I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve started and then relaunched a website on this domain name. When I think about it, it sums up well my journey with fitness and health. Lots of starts, lethargy, and restarts. It goes a lot like this: An idea pops in my head that sounds great. I run with it until I run out of steam and enthusiasm. I drudge through the drudgery until I’ve lost all motivation. The scene fades to black and I disappear. Then, at some point I reemerge to repeat the process.
That’s me. To the letter, that is the summary of my life. But not anymore. I’m once again at the starting line, but things are going to be different this time around.
A New Direction
To borrow a play from my Canadian twin & brother in the Faith, Jon Corbin, I’m headed in a new direction. While I’ll forever be who I am, I will become a new, different, and better version of myself.
I’m no longer going to be the guy who gets called out on the basketball court because he’s winded after two or three times up & down the court. The words still ring loudly in my memory from the guy on the opposing team: “Damn! What do you do? Do you sit on the couch all day?” Well, yeah, that was me. That’s what got me to 270+ pounds and most recently to 286 pounds.
Now I’m going to be the guy who is serious about his fitness, in all areas of his life. More time in God’s Word. Less time watching television. More time reading challenging books. Less time playing video games. More time moving my body & working out. Less junk food. More foods that will give my body what it needs. More of the things that matter!
How Will I Get There?
It’s great to say I’m headed in a new direction. But, how will I get there? What will be different this time around?
Truthfully, I have no guarantees that this time will be different, other than the things I’m doing that are different from my previous attempts.
First, I have a wife who supports me. It’s crazy how well she supports and pushes me to achieve my goals. She’s not willing to let my dreams die, and she keeps me accountable. That matters more than you would believe.
Second, I have time on my side. Age has a way of putting life into perspective and showing you the things that really matter. When you have a child take her last breaths in her arms after fighting so hard to survive, you see how fragile & temporary life can be. The rest of my life is in her memory. I refuse to squander it.
Next, my diet is finally headed in the right direction. Switching to a plant-based diet has been one of the best decisions I’ve made recently. Now that I’m putting the right foods in my body, I have a chance to move the needle in the right direction when it comes to my health. Exercise can only take you so far when you’re still putting junk in your body. While I still enjoy it, food is now seen primarily as fuel.
Then, I have a plan. If you fail to plan, then you’re planning to fail, right? I’m moving my life around, adjusting priorities, and putting life in order. And then I’m following the plan. The simple plan: reach my goal weight by the end of the year & then maintain a healthy lifestyle. The details? I’ll explain in a future post.
Finally, accountability. I’m not doing this alone. My journey is out there for all to see. I have the entirety of the Internet to keep me accountable to my goals & dreams. And maybe, just maybe, my journey will help someone else.
Ready for the Marathon
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Truer words have never been spoken. And you know what else? The secret to becoming a runner is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go. If you keep going, you’re a runner.
So, I’m at the start line for the next chapter of life. This time I will achieve my goals because I have the keys to success. Eyes on the prize. One foot in front of the other. Forward momentum.
I’m a runner physically, mentally, and spiritually.
