My name is Scott Anderson I am 40 years old and I live in Denver, CO.  I am applying to CNN‘s Fit Nation 2012 Six Pack Club because my journey to become physically fit started a little over two years ago, when my weight topped out at 306 pounds.  All of my life I have had to struggle with my weight.

As I approached 40, I knew I had to start living a healthier lifestyle or I would end up unhealthy like many of the people around me.  My stepfather’s battle with his weight led him to gastric by-pass surgery, my mother is borderline diabetic, and several friends were on high blood pressure and cholesterol medications.  I was healthy, considering my weight, but I knew it was only a matter of time before that would change, if I did not take control of my health. 

Slowly, I started to watch what I ate and to think about what I was putting into my body.  Some weeks, I would lose a few pounds, some I would not.  There were many difficulties on this initial journey to gain control over my weight and health.

One day, I was looking to the app store on my iPhone and saw a running app call c25k.  I had always dreamed of one day running a marathon.

I joined a gym and started working out.  After a few weeks of struggling through my workouts, I started to see results that are more consistent. The workouts combined with writing down what I ate were paying off.

After losing the first 40 pounds, I decided to try the c25k app I had downloaded several months earlier.  At first, running for 60-90 seconds was hard. I was motivated and held accountable by the automatic post the app would make to Facebook.  My friend’s likes and words of encouragement kept me motivated.

Then something more daring started to creep into my head, the dream I had always had, to run a marathon. 

In 2010, I registered for the Colfax Half Marathon.  I completed my first half marathon in May of 2011.  This proved just the beginning.

I learned through my journey to better health and fitness that I need to schedule my workouts.  Working out is like having a job; you have to show up and work hard if you want to be paid.

On Oct 9, 2011, I traveled to Long Beach, CA and finished my first marathon. Completing the marathon was one of the most amazing and transformative journeys of my life.

Through regular exercise and writing down everything I ate, I have lost 116 pounds.  I have found many useful fitness apps, blogs and other resources on the web, to support me in my journey to better health and fitness.

However, as I ran my first marathon I noticed something—fellow runners with Ironman tattoos.  The thought started to creep into my head.  Could I take on a triathlon?  To continue to push my fitness and health, to one day call myself not just a marathoner, but also a triathlete.

I want to be a part of CNN Fit nation 2012 Six Pack Club because over my journey to better health and fitness I am proud to have motivated many of my friends to follow my example. They are taking on the challenge of improving their health and fitness too.  I know this is only the beginning of my journey and every day for the rest of my life, I have to continue to work to maintain and improve my fitness and health. I am ready for the challenge of a triathlon.