My nephew, Ryan, has been stationed in Iraq for almost a year. We can’t wait for him to come home.
A few days ago he sent me an email about his quest to look good naked and I asked him if I could share it with all of you.
Even in Iraq
When I got to Kuwait I weighed about 240lbs. Probably extra weight gained from the amount of stress and depression I was going through.
As shitty as Iraq can be, it taught me a lot about myself. IED's and car bombs, blowing up throwing me off the top of my truck, bullets ricocheting against the t-wall next to my room, battling fear every time we left the wire which was almost every day. Constantly thinking this could be my last ride. But the biggest battle for me was myself.
When you are in this environment you can't control what might happen on the roads or what might fall from the sky. You can only control yourself. That's it.
On top of sweating it out with 75lbs of gear on all the time, I made an effort to eat better and work out when I had the energy. If I did not have the energy I did not always push it, only because it was 135 degrees out and I was walking around police stations in Baghdad all day.
At the "JSS" (Joint Security Station) where I lived there were only about 80 other soldiers there. It was located in the middle of Baghdad, where we could hear and see a lot of the "action."
At a JSS there isn't a lot to do but act like jack asses, play video games and work out. So I tried to use that time wisely. I ran when it was not to hot out, 7.5 laps around the base was 2 miles. First time I have ever run anywhere where there is a chance I might have to get to cover!
I struggle with asthma, more severely than I allude to the Army, only because I wanted to deploy.
My squad mates, a lot of whom are phenomenal runners, would run with me and motivate me and cheer me on. They wouldn't leave until I was finished. They take the warrior ethos with them even to a run, where they “leave no man behind”. I learned to fight through a lot of it, and suck up the pain.
I went with the others in my squad to the gym. It was always an entertaining trip for us. We made lot of jabs at each other, but especially at my squad leader who is the most vein person I have ever met!! He literally stares at himself in the mirror all the damn time.
I did not understand it at first. I thought it was annoying and that he needed to get over himself. But then I took a step back and watched all the hard work he put in. He had the most difficult job out of all of us. Not only was he in charge of our entire squad, he had to plan all the missions and deal with the BS that comes with working for a Colonel.
With all of the BS and hard work he put in, he always made it to the gym no matter what. You could hear him yelling "WOOOOOOOOO!" from the gym all the time. He did it before missions too. I think he did it to get himself amped up.
He is also a father of two boys and is married. So I figured, “Man if he can balance all of that, I can better myself.”
I continued my work in the gym. We moved from the JSS last month. We went from doing stuff everyday to doing absolutely nothing. So he and I have been on a work out plan together along with another soldier, and it has been a great stress reliever.
For example, I never used to work out my legs. I absolutely hate working legs. I yell things like "Legs are for communists and hippies!", because I hate it so much. But he has a way to motivate me and the other guys.
Having people there for you when you are at your worst and best is the key to getting through something difficult. I am now proudly 215 lbs., which was my goal when I got here.
Not only did I meet my goals but I grew close to my squad while doing it. I am thankful every day that I have been safe here and for all the great friends I have made. And now I can look good naked when I return home!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Setting Goals
On an overcast, raining Sunday I looked up from doing my work to see my twenty year-old daughter run by my window. In that moment, I saw her look down at her watch and then keep on running.
In my quest to look good naked, it reminded me of how important setting goals can be. I have daily, weekly and monthly goals for my diet, exercise and weight loss. The simple act of setting those goals helps me to push through my moments of weakness to attain them.
On a larger scale I have watched my daughter turn herself into a scholar/athlete by setting goals and believing in herself.
Kourtney was an average runner and an average student in high school and she enjoyed a wonderful high school experience.
She was disappointed when she didn’t get accepted into her preferred colleges. She didn’t have the higher GPA or the accomplishments of a superior runner to gain the attention of those colleges.
I remember distinctly the day that my son Sam and I drove her to the University of Maine at Orono and dropped her off to spend a week training with the cross country team before the beginning of her freshman year there. She was so timid and nervous. When I picked her up 6 days later, to take her to her cousin’s wedding, she looked and acted like a completely different person. I could see in her face that she had achieved a higher fitness level as it was narrower and her wonderful cheekbones, lightly covered with freckles, looked higher.
