,” he said.
“For any type of behaviour you can find someone who will support the way you act.
“But in the end it’s up to you – just get on and change it!”
His job at the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board’s Support Works had a huge impact on his attitude.
“People who have a disability need to work hard at maintaining good nutrition and physical mobility or they run the risk of becoming obese.
“I am incredibly inspired by the diligence of people with disabilities who exercise daily to maximise and maintain their physical health.”
Liam has seen first hand, that if you don’t use, you will lose it.
“We have an obesity crisis in New Zealand,” he said.
“I am frustrated when I see people whose obesity is limiting their mobility and ultimately causing their lives to end early.
“We accept obesity as normal.
“I think it’s very much like smoking was 20 years ago.
“When people start to eat healthier and exercise moderately they start to enjoy life more. They can also get the chores they do not like doing out of the way quickly!”
Liam says it is not just an overweight person who is losing out by not having the vitality that comes from being in the healthy weight range.
“It is the people that rely on them for their knowledge and love that also miss out,” he said.
“And there was no point in thinking someone can wave a magic wand to lose the weight for you. Keeping in the healthy weight range is an obligation we have to ourselves and others throughout our lives.
“You’ve got to do it yourself.
“You can’t take a pill or get someone in to do it for you.”
The discipline you learn from keeping in the healthy weight range is huge, he said. More energy, sleeping well, a longer, happier healthier life and feeling good are just some of the benefits that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of age or disability by keeping in the healthy weight range.
“For me, the best thing was the emancipation that came from losing weight,” he said.
“I saw it as a problem that I didn’t want to deal with.
“When I stopped making excuses and took ownership of improving my health I was able to do more with my family.
“Now I look at other things in my life that I want to tackle.
“I know I’m doing the best I can to stay healthy, so I can stick around and be there for the people who need me in the future.”
Liam believes you have to start by making a commitment to do something every day.
“Start off with 30 minutes a day, having an elevated heart rate and get up a sweat up,” he said.
“If you did that, you’d naturally progress, because you’ve got more energy, and you’ll see other things you want to do.
“By exercising moderately I have found I eat better because my body craves healthier foods.
“It’s a bit like having a full wallet – when you have it, you’ll see things new you want to buy.
“When you have a full bill of health, you see things you want to do that you didn’t know existed.”
And the good news is we live in the perfect place to get started. Nelson/Marlborough has an incredible number of initiatives to help people of all ages and abilities to get and keep in the healthy weight range.
“We are blessed with an amazing array of some of the worlds best free trails and walks,” he said.
“We’ve also got cheap pools and gyms and a great climate for gardening.
“Although my ever persevering wife still has to remind me to mow the lawns in a timely manner!”
