05/06/2021
Stephanie Laska: Small Steps, Big Benefits
“Exercise for me is not about running a marathon, and it’s about those daily decisions to just go outside.”
Growing up, Stephanie Laska, 44, never worked out. She chose music class over P.E. and had Kool-Aid and Froot Loops every day. It wasn’t until her 40s, weighing around 300 pounds, that she decided she needs a lifestyle reboot. A few simple diet changes, like dropping sugary soda and limiting beer and desserts, helped her lose 50 pounds. But she quickly hit a plateau and knew it was time to start moving.
“The details [of a workout schedule] stressed me out at first,” says the Californian. “When do you exercise? Who takes the kids to school? Who makes dinner?” After a few months of putting it off, she decided just to walk. Not long after, when she was walking her typical route around a tennis court, she decided to pick it up and run the length of one side. Then, she ran two sides, then three, then a complete loop, until she ran her first mile in 2014.
Laska ran her first 26.2 in 2015, scoring first place in her age group. She completed her second this past fall in NYC as a PowerBar Clean Start team member, just one year after having major surgery.
The idea of taking life one step at a time has led Laska to make more time for herself and say no to responsibilities that don’t improve her well-being. This has also improved her relationships with her husband and kids and even brought on a promotion at work, she says. “People always ask the hardest thing about losing weight, and I respond that it was saying no to buttered popcorn at the movies,” Laska says. “Exercise for me is not about running a marathon. It’s about those daily decisions to just go outside.”
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