What really stood out was her enthusiasm and exuberance in regard to her teammates, the team and the university. She wouldn’t shut up on the whole two hour ride home. It was in that moment that I knew she was going to be fine at college.
What I didn’t understand was how she was in the process of turning herself into a high achieving student and athlete. She won’t talk about her first semester because her GPA, as she puts it, was “way to low”. She trained with the cross country team but she wasn’t accomplished enough to run in the meets.
Things started to click in her second semester as she made the Dean’s list with a 3.6GPA and ran much faster than she had ever run in high school.
She also started her first relationship and I loved watching the way the she handled it with such maturity. She didn’t learn that from me! Her boyfriend’s name is Chris and he is also a motivated, goal setting young man.
At the start of her sophomore year she returned to school with Chris. He had gotten seriously ill with spinal meningitis just before school started for the fall and he could barely walk or do much of anything. Just standing up would make him throw up and get enormous headaches.
In addition to her own work, Kourt help Chris in every way she could.
With running, tutoring other athletes, helping Chris, studying and managing some chronic running injuries she achieved a 3.8 while Chris achieved a 4.0.
There were many moments during that semester and her entire sophomore year when she was overwhelmed but breaking things down to smaller goals helped her to push through the tough moments.
Her chronic injuries kept her from running much and she had to cross train to keep and improve her fitness level. She trained with the cross country and track teams she didn’t actually compete at all during that year.
Where she was able to compete was in the classroom and that spring she achieved her first 4.0. I know her high school teachers would say, “Kourtney "who" got a 4.0?”
Last summer she slowly increased her running and kept up her cross training. When she returned to school they had their first time trial to see who would make the cross country team. She placed 8th and for the first time in her 3 year college career she made the team. I can’t really describe how excited she was or how much fun it was for me to watch her run in those college meets all last fall.
That semester she achieved another 4.0 and as the indoor season started it was clear that she was rapidly becoming a completely different runner than she had ever been.
She concentrated on the 3K and the 5K indoors and after her first race and a personal record I realized that instead of trying to achieve a certain time in those races it is actually better to beak the race down into a time per lap. It’s easier to focus on 200 meters at time then 5000 meters all at once.
It’s the same reason that I have daily goals and overall goals in my quest to look good naked.
With Kourt we were able to simply calculate what each split needed to be in order to keep her on track and I made sure that she heard each split whenever she raced. Combined with her training, this worked remarkably well as she set personal records six races in a row and placed in her team’s conference championships in the 5K.
She has come a long way since high school. Her emotional, intellectual and physical developments are rapidly moving forward and she knows there are many more great goals to be attained.
I know that at 51, if I use Kourt as my inspiration, that I have many more goals to attain.
This morning I weighed myself and found that I have lost 22 pounds since November 1st and that I only have eight pounds to go before I reach my goal. I plan on following Kourt’s example and breaking down my goals and pushing through the tough times even when I don’t feel that exercising at all.
I know I’m going to look good naked by my 52nd birthday!
In my quest to look good naked, it reminded me of how important setting goals can be. I have daily, weekly and monthly goals for my diet, exercise and weight loss. The simple act of setting those goals helps me to push through my moments of weakness to attain them.
On a larger scale I have watched my daughter turn herself into a scholar/athlete by setting goals and believing in herself.
Kourtney was an average runner and an average student in high school and she enjoyed a wonderful high school experience.
She was disappointed when she didn’t get accepted into her preferred colleges. She didn’t have the higher GPA or the accomplishments of a superior runner to gain the attention of those colleges.
I remember distinctly the day that my son Sam and I drove her to the University of Maine at Orono and dropped her off to spend a week training with the cross country team before the beginning of her freshman year there. She was so timid and nervous. When I picked her up 6 days later, to take her to her cousin’s wedding, she looked and acted like a completely different person. I could see in her face that she had achieved a higher fitness level as it was narrower and her wonderful cheekbones, lightly covered with freckles, looked higher.
