Changed my obese life and lost 55 kg by running

(Author: Ben Davis)

To turn your life around, sometimes all you need is a little inspiration. A question from his grandmother made him face the difficulties in life honestly. From unhappy to very happy, it turns out that you only need to take the first step.

Ben Davis, an ordinary man, did amazing things. His story has attracted millions of views on YouTube, inspiring countless people to change and live a different life.

At the age of 22, Ben was at the bottom of his life. He was addicted to food and weighed 165 kilograms. He had no self-confidence, was in a state of depression for a long time, and even dared not look at himself in the mirror.

He ended a relationship, stopped talking to friends for a long time, and became estranged from his family. Faced with a chaotic life, he chose to deny and escape, and continued to fall.

On Christmas Eve, his grandmother, who always loved him, asked him softly, "Are you happy?" This ordinary question sounded harsh to him, and he suddenly realized that he had been deceiving himself. In order to find happiness again, he decided to start running. At first he ran very slowly, and every step was extremely painful. But he didn't give up. He ran farther and farther, faster and faster. Now he has not only run eight marathons and completed two ultra-Ironman races, but also lost 55 kg (120 pounds).

He edited the process of his transformation into a video and posted it online, which caused a huge response:

‧His story helped Olympic marathon runners break through the wall and achieve new athletic success

A group of women of different ages and backgrounds formed a running community and lost more than 227 kg in total

‧A mother who lost her child got out of depression by running and found the meaning of life again

‧Cancer patients decided to change their lifestyle and started running to raise funds for themselves and cancer

In the summer of 2011, he, his father, and his brother traveled to 32 cities for 40 days, inviting people to run 5 kilometers with them. In the end, they ran with a total of 1,600 people in different locations.

If you take positive action, you can allow yourself to think positive thoughts. Running is an opportunity for change, and you never know where that small step will take you. Ben chose to give it a try, and his brave attempt allowed him to take back control of his life and start a beautiful new life.

Do you want to make a change but don't know how? Don’t think about anything, put on your sneakers and start running!

The article is excerpted from "Change Your Life, Start with Running: Lose 120 Pounds and Start a New Life Through a Sweaty Journey" published by Sancai Culture Publishing House.