Spark Spotlight: Patty (POHOUSE99)

By , SparkPeople Blogger
At SparkPeople, we love helping people accomplish big goals—but we believe it's equally important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Each week in the Spark Spotlight, we'll check in with a featured member about his or her proudest moments, biggest challenges and advice for others on living, thinking and feeling healthier. We hope these quick snapshots will help motivate you to keep moving steadily toward your own goals, week by week.

This Week's Spotlight: Patty (POHOUSE99)
Age: 47
Location: Jasonville, Indiana

Patty's Small Success of the Week

Running her first 10K!

What's your overall goal? 

My overall goal was to run the IndyMini. It is a half marathon that was on May 5. In February, when I signed up for it. I hadn't even run a 5K yet! The 10K that I ran was just two weeks before the Mini. 
 
How is SparkPeople helping you get there? 
 
I rejoined SparkPeople in January of 2017. I was 60 pounds overweight and had finally had enough. I used the app and website daily. I tracked literally everything I ate, from one piece of gum to my meals. I tracked all of my exercise as well. This helped me to lose those 60 pounds in a year and a half. I just reached my goal a few weeks ago. 
 
What's your biggest challenge right now? 
 
My biggest challenge is getting those last bits of fat to come off. I think anyone who has had a lot of weight to lose can relate. That last bit of belly fat, or that piece under your arm or right where you leg meets your glutes. Yeah...those are a real pain. As for running, the challenge is the fact that I only have one lung. Where I live, the heat and humidity make it hard to run longer distances. I do what I can and try to not run during the heat of the day. 
 
What advice do you have for someone who just joined SparkPeople today? 

Track everything! Read the articles or find someone who inspires you and follow them. But never, ever give up! 
 
Want to be the next small success we spotlight? Share your successes on the goal feed or in the comments below, and you might be the next person we contact!