What really stood out was her enthusiasm and exuberance in regard to her teammates, the team and the university. She wouldn’t shut up on the whole two hour ride home. It was in that moment that I knew she was going to be fine at college.
What I didn’t understand was how she was in the process of turning herself into a high achieving student and athlete. She won’t talk about her first semester because her GPA, as she puts it, was “way to low”. She trained with the cross country team but she wasn’t accomplished enough to run in the meets.
Things started to click in her second semester as she made the Dean’s list with a 3.6GPA and ran much faster than she had ever run in high school.
She also started her first relationship and I loved watching the way the she handled it with such maturity. She didn’t learn that from me! Her boyfriend’s name is Chris and he is also a motivated, goal setting young man.
At the start of her sophomore year she returned to school with Chris. He had gotten seriously ill with spinal meningitis just before school started for the fall and he could barely walk or do much of anything. Just standing up would make him throw up and get enormous headaches.
In addition to her own work, Kourt help Chris in every way she could.
With running, tutoring other athletes, helping Chris, studying and managing some chronic running injuries she achieved a 3.8 while Chris achieved a 4.0.
There were many moments during that semester and her entire sophomore year when she was overwhelmed but breaking things down to smaller goals helped her to push through the tough moments.
Her chronic injuries kept her from running much and she had to cross train to keep and improve her fitness level. She trained with the cross country and track teams she didn’t actually compete at all during that year.
Where she was able to compete was in the classroom and that spring she achieved her first 4.0. I know her high school teachers would say, “Kourtney "who" got a 4.0?”
Last summer she slowly increased her running and kept up her cross training. When she returned to school they had their first time trial to see who would make the cross country team. She placed 8th and for the first time in her 3 year college career she made the team. I can’t really describe how excited she was or how much fun it was for me to watch her run in those college meets all last fall.
That semester she achieved another 4.0 and as the indoor season started it was clear that she was rapidly becoming a completely different runner than she had ever been.
She concentrated on the 3K and the 5K indoors and after her first race and a personal record I realized that instead of trying to achieve a certain time in those races it is actually better to beak the race down into a time per lap. It’s easier to focus on 200 meters at time then 5000 meters all at once.
It’s the same reason that I have daily goals and overall goals in my quest to look good naked.
With Kourt we were able to simply calculate what each split needed to be in order to keep her on track and I made sure that she heard each split whenever she raced. Combined with her training, this worked remarkably well as she set personal records six races in a row and placed in her team’s conference championships in the 5K.
She has come a long way since high school. Her emotional, intellectual and physical developments are rapidly moving forward and she knows there are many more great goals to be attained.
I know that at 51, if I use Kourt as my inspiration, that I have many more goals to attain.
This morning I weighed myself and found that I have lost 22 pounds since November 1st and that I only have eight pounds to go before I reach my goal. I plan on following Kourt’s example and breaking down my goals and pushing through the tough times even when I don’t feel that exercising at all.
I know I’m going to look good naked by my 52nd birthday!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Using the Past for Inspiration in the Future
I believe that we are all looking for inspiration in our lives. I also believe that inspiration is always with us if we are on the lookout for those moments that will help us move forward and attain our personal happiness and goals.
In my quest to “look good naked” I am hyper aware of those things that inspire me.
This week I was given the gift of witnessing my parents being uplifted by their own positive actions from almost fifty years ago.
My dad is eighty-two and my mom is seventy-six. The last few years have been a struggle as dad has balanced diabetes, a slow growing prostate cancer, major heart surgery to replace a leaky valve and a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
At the same time mom, who has a family history of Alzheimer’s and dementia, has been diagnosed with “mild cognitive impairment”. She has taken direct action to minimize the risk of any further decline but bouts with depression and anxiety, along with her concern for dad make life complicated and tough.
One of the things that helps both of them is to look at pictures and articles from the past. Dad has done a magnificent job in chronicling their life together by compiling articles and mementos into detailed scrap books that cover the entire fifty-eight years of their marriage and beyond.
A few months ago dad called me and my sisters and asked us to write down our memories of our summer visits with Evelyn Vidal (now Rella) who came to Maine each summer, from the age of eight, through the Fresh Air Fund.
