A few years ago, Chief Butler was much heavier. He wanted to do something about that. His first step was entering a weight loss challenge that was held within the Fire Department. His wife’s place of employment was also holding a similar challenge that spouses could join. During these challenges, he became aware of the value of calorie counting and tracking exercise. At the end of 16 weeks, he and his wife had each lost 49 lbs.
A TV show the Chief enjoys watching is “Biggest Loser.” The program shows how weight loss can be so empowering. He believes people who are that successful develop this mental toughness that can translate into achieving anything to which they set their mind.
A tool the Chief relies heavily on is his Fitbit. It makes it easy to track the food he eats, his weight and all his exercise. He attributes his ability to maintain his weight to closely monitoring his daily habits.
To be successful, Chief Butler believes you have to start with a goal. It has to be realistic and something you enjoy doing. The Chief enjoys running. He made a goal a few years ago to run every street in the City of Saint Paul. Using a large map showing all the City streets, he creates the day’s route and highlights it when completed. He will have completed all City streets as he runs Summit Avenue/John Ireland towards the finish line of the Twin Cities Marathon this fall.