This Medical Weight Loss Clinic manager is about to complete her first 50K

Patients seek us out at Medical Weight Loss Clinic for support to reach their healthy goals. Often, they find inspiration there, too.

Tracy Stefanides, manager at the Shelby Township Medical Weight Loss Clinic, has been working toward her own healthy goals. Though she’s been running with a friend for about 8 years, it wasn’t until closer to her 50th birthday in 2021 that she decided she wanted to complete a 50K, an ultramarathon.

Tracy had never even run a full marathon before this year. The farthest she’d gone at once was 13.1 miles – a half-marathon. But she knew she could do more.

“You can’t just go from a half marathon to a 50K,” Tracy says. “So I hooked up with a trainer in January and started training to do a full marathon.” 

Tracy Stefanides, manager at the Shelby Township Medical Weight Loss Clinic, is about to take on her first ultramarathon.

Tracy Stefanides, manager at the Shelby Township Medical Weight Loss Clinic, is about to take on her first ultramarathon.

In April 2021, Tracy completed her first full marathon. Because of the pandemic, she was running solo from Stony Creek to Metro Beach. She had the support of her partner and a running buddy to ensure she stayed hydrated and alert. The best part? That was clearly the support she received at the starting line. 

“I had a few patients with signs there to cheer me on,” Tracy says. And those signs adorn her running room as inspiration for the ultramarathon coming up next month.

Tracy is poised to achieve her goal. She will be among those running in the Stoney Creek Marathon on Nov, 7 in Shelby Township. She credits consistent training and support from her family, friends and especially her trainer and her running buddy, Sam, with getting to this level.

All along, she’s been an inspiration to her patients, too. Tracy sees her goal to run a 50K as quite similar to the goals her patients come in to work toward each day.

Just like weight loss, looking at the whole picture can be overwhelming. But if you consider it as a series of smaller goals - one at a time - anything is possible. Instead of thinking of how much weight you want to lose, focus on what you can achieve over the next month, she suggests. 

And yes, Tracy says, some days will be easier than others. Sometimes she doesn’t feel like running – but she gets out there, starting at 5 a.m. in darkness just to fit in her miles before her work day begins.

“If I’d said I was going to run 1,500 miles this year, I would have said ‘no way!’ says Tracy. “But I do it weekly, monthly. It all adds up over time.”

The key to sticking with running, much like sticking to any healthy program, is to tackle the mental hurdles. If you think you can do it, you can and you will. Know that self-doubt can show up at any time – and it’s important not to let it pull you away from your original goal.

“Goal setting is so important!” she adds.

What’s your healthy goal? Can our staff at Medical Weight Loss Clinic help support your journey?. Schedule your free consultation online to find out, or call 1-800-GET-SLIM.

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When you enroll in a Medical Weight Loss Clinic program, the length of your program will be determined by you and the staff based on the amount of weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. Your actual weight loss will be determined by many factors, including, but not limited to: your medical circumstances, the plan you choose, adherence to the meal plan and use of nutritional supplements. Your goal and program duration information will be given to you in writing at the time of enrollment. As your program progresses, the rate you lose weight may change and you will have the opportunity to discuss this at every daily visit with your weight loss consultant, where changes to your meal plan and/or program can be made.