My first reaction to dad was “Why don’t we have Evelyn write her thoughts about her experiences in Maine with the Bonseys?” So I picked up the phone and gave Evelyn a call. I knew from the excitement and vibrancy in her voice that my phone call was going to lead to something good and powerful.
Her first reaction was to invite us to her house to visit. I loved the idea but I also knew that traveling from Surry, Maine to New York City was going to be a major task for mom and dad. I decided to go for it and I gave the trip to my parents as a Christmas gift. After a few moments of hesitation my parents committed and we planned the trip so that my sister Lynn, who is a teacher, could join us on the excursion.
Lynn brought my parents from Surry to Kennebunkport and then we left the next morning for NYC. My youngest son, Sam, also road with us to NYC to get a bus that would take him to visit his mom. He won’t soon forget a ride that was full of laughter and stories that he had never heard before.
It is amazing how being with people you love, telling stories and laughing can energize you. It is sort of intoxicating. Dad got so “into it” that he even told us the story from his navy days after WWII when he was in Trinidad and how an overweight, toothless hooker walked right up to him, grabbed his crotch and said “Come with me big boy!”
When we got the NYC we dropped Sam off to catch his bus, checked into our hotel on Staten Island and after a nice nap, headed to Evelyn’s home in Matawan, New Jersey.
We pulled up to her beautiful house and slowly helped dad from the car and shuffled up her steps. We rang the doorbell and it seemed to take forever for Evelyn to come to door. Finally the door flew open and there stood Evelyn with her beautiful smile and spirited personality. She was so excited and emotional and she gave us all hugs as we all shed tears of joy.
We went to dinner that night with Evelyn and her wonderful husband, Dennis. We heard all about her life and how important our family and spending time in Maine had been to her.
This part was especially important for my mom. It was mom’s idea to participate in the Fresh Air Fund. Evelyn told the story of arriving on a Grey Hound bus, as and eight year old, seeing my sister Lynn with her long blonde pigtails and knowing that we were her family. Mom immediately took Evelyn grocery shopping for the things that she liked and, of course, my sister Lynn complained that mom never did that for her. Some things never change.
As Evelyn told story after story of how my mother’s actions, during her visits for the next seven years, had a powerful positive impact on her entire life I could see my mom becoming more relaxed, confident and happy.
We spent the next day with Evelyn, having lunch, going to Museum of Natural History and having dinner with Dennis and Evelyn’s daughter Dawn and son-in law Nick.
I can’t relate all the stories and the amount of laughter that we experienced in our time with Evelyn. She is a remarkable woman with a wonderful family who used many of the skills that my parents were able to impart on her to build a terrific life for herself.
The trip also helped me to see how much my parents are dealing with on a day to day basis. Dad can barely walk (We used a wheelchair to get him around NYC and yes, I did pop a few wheelies with him in the chair!), takes a myriad of pills, has to check his blood sugar and take injections several times a day and understandably gets exhausted easily.
Mom worries about dad and has her own bouts with depression, anxiety and exhaustion.
Through all of those issues they had the strength and courage to take a risk and go on a trip that connected them to who they are, two inspiring people whose lives have had a positive impact on me, my sisters, Evelyn and countless others over the course of their lifetimes.
The energy from this trip will help to propel them forward and help them deal with obstacles along the way. It will also help me move forward and push myself on days when I’m lacking in energy and enthusiasm. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go jump on the treadmill as I pursue my goal of “looking good naked!”
In my quest to “look good naked” I am hyper aware of those things that inspire me.
This week I was given the gift of witnessing my parents being uplifted by their own positive actions from almost fifty years ago.
My dad is eighty-two and my mom is seventy-six. The last few years have been a struggle as dad has balanced diabetes, a slow growing prostate cancer, major heart surgery to replace a leaky valve and a recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
At the same time mom, who has a family history of Alzheimer’s and dementia, has been diagnosed with “mild cognitive impairment”. She has taken direct action to minimize the risk of any further decline but bouts with depression and anxiety, along with her concern for dad make life complicated and tough.
