As I’m currently on active duty in the Army (I’m a Warrant Officer in the Army National Guard currently attending the Warrant Officer Basic Course on Fort Sill), my nutrition is completely dependent on my own choices and preparation, and as an officer, the exercise regimen is largely left to our individual judgment. This is very good for me, as I’m 54-years old, and undertaking a physical fitness plan designed for Soldiers in their 20’s would likely leave me injured or worse.

As I live in an apartment on-post/on-base, I do meal prep on the weekends to make lunches and dinners. There are occasions where I will eat dinner with friends and classmates, but even then, I do my best to make the most healthy choices I can. Steak, sweet potatoes, grilled salmon, and pizza with cauliflower crust are my go-to’s.

Back to my fitness; I lift weights in the gym here in the mornings (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, currently) and I run or ride air bikes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When weather and time permits, I also mountainbike in the afternoons. Just today, I rode my mountain bike with a friend in Wichita Falls, TX.

I thought maintaining a healthy diet would be difficult here, but it has been surprisingly easy with a crock pot and healthy ingredients I get from the commissary or a local health food store. I am fit, I am healthy, and I’m getting stronger/faster.

Whatever your situation, don’t let your environment affect your healthy plans. There are always creative ways around the problem, and it’s up to you to find them and to put them into action. Your success belongs solely to you.