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After hearing about her brother-in-law competing in Spartan and Tough Mudder races, Arleen Crespo hoped to join one, too. But weighing 230 pounds at 5 feet 5 inches tall, the grueling race seemed impossible to her.
Doing anything physical was exhausting," she told TODAY.
Crespo, 33, wasnt always overweight. After high school, she turned to food for comfort and slowly became heavier. She wasnt even sure how much she weighed.
How these 4 friends lost over 400 pounds together Play Video - 1:00
How these 4 friends lost over 400 pounds together Play Video - 1:00
I never wanted to step on a scale, she said.
After taking a hard look at herself in the mirror, Crespo knew she had to change. She also hoped that by losing weight she could compete in races. She joined a local gym, the Meriden Edge, in Meriden, Connecticut, where she met a trainer, who helped her create an exercise regimen and healthy eating habits.
While Arleen Crespo wanted to lose weight because she disliked how she looked, she also wanted to run a Tough Mudder. She encouraged her three friends to join her.
While the gym membership helped her drop 90 pounds in a year, its also where she met three other women, who inspired and motivated her and gave her the confidence she needed to complete a Tough Mudder.
The foursome, who lost a combined 422 pounds while working out together, ran as a team in 2016 at the Tough Mudder New England at Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont.
We were all on the same track of life, said Amy-Jo Reid, 36, a member of the group with Quasheena Young, 37, and Brooke Steneck, 24.
In 2014, Reid learned she was likely going to become pre-diabetic and have a fatty liver if she didn't make a change. So she joined the same gym and worked with a trainer in addition to taking Zumba and boot camp classes. In a year, she lost 104 pounds.
I actually didnt know the women before I met them at one of the group classes, Reid said.
Amy-Jo Reid lost 104 pounds, but gained three friends who helped her maintain her weight loss.
After meeting in 2014, they realized how determined they were to lose weight and started encouraging one another. They share healthy recipes, and someone calls Steneck every morning to wake her for the gym they know she sleeps through her alarm.
If someone is having a hard time, we give words of encouragement, Reid said.
Throughout their friendship, Crespo often mentioned wanting to do a Tough Mudder race.
I didnt research it. I said, How much is it? Lets do it, said Young.
But when Young realized how intense it was, she worried. Even though she had lost 108 pounds, she wasnt sure if she could complete the race. But her friends keep her motivated.
Its a sisterhood, she said. One of the best things that came from joining the gym is we have each other.
Quasheena Young lost 108 pounds and feels healthier and stronger. When her friends mentioned the Tough Mudder, she agreed to participate and had no idea what she was getting into.
Steneck who has lost about 70 pounds really needed the support in the Tough Mudder. In mile three, she injured her shoulder and thought it was dislocated.
I immediately started crying, she said. But she visited the medical tent and returned to the race at the end.
I missed a large chunk of the race, she said. They looked like they were hurting a little bit I pushed everyone.
This year Steneck and Reid completed another Tough Mudder. For personal reasons Crespo and Young couldnt. But they continue inspiring one another and shared this advice to others hoping to lose weight:
What it's really like to lose 100 pounds Play Video - 1:01
What it's really like to lose 100 pounds Play Video - 1:01
When Reid started tracking how much lean protein, veggies and fruit she ate, she shed pounds. Then she hit a plateau after losing 60 pounds. Being able to look at her diet helped her modify it to lose again.
I always thought it was just the calories you eat, she said. But its getting the right percentage of protein (fat and carbs).
When Crespo started losing weight, she sometimes felt like it was too hard. But that was her brain, not her body, talking.
Your mind holds back a lot of what your body can do, she said.
Young agrees.
You tell your mind what to do and your body is going to follow, she said.
Going to the gym five or six days a week felt selfish, but when Youngs health improved, she realized the investment was important.
Being overweight, I didnt care about my worth, said Young. You have to know, I am worth it. I am worth going to the gym five days a week.
It feels hard to take time off when youre injured, but Steneck learned she needed to care for her body.
Respect your body, fuel it, rest it. Take the time off if you need to take the time off. Just because you didnt get a work out in, doesnt mean you fail, she said.
At 190 pounds, Brooke Steneck has run a Tough Mudder twice, thanks to the support of her friends.
One day, Young was doing box jumps with Crespo and simply thought she couldnt do another one. But Crespo cheered her on and Young finished them. When they raced, Crespo and Young felt uncomfortable with the water, but Reid encouraged them.
I wouldnt have been able to do this without my girls by my side, Crespo said.
For more inspirational stories, check out our My Weight-Loss Journey page.
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'It's a sisterhood': How friendship helped 4 women lose 422 pounds combined - Today.com