One of the things that helps both of them is to look at pictures and articles from the past. Dad has done a magnificent job in chronicling their life together by compiling articles and mementos into detailed scrap books that cover the entire fifty-eight years of their marriage and beyond.
My first reaction to dad was “Why don’t we have Evelyn write her thoughts about her experiences in Maine with the Bonseys?” So I picked up the phone and gave Evelyn a call. I knew from the excitement and vibrancy in her voice that my phone call was going to lead to something good and powerful.
Her first reaction was to invite us to her house to visit. I loved the idea but I also knew that traveling from Surry, Maine to New York City was going to be a major task for mom and dad. I decided to go for it and I gave the trip to my parents as a Christmas gift. After a few moments of hesitation my parents committed and we planned the trip so that my sister Lynn, who is a teacher, could join us on the excursion.
Lynn brought my parents from Surry to Kennebunkport and then we left the next morning for NYC. My youngest son, Sam, also road with us to NYC to get a bus that would take him to visit his mom. He won’t soon forget a ride that was full of laughter and stories that he had never heard before.
It is amazing how being with people you love, telling stories and laughing can energize you. It is sort of intoxicating. Dad got so “into it” that he even told us the story from his navy days after WWII when he was in Trinidad and how an overweight, toothless hooker walked right up to him, grabbed his crotch and said “Come with me big boy!”
When we got the NYC we dropped Sam off to catch his bus, checked into our hotel on Staten Island and after a nice nap, headed to Evelyn’s home in Matawan, New Jersey.
We pulled up to her beautiful house and slowly helped dad from the car and shuffled up her steps. We rang the doorbell and it seemed to take forever for Evelyn to come to door. Finally the door flew open and there stood Evelyn with her beautiful smile and spirited personality. She was so excited and emotional and she gave us all hugs as we all shed tears of joy.
We went to dinner that night with Evelyn and her wonderful husband, Dennis. We heard all about her life and how important our family and spending time in Maine had been to her.
This part was especially important for my mom. It was mom’s idea to participate in the Fresh Air Fund. Evelyn told the story of arriving on a Grey Hound bus, as and eight year old, seeing my sister Lynn with her long blonde pigtails and knowing that we were her family. Mom immediately took Evelyn grocery shopping for the things that she liked and, of course, my sister Lynn complained that mom never did that for her. Some things never change.
As Evelyn told story after story of how my mother’s actions, during her visits for the next seven years, had a powerful positive impact on her entire life I could see my mom becoming more relaxed, confident and happy.
We spent the next day with Evelyn, having lunch, going to Museum of Natural History and having dinner with Dennis and Evelyn’s daughter Dawn and son-in law Nick.
I can’t relate all the stories and the amount of laughter that we experienced in our time with Evelyn. She is a remarkable woman with a wonderful family who used many of the skills that my parents were able to impart on her to build a terrific life for herself.
The trip also helped me to see how much my parents are dealing with on a day to day basis. Dad can barely walk (We used a wheelchair to get him around NYC and yes, I did pop a few wheelies with him in the chair!), takes a myriad of pills, has to check his blood sugar and take injections several times a day and understandably gets exhausted easily.
Mom worries about dad and has her own bouts with depression, anxiety and exhaustion.
Through all of those issues they had the strength and courage to take a risk and go on a trip that connected them to who they are, two inspiring people whose lives have had a positive impact on me, my sisters, Evelyn and countless others over the course of their lifetimes.
The energy from this trip will help to propel them forward and help them deal with obstacles along the way. It will also help me move forward and push myself on days when I’m lacking in energy and enthusiasm. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go jump on the treadmill as I pursue my goal of “looking good naked!”
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A Long Time to Break a Five Minute Goal
I ended my last post by writing that I have several more heroes that I am going to write about and use them as motivation as I continue on my quest to look good naked.
Last week I received an email from the father of one of my son and daughter’s high school cross country and track teammates, Glen Staples. He had read my post and wanted me to know that Glen, now a senior at Susquehanna University has just attained a longtime running goal.
It brought tears to my eyes because I remember Glen very well. He was a freshman when my son, Brandon, was a senior. Glen was a very tall, slim and shy freshman who showed up to practice every day and did his best. I got the sense that he really enjoyed the other kids on the team and as he adjusted to the longer distance of high school cross country he really enjoyed the process of simply running.
