I decided that after the length of time that I’ve spent developing myself by finding my way to living a healthy lifestyle, that I truly wanted to reach out and help others. My ultimate goal is to help those looking to better themselves by providing a source of informational tips, provide insight into nutrition, and to help motivate and inspire you to find your path. Life moves fast, and that provides a breeding ground for excuses why not to exercise daily or to make smarted nutritional choices. In a nutshell, this is my short story that has brought me to where I am today, a place I am very comfortable with.
My healthy lifestyle journey in a nutshell:
◾1. I was born
◾2. Always physically active throughout childhood and ate food without thinking – no weight issues
◾3. Age 27 – put on 20 lbs to 185ish
◾4. Infomercial – Nordictrack
◾5. First time Nordictrack – 5 minutes thought I would die
◾6. Next 5 years on again off again with Nordictrack but weight stabilized back to mid 160’s
◾7. Cardio become routine in mid 30’s
◾8. Next 15-20 years build up home gym and workout 6-7 days a week mostly cardio
8a. Start eating healthier food (ie cutting out soda, going to fat free stuff, etc)
8b. Added some weight training
◾9. By 50 years old feel good – thought all my cardio was the bomb
◾10. Win the Beachbody workout program RevAbs and skype with Brett Hoebel – HUGE change in what I thought healthy was (not that I was unhealthy)
◾11. 90 days after RevAbs lose 10 lbs + 1.5 in from waist: truely feel best shape of my life (as good as I can be at 50+)
11a. Truly begin clean eating style same time starting RevAbs
11b. Begin taking Shakeology
◾12. Continue to keep the body strong with Les Mills Pump, Les Mills Combat, and P90X
Summary of journey: I’ve always been active but Beachbody somehow made the science of a healthy lifestyle click for me. There are lots of fitness companies that help people and lots of info on the net. None of it dug deep in me or really gave me solid results until #10 happened. I say that because of #11 (amazing results to me considering I thought I was at goal weight and healthy).
In reflecting on all of the years I’ve devoted to fitness, and more recently nutrition which to me completes living a healthy lifestyle, it’s not about a number on a scale or a waist measurement. Those are all great. Having goals built around your body are a driving force. But it’s about the entire me. I feel better from the inside out, and the mirror is only a reflection and a view of that. I’m happy I look the way I do, but I’m happier that at 53 years old I feel as good as I do. I’ve run a few races for the first time in my life, and my results were really a benchmark as to the benefits of living healthy. I ran a Spartan Sprint at Fenway Park in November 2012 (6 months after winning RevAbs) – came in 346 out of over 3,100 competitors. I ran my first 5K Father’s Day 2013 – ran it in 21:23 placing 10th overall out of 306 runners. I’m not bragging, but those results just prove to me how well my approach to living healthy does for the mind and body, especially where I’m 50+. I may not have a story of losing 100+ pounds, or finally being off medication, but for me personally the journey I’ve taken and the sweat and determination I’ve given make me feel good, period.
To anyone who reads this – just keep pushing forward at your pace. Listen and learn from others, but never take anything as gospel. Make a healthy lifestyle fit to you, and only you have the answer as to what fits. What works for me or others may or may not work for you. Any advice I or others give is just guidance. You need to work at being healthy. It’s not easy doing this every day, but don’t give up. I’m passionate because I want to see others change their lives. I want others to look back in the rear view mirror and see what they’ve accomplished. It’s not easy, and we all need a little inspiration and motivation at times. I just hope I can be that to people.
