Cool Things My Friends Do - Phil Gerbyshak Sheds 51 Pounds (and is still going strong)

Each Friday on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their personal and professional lives.

My friend Phil Gerbyshak is a social media guy. Now many of us run across people who claim status as "Social Media Guru"... but Phil is the real deal. He is also a networking super hero who loves to connect people to ideas, information and other people to make them more of what they want to be. He does a lot of speaking and training on the topics of social media and networking, and he just loves to connect. I got to know Phil online via many marketing social media communities, but we really became friends when he became active in the National Speakers Association (and the NSA XY group).

Phil has a big heart and always is there to help people find success.  But his heart was not all that was BIG.  Until now!!  This week as he celebrated his birthday he proudly announced that he has lost 51 pounds since his last birthday.  WOW. That is cool. 

He did this by being way more intentional about his life. He looked at everything he was doing, and changed a lot of it. Phil focused on eating smaller portions and getting his butt moving. A little at first, then a little more, and now he's doing 10Ks and group fitness 3 days a week.

About his weight loss, Phil says he feels like a new person!  More energy. Happier. Sleeping better. Clothes fit better. He adds "I can do more every day, and I feel addicted to exercise. And my blood pressure is normal again for the first time in 5 years. Life is GREAT!"  

The biggest thing he has learned is life is a choice. You can choose whatever you want, but it will have consequences. Some good consequences, some bad. Exercising gives him good consequences that he loves and he is choosing happiness, energy and exercise --- every day.

The second thing he learned is it takes time to make lasting changes. He hadn't exercised or even thought much about exercise since he left the Navy in 1995. Over that time he went from 180 to 317 pounds (his high weight last December). In 20 years he put on 150 pounds (YIKES) . He lost the 51 pounds a little at a time over a year. He is not usually a patient person, but insists he is getting better at it.... and is committed to keep going.

He is traveling to San Francisco to run the Bay to Breakers race in 2014.  He lived in California when he was at the fittest and happiest point of his life... so this trip is important to him. It's a 12K race, so it may also be the longest race he will run (I don't know, sounds like a Marathon is in his future!!!).

And numerically, if you're keeping score, he wants to weigh (not bowl) 225 by July 1, 2014.  My guess is he will get there.  

Have A Great Day

thom singer