I think it was during his junior year when I watched him run the mile at the local conference championship meet. He was in the slow heat and it gave him an opportunity to shine. It was great to watch him battle and move his 6’4”, angular body around the track. I was yelling and screaming as he sprinted down the back stretch and won his heat.
His time was somewhere around five minutes and ten seconds and I was hoping that he would get a chance to break five minutes in the mile before he graduated from high school.
In high school breaking five minutes in the miles carries some prestige. Being able to say you ran "four something" is a big deal.
Glen didn’t attain that goal in high school. I’m not sure what his best time was but I don’t think it was much better than the time he ran at the conference championship.
When he went away to college me kept on running with the goal of breaking five minutes. While breaking five minutes in the mile in high school can bring you respect, not breaking five minutes in the mile at a college track meet can leave you ignored as some of the runners at the college meets are trying to break or will break four minutes in the mile.
For the next three and half years Glen ran track and cross country at the college level and pursued his goal of breaking five minutes in the mile. Last week at the Susquehanna Indoor Invitational Glen ran 4:56.99 . I wish I had been there to see it because I would have been yelling, screaming and jumping up and down.
This is what makes Glen one of my heroes. He pursued his dream by pushing himself over a very long time and he didn’t compare himself to runners who were faster.
People like Glen remind me to pursue my own dreams.
Thanks for being one of my heroes Glen, you’ve given me the energy and drive to get on the treadmill as I keep working on my own goal of looking good naked and knowing that it doesn't mean that I am trying to look perfect naked.
Last week I received an email from the father of one of my son and daughter’s high school cross country and track teammates, Glen Staples. He had read my post and wanted me to know that Glen, now a senior at Susquehanna University has just attained a longtime running goal.
It brought tears to my eyes because I remember Glen very well. He was a freshman when my son, Brandon, was a senior. Glen was a very tall, slim and shy freshman who showed up to practice every day and did his best. I got the sense that he really enjoyed the other kids on the team and as he adjusted to the longer distance of high school cross country he really enjoyed the process of simply running.
I think it was during his junior year when I watched him run the mile at the local conference championship meet. He was in the slow heat and it gave him an opportunity to shine. It was great to watch him battle and move his 6’4”, angular body around the track. I was yelling and screaming as he sprinted down the back stretch and won his heat.
His time was somewhere around five minutes and ten seconds and I was hoping that he would get a chance to break five minutes in the mile before he graduated from high school.
In high school breaking five minutes in the miles carries some prestige. Being able to say you ran "four something" is a big deal.
Glen didn’t attain that goal in high school. I’m not sure what his best time was but I don’t think it was much better than the time he ran at the conference championship.
When he went away to college me kept on running with the goal of breaking five minutes. While breaking five minutes in the mile in high school can bring you respect, not breaking five minutes in the mile at a college track meet can leave you ignored as some of the runners at the college meets are trying to break or will break four minutes in the mile.
For the next three and half years Glen ran track and cross country at the college level and pursued his goal of breaking five minutes in the mile. Last week at the Susquehanna Indoor Invitational Glen ran 4:56.99 . I wish I had been there to see it because I would have been yelling, screaming and jumping up and down.
This is what makes Glen one of my heroes. He pursued his dream by pushing himself over a very long time and he didn’t compare himself to runners who were faster.
People like Glen remind me to pursue my own dreams.
Thanks for being one of my heroes Glen, you’ve given me the energy and drive to get on the treadmill as I keep working on my own goal of looking good naked and knowing that it doesn't mean that I am trying to look perfect naked.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Looking Good Naked
I’ve often joked when trying to get into shape or lose weight that I simply want to “look good naked”. Of course, I do want to look good naked and I want to live a long, healthy, productive life.
I’ve been on a quest for the last three months to lose weight and get back into shape. I’ve been inspired by my bother in-law, John, who lost over fifty pounds by simply cutting back and my son Sam who has lost about 30 pounds since graduating from high school back in June.
