Growing up, I was very active and basketball was my sport of choice. I also stayed active during my 20’s and even earned a deputy black belt in Tae Kwon Do by my late 20’s. My 30’s is when I began to be less active and started adding weight.

I broke the 200 mark by my mid-30’s and remember being at least 235 pounds in my 30’s. I was in the 240’s by age 42. By 2016, the year I turned 50, I hit 284 pounds.

There is nothing fun about being overweight. For me, it lead to a 7.6 A1C which officially made me a Type 2 diabetic. I was on blood pressure and cholesterol medication. I had low testosterone. I also selpt with a a CPAP machine for sleep apnea. At times, I had difficulty turning over in bed. Even with all of this, I still continued to go through life for many years out of shape and overweight.

I stayed in the 270’s for many years, but slowly began to drop a few pounds by minor food changes. I was still very sedentary, but the slight food tweaks helped me go from 284 to 249 in just under 4 years. 35 pounds down in just under 4 years is nothing magical. That shift didn’t change much with my overall health. But I was very slowly headed in the right direction. The reality is that I was still not committed to changing my life.

In April 2020, I hit 257 pounds after gaining 8 pounds in one month ( March 2020 ). That became my true turning point. I had finally reached ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! What I did for the next 16 months and have maintained since August of 2021 is not something many people can do on their own which is why I am now a health coach.

I got committed. I changed what I ate, when I ate and how much I ate. I went from 257 in April of 2020 to 222 by Decembr of 2020 with food changes only. I was still not very active. But that I changed on 12.13.2020 when I decided to become a runner.

8 months later I hit 179 pounds with a combination of food and running. However, you don’t have to become a runner to get it done. It’s about nutrition and body movement.

I have been as low as 176. I have maintained 100 pounds since June 2021 when I first hit 184 down from my peak of 284.

I had a 5.6 A1C in August 2023 which is a normal range. I am no longer on any medications. I no longer sleep with a CPAP and my low T is gone.

The pic on the left of the collage is me after a 20 mile run and the pics on the right are the old me.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Well, there is more to the story as you can see by the picture of me and my wife Brenda. 

Brenda and I have been married since 1989 and have been through a lot together.

The picture on the right of the collage of the two of us is me in the 280’s at 5’10” and Brenda in the 190’s at 5’2.” The picture on the left represents around 165 pounds +/- down between the two of us.

It’s helpful when your significant other is on the same page. However, you should not let your own health go downhill because your significant other doesn’t take care of themself.

Brenda got on track drinking water and walking regularly way before I did. I would turn her down on a regular basis to go for a walk. It was because I was just too lazy. Thankfully, Brenda kept drinking water and kept walking regularly even when I was not on board. 

I finally got on track and the two of us have been on our health adventure together since April of 2020.