The Mr. Army Wife Life

I’ve been on a journey. Some people know this.  Some don’t. Over the past year and 9 months, I’ve been on a journey to live a much healthier life.  I started on January 2^nd, 2018 at a whopping 323.6 lbs.  By the time the holidays hit I weighed in, at my lowest, at 202.  That was Thanksgiving Day.  Needless to say, the holiday weight came fast and furious.  I left the Keto life behind for a few weeks, tried to be moderate which is almost impossible for me, and went on a cruise.  It wasn’t hard to put 25 lbs. back on immediately.

When 2019 rolled around, I thought it would be easy to switch right back into the Keto life.  I wanted to do it a little different without all the micros counting and weighing in.  Eat Keto 5-6 days a week, have a little fun on the weekends and I’d be hovering near 200 in no time.  If that was what happened, chances are I wouldn’t be typing this.  I’d probably be wearing every piece of clothing in my closet, feeling confident about how I looked in pictures, and filling everyone in on my menu every week.  Instead, I am struggling.

I can make excuses.  I could use our move from Georgia to Kentucky as an excuse.  We celebrated our friendships there.  I didn’t want to miss out on beer and pizza parties simply so I could reach some number on a scale that hadn’t be attainable in two decades.  When we moved, I didn’t want to introduce myself as the weird keto guy who won’t go out because he’s afraid of menu choices at new restaurants.  I wanted to make new friends, and living in a temporary house made cooking hard.  Like I said, I can make excuses.

I’ve done pretty well to maintain.  For most of 2019, I’ve sat between 230 and 240.  If I felt the jeans getting a little tighter or the belt not reaching the proper buckle I buckled down.  I returned the butter to my coffee, cooked up my favorite crustless quiche, and fasted intermittently just as I had when I was losing several pounds a week.  But there was a difference.  I wasn’t sticking to it like I had in 2018.

Something would come up. Heather and I would go away for the weekend.  I’d go out with new friends for a Kentucky adventure.  I wouldn’t prep cook like I had before because the arrangement of the kitchen is different here making it more difficult.  I’d eat later than intended or snack more than I needed.  Sometimes I would stick to the Keto friendly foods I’d come to love, but I’d ingest way too many calories.  I was just off my game.  And to be honest, I haven’t really gotten back on it since the holidays of 2018. I really can make excuses.

Which brings me to today, and the first time I stepped on a scale in over a month.  It wasn’t good and I knew it wouldn’t be.  Heather and I spent 3 days in Atlanta eating whatever we wanted.  We came home and I gorged on nachos at the first spouses club luncheon.  I wanted to get on track the next day, but Heather ended up having to fly to Florida and I let loneliness and boredom win.  I’m at 246.4 lbs.  That’s not acceptable to me.

It’s mid-September and the 2019 holidays are fast approaching.  We have a little more than 2 months until Thanksgiving, and I want to be better this year than I was last.  I don’t want holiday weight from this Christmas piling on top of the holiday weight I still have hanging around.  I want to get back to the program that helped me lose 100 plus pounds, so that I can finally reach that goal of being 199.8 lbs.  I just want to see a 1 as the first number.

I know a lot of people have told me the number on the scale doesn’t matter very much, but to me it does. Not because it is the ultimate marker of my overall health, but because it’s a tool to keep me on track.  There are other tools too.  Progress pictures are important.  Body measurements help.  But for me, the scale is the easiest indicator that I am doing the right things. Sure, there are ebbs and flows, highs and lows, but if you look at your progress over the course of a week, month or year you should see trends, and those trends can help you stay on track or adjust tactics if necessary.

I think part of my issue is that I forgot what helped bring me success last year.  I forgot the AIR I breathed.  I wrote about it in an earlier blog and I think I need  a reminder.

A – Accountability

I – Investment

R – Reward

Why write this blog, and put my struggles out there?  Because I need people in my life who will hold me accountable for my poor choices. Some people won’t like to hear this, but maybe we need to be called out when we are eating junk we know isn’t helping us get healthier.  Living your best life does not mean eating sleeves of cookies while binge watching Netflix.  Maybe we have to share our weight with someone every morning, as a reminder that we have to step on the scale whether we want to or not.

Why write this blog, and give you my goals?  Because I know I have to invest in myself and others if I am going to be successful.  I’m not the only one who wants to drop 25 or 30 pounds before the inevitable run of holiday parties and celebrations come with their once a year temptations.  I know I am not alone, and I want to invest in myself, but also in others who want to see the successes I’ve seen.

Why write this blog and share my heart?  Because there is better for us.  There are rewards to losing weight and getting healthier.  When I started this process, I would give myself non-food rewards in order to help me focus.  The largest reward was a brand-new car.  I lost 100 lbs and I bought a 2018 vehicle with less than 200 miles on it.  There has to be something out there you want, but are unwilling to buy.  Tell me what it is, let’s work on your goals and my goals and make it a reality.

Look, I’m not here to tell you what diet plan to follow, or what exercise routine to do.  There are plenty of better “experts” out there for that. You can and should talk to your doctor. Mine is totally on board with Keto, and my numbers earlier this year were great.   I’m here simply because I want others to hold me accountable.  If you see me out and about with a slice of cake or a doughnut, ask me about it.  I’m here because it’s time to invest in my health and my future just like I did last year. I’m here because I want to buy a 2019 Braves Post-Season Hoodie in a size Large.  I’m hoping it will be a World Series Championship hoodie.

I’m getting back to breathing my AIR on this journey.  It’s not easy, but it is worth it.  Join me! It’ll be fun!