Neither one followed a particular plan. Most of the weight loss has come because of a simple awareness of how much and what they put in their bodies and an increase in physical activity.
John is an engineer and he loves to work around his house and build hot rods. He’s always been physical but over the years he just didn’t pay attention to what he was eating. Like most of us in middle age and beyond he simply gained a few pounds every year without really noticing what was happening.
Once he decided to lose weight he focused on cutting calories and as the pounds began to fall off he simply started do more and more of what he already loved. It is wonderful how that type of positive energy helps to burn even more calories. I heard he spent a lot of time working with his shirt off this past summer!
Sam has always been a big guy. It wasn’t an easy role to play in a household full of slim people who loved running. What is amazing to me is how hard Sam worked on his running in high school and how he continues to work on his running at college.
I would take him to work with me this past summer and then he would walk and run the five miles home. Once he got to the University of Maine at Farmington he became a gym rat playing pickup games of basketball, the sport he really loves. He also went out for the baseball team, helped to coach a middle school cross country team and published a blog on Maine high school running.
The commitment to exercise and the continued weight loss really helped to boost his confidence and the transition to college. Sam is also a much better student in college than he ever was in high school.
Because of the wonderful people in my life, like John and Sam, I have started my own quest to get in shape.
At the beginning of November I weighed 205 pounds. I started exercising by running and doing weight resistant exercises. I’ve loved this type of exercise since I was a kid so I’m trusting my own instincts and experience to make this work.
I didn’t change my diet for the first two months and I lost 5 pounds. Since the first of the year I have given up alcohol (Don’t worry I already have a date with my daughter Kourtney to go out drinking on her 21st birthday!) and changed my caloric intake. I’ve lost another 14 pounds since then.
If you are interested in getting in shape and losing a few pounds yourself I would encourage you to really look at whom and what inspire you to move your body and be more conscious of how much and what you put in your body.
I have several more heroes like John and Sam to write about and I’ll use them for motivation as I continue my quest to look good naked.
I’ve been on a quest for the last three months to lose weight and get back into shape. I’ve been inspired by my bother in-law, John, who lost over fifty pounds by simply cutting back and my son Sam who has lost about 30 pounds since graduating from high school back in June.
Neither one followed a particular plan. Most of the weight loss has come because of a simple awareness of how much and what they put in their bodies and an increase in physical activity.
John is an engineer and he loves to work around his house and build hot rods. He’s always been physical but over the years he just didn’t pay attention to what he was eating. Like most of us in middle age and beyond he simply gained a few pounds every year without really noticing what was happening.
Once he decided to lose weight he focused on cutting calories and as the pounds began to fall off he simply started do more and more of what he already loved. It is wonderful how that type of positive energy helps to burn even more calories. I heard he spent a lot of time working with his shirt off this past summer!
Sam has always been a big guy. It wasn’t an easy role to play in a household full of slim people who loved running. What is amazing to me is how hard Sam worked on his running in high school and how he continues to work on his running at college.
I would take him to work with me this past summer and then he would walk and run the five miles home. Once he got to the University of Maine at Farmington he became a gym rat playing pickup games of basketball, the sport he really loves. He also went out for the baseball team, helped to coach a middle school cross country team and published a blog on Maine high school running.
The commitment to exercise and the continued weight loss really helped to boost his confidence and the transition to college. Sam is also a much better student in college than he ever was in high school.
Because of the wonderful people in my life, like John and Sam, I have started my own quest to get in shape.
At the beginning of November I weighed 205 pounds. I started exercising by running and doing weight resistant exercises. I’ve loved this type of exercise since I was a kid so I’m trusting my own instincts and experience to make this work.
I didn’t change my diet for the first two months and I lost 5 pounds. Since the first of the year I have given up alcohol (Don’t worry I already have a date with my daughter Kourtney to go out drinking on her 21st birthday!) and changed my caloric intake. I’ve lost another 14 pounds since then.
If you are interested in getting in shape and losing a few pounds yourself I would encourage you to really look at whom and what inspire you to move your body and be more conscious of how much and what you put in your body.
I have several more heroes like John and Sam to write about and I’ll use them for motivation as I continue my quest to look good naked.
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