Month: December 2018

I used to put off losing weight and getting healthy because I just loved food so much. I figured I had all the time in the world to get healthy, so why start now? For me, things came to a head when I was trying to tie my shoes one morning, and I found I couldn’t do so without holding my breath; my stomach was so large, it physically impeded me from tying my own shoes comfortably. What didn’t get me to start losing weight on their own merits were the following:

• Diabetes. I was on Metformin for two years, but that wasn’t enough for me to begin adopting a healthy lifestyle.
• Obesity. I weighed over 312 lbs, yet this was’t reason enough either.
• Fatty Liver Disease. I figured this was irreversible.
• Unable to climb a single flight of stairs without being winded. 
• Failing eye sight (due to Diabetes).
• Numbness and tingling in lower extremities (due to circulation issues)
• XXXL clothing. It was getting hard to find clothing to fit me outside of t-shirts and jeans or sweat pants.

Now, to be fair, after I realized that tying my own shoes had become a major issue, it was more like the straw that broke the camel’s back. Once I realized that something had to change, all those aforementioned bullet points hit me at once. I realized my life had to change.

So, what is keeping you from adopting a healthier lifestyle? What are you waiting for? What reasons do  you have that are compelling enough to keep you from living your best life?

This weekend was very busy as it not only involved a lot of training for my Soldiers, but it was also the weekend when we hold our annual St. Barbara’s Ball. St. Barbara is the patron saint of the Field Artillery, and we have a ball annually to honor and celebrate members of the Field Artillery, past and present. If you know anything about military balls, then you also know it involves a lot of drinking.

The holiday season is tough enough without drinking, but like I’ve said many times before, certain life events are too important and too memorable to skip. While I could easily have gone to the ball and not drank any alcohol, many of the traditions include toasts and drinking of the “Grog,” which is an alcoholic beverage. I was not going to miss out on tradition, so I partook.

Fortunately,  I didn’t drink too much, and while I did have a headache the next morning, I felt fine within a few hours of waking up. Hydration is a necessity when drinking, and I let myself down in that regard.

Today is Monday, and I’m back on my strict eating plan: strict Paleo, and no alcohol. I have a 5k run coming up on Saturday, and there is a good chance I’ll be attending a military career development course in January, so I need to not only kick up my running and exercise to 3-4 times a week, but I also need to lose some weight. While I’m not very much over my max, I am by a few pounds. I’d rather not have to resort to measuring my body fat.

This holiday season, enjoy your time with your family and friends. I’m not condoning throwing all common sense out the window, but employing some moderation and making smart choices to mitigate the damage goes a long way toward holding your ground when it comes to your health and your weight.