The Day I Changed, But Did Not Know It

For once in a long while I can see the new morning sun peering through a cloudless sky. My life has been a roller-coaster ride since August 2021. That day began, for me, with a hurricane related downpour of rain. This is when I was driving to my job of 5 years. I called in saying I would be late because of the rain, as a hurricane was glancing the area. My supervisor told to turn around, as I was fired and no longer had a job. Driving home I felt as I did when Lowe’s eliminated my position after 14 years of my “bleeding blue.” My feelings of contempt and anger and turmoil were just getting churned up and yet I did not know how much more mayhem was in store for me. It was not soon after that when my wife went to a doctor on a Wednesday and died the following Sunday. She was a cancer survivor… until she wasn’t.

I Got Fat

This time period of my life was out of control for me. I turned to food as my now empty home merely became a house. I was dragging myself through each and every day with the question of why bother? I would gaze into the mirror and reflect upon the multitude of penned journals my wife had scattered all over the 22 years of our home. I would find myself opening a cupboard only to end up mindlessly scouring through photographs of a happy time. A time when things mattered to me.

I would look into the mirror and I could not welcome the fat, over weight, out of shape and balding old man. I felt like nothing mattered and at that time nothing did matter. Nothing mattered.

Until it did.

I Went To A Convention

Sifting through old photographs I saw my spouse and I at a yearly health convention that we attended for years. Every photo made me smile. I was smiling in the photographs and realized I had forgotten to smile. It reminded me of a time when I wanted to be a better person.

It was pure coincidence to realize that same health convention was meeting again in only a few short weeks. Out of the blue I paid the $250 registration fee and vowed to myself to go. It was a six hour drive away but it did not matter. It was like a cry for help, to be part of something that not only would make me feel better. I had to dispel all this gloom that has become firmly planted in my existence.

I hesitated to tell my old friend and health mentor (John) in case I backed out. I told him four days later and he was shocked. I paid my fee to attend because somewhere inside me I wanted to touch that fleeting happiness in those photographs of times gone by.

When I arrived, at convention, I checked into my hotel and being alone and tiringly overweight it all kind of hit me between the eyes. I attended the event and my guess there were about 16,000 fellow participants there. I looked around the arena and saw so many individuals brimming with life. Teeming with energy and each person collectively oozed wanting to create a better version of themselves. I had a moment that now seems surreal and in that moment I knew this weight loss attempt would be the one for me. Why this time it will not merely be a diet because I want to be of those 16,000 people. I no longer just want to be a spectator.

Week #2

I started one week ago today on this journey to better health. By losing only a small amount of weight I once again feel like getting out of bed in the morning. By releasing years of neglect from my body… I feel awake again. Now you know that depression kept me away from making videos about silver and precious metals. I discuss my health here now because…. it is what ultimately matters in life. I realized long ago in The Marine Corps that only the physically injured person takes home the physical injury. Emotional damage is like a virus. You just can’t stop it.

Yes, I did lose 11.6 pounds the first week, but I do not get too excited. You see I understand that the initial weight loss is not really fat loss. I know that what I am shedding now is the inflammation. The salt. The belly bloat. It is almost as if I feel I am just getting warmed up to shed fat.

My mind is shifting gears and that is the one gear that needs to shifted to be able to live beyond a diet. I am very happy for the initial and early positive physical changes in only the first week. As I get my weight off I should be able to get off ALL of my medications. I will be able to fit back into the long forgotten clothing occupying the entire left side of my closet.

My Body

I may have only been on this weight loss journey for a week and this article is to keep me accountable. It is weird but I find it easier to share my life within the confines of the seemingly endless Internet… than across a table at dinner.

I invite you to join me as I take this journey. Maybe I can inspire someone? Maybe you can inspire me? I know I am not the only one hurting inside for not feeling as if they have created the best version of life possible. I shall post every Monday to report in my results.

I started a week ago today at 279 pounds even. One week later I am 267.4. That is a loss of 11.6 pounds of ‘something’ and I am fine with that. I am much happier for the non-scale victory in my head than I am for the results of the scale.

Thank You!

I must thank the many positive people that have sent me positive comments. Weight loss for life may not be the easiest thing to do… but if I don’t do it… who will? And besides I want to be able to travel to Rome with a wonderful lady I know…. and that will be living because living ain’t meant to be done alone!

Semper Fi!

Watch the matching video on YouTube…