Michael Ebbensgard before losing 48 pounds (at left) and after, with son Jacob.

Last April, Michael Ebbensgard just got tired of it.

“I got tired of eating, overeating, feeling stuffed, feeling unhealthy, not being able to keep up with my younger kids,” says Michael, our Sales, Service & Lending Support Manager. “I’d fallen into a trap of food, really, of just constantly wanting to eat junk, going out for big lunches every day. I just got tired of it.”

Ironically, it was a positive step toward fitness that led to Michael’s problems with food. “I quit smoking in 2006, and I’d been a smoker for 18 years before that,” he says. “Afterward, I gained 55 pounds, but it was still definitely a move in the right direction.”

He tried diets like the South Beach Diet to get back to a more healthy size. “But I’d lose a little bit of weight and gain it right back. I finally said to myself, ‘I have to make a life change.'”

He joined a gym and started going during his lunch hour. “I was tired of spending $50 or $60 a week on lunches, on food that was going to make me unhealthy anyway,” he says. He began lifting weights and doing cardio, and the pounds started to come off. Then he injured his shoulder and had to stop lifting.

“I decided that was not going to slow me down, and I took up running instead,” Michael says.

Over the last year, Michael has lost 48 pounds, about 21 percent of his previous body weight. He now runs 20 to 25 miles a week. Wellness Coordinator Lynn Jack recently reached out to him, and he’s now — along with President and COO Jay McKenna, and VPs Mike Kellman and Darrel Eisenhardt — one of the leaders of North Shore Bank’s new employee running club.

Michael is planning to start with two club runs a month after the workday, and will take it easy early on, with perhaps a one-mile run or walk/run. “To avoid any injuries, it’s good to take it slow and add mileage gradually.”

Though never a serious runner before, he’s found he can’t quit it now. “At first it was a desire to lose weight, but after that, I actually became addicted to running, where it’s something I look forward to,” he says. “I pulled a muscle in my leg a couple weeks ago, and I couldn’t run and I actually missed it. I ran my first 5K in May, had a great time doing it, and I’m actually signed up for a half marathon in September.”

He often gets up around 4:45 a.m. to hit the pavement. That’s early. But making the commitment — at whatever time — is important, he notes.

“If you wait to exercise until time allows, you never find the time,” he says. “We’re all busy, especially when you add kids to the mix. You have to schedule it — that’s what you have to do with fitness.”

In concert with his exercise efforts, Michael also has changed how he eats, and he’s quick to point out that he doesn’t “diet.”

“I’m not dieting — I modified my eating behavior. Picking healthier choices. Smaller portions. Not snacking late at night. Not drinking soda,” he says. “But do I still enjoy eating? Absolutely. Will I still go to Buffalo Wild Wings and eat some unhealthy things? Absolutely. I didn’t want to deprive myself of something I enjoyed. I just needed to eat differently.”