DO SOMETHING!

I know I usually use this blog for stories about teens. But I thought I'd take just a minute or two to tell you why the photo to the right means so much to me.

On January 1, 2011 I weighed in at 227 and I knew it was time to do something about it. So... for the last year my friend Todd Porter and I have been hitting the gym on a religious basis. We make sure that we give each a hard time when we don’t get to the gym, whether we have an excuse or not. I would also be remiss not to mention my older brother who is an inspiration to me; he went through a journey several years ago and is in great shape. He daily goes to Crossfit in Bowie MD.  In that time I was thinking, this is great for me, I feel good. Yet I was bummed that I was not losing the weight.

You see the garbage I was filling my body was far outweighing, literally, what I was putting out. Finally in January of this year I finally went to my yearly physical that took me three years to schedule, but with a little push from my wife I went. Well needless to say that was the kick in the pants I needed! After talking to that doc my LDL Cholesterol was 453... yes you read that right, I also had some issues with fat around my liver and blood pressure was a little high. You see my father and grandfather died from heart disease, so it was time for a life change, NOT A DIET! The doctor wanted to put me on cholesterol medication right away but I convinced him to allow me to change my eating habits, take natural supplements for cholesterol (more on that in a later post) and intensify my exercise regime, he agreed and I will go back to see him on April 15^th, I will keep you posted

So… the picture... I can't remember the last time I weighed below 200. It has not been easy, the first few weeks the weight just fell off and then the last four to six weeks it has come off about a pound to two pound per week. 

Many people have asked how did you do that? Basically, I took the doctors advice and cut out anything white, like processed sugars and bad carbohydrates. I have a weekly weight lifting schedule and do some sort of cardio for 30 minutes every day, except for Sunday when I rest. I also track all my calories in an app called Lose It. It has not been an easy task, but it has built character and discipline in me.

Please know... I don't write this or show the picture to brag, I have a long way to go. What I do want to do is encourage you. My dad (The Sarge) had a famous quote that my brother's and I use often, "WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO... DO SOMETHING!" So, today do SOMETHING!