Throughout one's life, you will go through a lot of different experiences, both good and bad. And with each experience, you will always learn something. It could be something big, or it could be something small. Either way, the important thing is to try to remember what you learned, and not get stuck in the problem, having it repeat over and over. That's usually a good goal. It is also usually sometimes hard to accomplish, especially if you let your guard down. One experience that I have gone through is one that has seemed to repeat itself over and over...and I thought I would share. For me...this repeat offender is my constant weight struggle. I can go all the way back to high school with my first experience. If I thought long and hard…I am sure I could go back earlier, but why do that?? High school works fine for me…
I was never the biggest kid, or the strongest kid, and I definitely wasn’t the smallest kid. I was an average kid. And average in my day, sometimes got picked on, or made fun of, or whatever the abuse…I got it. After taking so much as one should take, I decided to change things…and I went to the gym after school. I began to do some walking, lifting weights, biking, etc…I just did it after school, I exercised every day if I could. I did whatever it took to get them to leave me alone. To realize I was not one to mess with. Sometimes it worked…sometimes not. But mostly I did it to get into shape. And the important thing…was I was exercising…and as we all know…it’s good for you!!! I was feeling better about myself…and that should have been the first sign…the first clue…the first kick in the head…something to make me realize…”Hey, you should stick with this!” But instead…I graduated, and I stopped going to the gym…and stopped exercising.
When I was in high school, I weighed about 150 pounds. Wow…looking at that number…it seems like a lifetime ago…and actually…it was, as that is over 20 years ago!!! Well…I stopped watching what I ate, as well as barely exercised. And surprise, surprise…I gained a little weight. By the time I was 20, I had joined the Navy. When I checked into boot camp…I was 170 pounds. My boot camp experience was a tough one. I was in a company that well, we were a bunch of screw ups…and that resulted in us exercising or PTing…well A LOT!!! So…when I got out of boot camp, I was down to 155 pounds. I was in great shape…and of course did I continue to exercise after boot camp?? Well…no not really. When I got to my first duty station…I was lucky enough to go to Gaeta, Italy attached to Commander Sixth Fleet. Know what’s good to eat in Italy?? Just about EVERYTHING…that I tried anyway…!! So…I ate…and didn’t exercise so much…and what was the result?? Well…after about a year, I was put on the “Fat Boys” program…as I was above the maximum limit for my height of 192 pounds. So…what was I?? Just a mere 6 pounds over the limit, at 198 pounds. Yes…That’s right. No I was not happy. How the hell did I gain 43 pounds in the Navy…just before my 2 year anniversary?? I dunno…bad luck…?? So I still didn’t see a problem. That it was a lack of self-preservation…and I did what I needed to do, exercising, and losing some weight, and it was a constant struggle for my remaining 6 years of my 8 year Naval Career.
So…fast forward to May of 2000…I am out of the Navy a month…and well…would anyone care to guess what happened?? Yes, that’s right!!! I got LAZY!!!!!! And still having not seeing the signs from before…I barely exercised, and ate and sometimes, that was a lot. Well…I kept saying, “I gotta do something” and yet I didn’t. So what did this result in?? Well…I was the biggest I have EVER been in my life…I was 261 pounds. And now remember…saying and doing are two different things!!! So I started to experience some health issues. The most painful was my asthma flare ups, and so I went to the doctor. Turns out, I was putting a strain on my body, especially my heart, and my lungs. Well shoot…that just sucks!!! What do I do?? Doctor wanted me to lose weight…about 50 pounds…I loved that idea, but HOW??? I was put on a diet, and I lost 10 pounds…but I needed more help. So I joined Weight Watchers, and what do you know?? It worked!!! I was down to 230 pounds in less than 2 years. Which was good, as my son Jack was about 2, and mobile, so it’s now 2005, and thankfully, I needed to and was able to keep up with him!!!
But then I stopped…OH NO!!! WTH WAS I THINKING??? I dunno…but I am still blinded and dumbfounded, as I got up to 242 pounds. So I re-joined WW…and ya know what?? 2 years later, I was down to 215. HOLY SLIM JIM!!!! I FELT GREAT!!! But…then…it happened…I slacked off…and combined with a medical issue, with medicine whose side effects included weight gain…I went back up!!! UGH!!!! WHY DUMMY WHY???!!!! Well, this past Spring I was in a friendly contest, I ran it actually, called Biggest Loser. I only lost 5 pounds, and having been at 247…that was not great. So we took 2 weeks off…and resumed…and I struggled…and ended up at 241…which really was not good!!! Well, starting again on 9/29, I am in yet again another, and hopefully my last, Biggest Loser competition. My personal goal is 20 pounds, which I am hoping BL will help me drop 10 of that.
So…I have yet again taken charge…and this time I am going to KEEP it. Why?? Because I am tired…I am tired of this constant struggle, battle, fight, call it whatever you want…I am sick of it. I am gonna be 40 in 6 weeks. I wanna be done with it. I wanna be better, happier, semi thinner, and a LOT MORE active. It all starts here!!! Just do it!!! Team Bring It!! Whatever the cliché, or the catchphrase…I am using it, to help motivate me!!! As I look back at all I have written, I am asking myself, “Why did I go thru all of that?” And the answer is simple…I didn’t pay attention!!! So I am suggesting to you…PAY ATTENTION!!! Exercise, be it simple, or HUGE…just get out and do it!!! The important thing I am looking at is when I turn 40, I can say, it’s put up or shut up time…I AM NOT GOING BACK!!
So…the other day…I started my quest…and I went to the gym, and exercised, riding the bike, then walking and running the track. I felt GREAT when I was done. And I was there again today…same thing…AND I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!!! Why?? Cause I didn’t stop. But yet…I still have a LONG way to go!!! I am going to do it…and I am gonna lose weight…and I am gonna get better and be better!!! I will succeed!!! So until my next blog…See you at the gym!!!
