Today, I turn 49 years old. I don’t feel that old. Heck, I feel better than I did in my 30’s.

People ask me all the time what feels different now versus my fat self. The first thing that comes to mind is that I feel younger: I have so much more energy, flexibility, and mobility. I feel like I can do anything I want to with no physical limitation. Losing the amount of weight I have has truly been a liberating experience.

As I look back on the past ten months, I can’t help but to wonder where I’d be if Sherry and I hadn’t taken the leap to try a Whole30 and then to adopt the Paleo lifestyle. I am certain that I wouldn’t have had all the amazing experiences I’ve had this past 10 months as my fatness would have limited me quite a bit as it had in the past. I’m also sure I wouldn’t have been able to see some of the things I saw due to my inability to hike long distances. I’ve lived more in the past 10 months than I have in the past few years before I lost the weight.

As I look forward, I see a bunch of good years ahead with Sherry and I being able to do so much more, experience more of life, and to have a quality of life we haven’t had since we’ve been together.

This truly is a happy birthday.