On our way home from our Valentine’s Dinner, Sherry and I were talking about how much our lives have changed since doing our first Whole30. Living after Whole30 is like living a life where anything and everything is possible. I see my life in different phases now: childhood, Marines, post-Marines, and post-Whole30. The post-Marines/pre-Whole30 period of my life was marked with difficulty, poor health, and poor fitness. I wasn’t able to do all the fun things I always wanted to do, and I wasn’t able to be as active as I liked to be. I couldn’t plan anything that required a lot of physical agility or stamina, and some things were completely off the list for me due to my excessive weight. Once I lost the weight, everything became a possibility. Once I got fit, everything became a probability.

We have been able to accomplish so much not only in terms of fun and adventures, but even professionally since losing weight and getting fit. Sherry and I have both been able to make progress in our careers since losing weight. I don’t agree with it, but opportunities are greater for those who are average or thin versus obese. I experienced this first-hand, and I can honestly say that things are easier for me now in certain ways professionally. The biggest opportunity I was able to take advantage of was going into the National Guard to resume my military career. This is something that could never have happened when I was obese as I didn’t conform to the height and weight standards, nor could I pass a physical fitness test. Now, I can pass both easily.

I can’t see myself going back to my post-Marines/pre-Whole30 days. I never want to feel like that again. It’s why I’m doing Keto right now: because I am looking to get more weight loss and make some physical gains that Keto seems to be really good at promoting. I’ll go back to Paleo at some point, but for now, I’m hitting Keto hard and I’m also getting back to my running and push-ups. Sherry and I are also doing swing dancing now, and between the lessons and the practice, it’s very physical and demanding. I’m also looking into some other workouts to do on my non-running days. All of these would have been impossible pre-Whole30, but now I’m only limited by time and my motivation, and I have lots and lots of motivation!