"We do it mainly for ourselves and our health" - real transformation of Tomáš Kůrka | 140kg VS. 85kg

[Author: Tomáš Kůrka]

My story began in 2014. I would describe this period as very happy. I was living a happy life with my wife, I had a well-paid job and most importantly, we had our dream son. So what was the problem? My weight! It was around 140kg at 189cm. I didn't realise it was too much at the time. I gradually worked my way up to that weight over the course of 5 years. Comfortable apartment living, sedentary jobs and poor diet did their part. I was fat! Until a person realizes this fact about themselves, they often don't change anything about themselves. So what made me change?

In the spring of 2015, my sister, who was already flirting with healthy eating at the time, came to me.
with the idea of taking part in the June Family Run in České Budějovice. My first feeling was that she was crazy! Me and running? But I'm very glad I didn't turn down the offer. Before I stood at the start of the race, I tried to do some training. Well, practice. It was a bit of a parody of running. Or rather, a tragicomedy. I didn't even run 1km, but luckily I still liked the idea. We somehow managed to run in České Budějovice with me, my sister and my dad and I liked the atmosphere of these events. And here began the clash of my own perception of my body and reality. I always looked forward to seeing a photo from the event, but to see the fat man? I immediately deleted the photo in anger and said to myself, "Not like that!"

Thanks, sis!

I stuck to running. My friend and I also started going to a local fitness center. I vividly remember not being able to put on my jacket for a week after my first visit without pain. I was more drawn to it, but I was still drawn to get out in the fresh air. Even though I always finished at the back of the starting field at sporting events, I'd already run at least 3km in total, for example. I didn't care about the ranking anyway. I enjoyed the experience and pushing my own limits. In 2016 I discovered the South Bohemia Running Cup and gradually met a lot of passionate runners and new friends. Some of us were running for fun and not chasing trophies. We really didn't have the speed for that. Even when we were behind, we were having great battles with each other. It was fun. That's how I gradually got up to around 105kg and ran half marathons. But as it happens, stagnation set in. I adjusted my diet a bit, but overall I didn't know much about it. Training was also quite monotonous, so it was time to look for new things.

It was the summer of 2018 and I saw an ad for an online training course online. I know that opinions about online courses are different, but it helped me a lot. At least until the beginning, it's definitely great. I totally changed my diet. I cut out sugars, semi-processed and other foods. I started to care about the composition of my diet and most importantly I learned how to cook. I make 99% of my own meals, so sometimes I cook for the rest of the family. I have no problem baking myself a low carb gluten free dessert. I've gradually incorporated more side dishes (potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, legumes, quinoa, etc) so I don't have a downright low carb diet. More of a balanced one without sugar and chemicals. For drinking, I just need plain water or unsweetened tea. I'm not going to lie here, sometimes I don't have a popsicle or chocolate for example, but it's minimal. The main thing is to keep the same direction and small sins do not upset me. On a long run, water, 100% nut paste, raw bar or cocoa Purebar is enough for me. At home I just have a multivitamin, omega 3, protein and zinc with magnesium.

Another thing the online course brought me was a change in training. I got to know a lot of weight training exercises with my own weight and different aerobic burn exercises. And what does my daily routine look like? I usually start each day with maybe a 10km run or other aerobic exercise. Then breakfast and off to work. Even if I have a sedentary job, I try to walk or stretch every half hour. When I get back from work I quickly cook a meal for the next day and work out if necessary. Ideally I can get everything done before the rest of the family gets back. On the weekend, if I don't have a race, I'll go for a long run (20 -40km) early in the morning. I run out at a time when most everyone is still asleep. I want to be home as soon as possible so I can spend the rest of the day with my family. It is often very difficult to combine family, sport, cooking and work. That's why I try to combine them. For example, I book lunch at a restaurant, I run the 40km and the rest of the family arrives by car. I would like to thank my family for their understanding and patience with my sport.

So what progress have I finally made?

First of all, the sporting achievements. I liked such events that one remembers for a lifetime. So I have several marathons, or for example the road cycling race King of Sumava. Unforgettable were the events "Himalayan Tiger" and "Himalayan Bear", where you climb for several hours to the summit of Klet. I managed nine of them. Even a week after that I could not descend the stairs without pain. Probably the biggest challenge so far was the circumnavigation of the Lipno reservoir. The length of this run was around 74km. I was also going to do an ultra trail race to Germany this year, but Covid was against it. So maybe next year.

The second achievement is the change of the body shell. I've worked up to a weight of around 85kg at 8% fat. I haven't lost weight since the lifestyle change, but I don't want to jinx it.

And the third success is that I learned to cook. In my opinion, it's ideal if you can prepare good quality food yourself.

What can I say in conclusion? I hope that these lines will be an inspiration for someone. Change is always possible, you just have to set it right in your head. It was not always a walk in the park. I've experienced tears of happiness when completing a marathon, but also tears of disappointment when giving up on a race due to exhaustion or injury. In today's hectic times, it's also not easy to find time for quality food and sport, but the result is worth it. We do it mostly for ourselves and our health. Finally, I would use a favorite quote: "He who wills, finds a way. He who does not want, looks for a reason." My wish for you is that you will find a way and your eventual change will succeed.

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