How got here

The Things that I have learned over the last 22 months, are legion. Chief among them are this:

“Don’t ever let anybody tell you are not good enough. “

It doesn’t matter if your too old, too fat, too lazy, too loud, if you can’t walk straight, climb a flight of stairs, or if the sun just won’t rise for you in the morning. So long as your lungs draw breath there is hope.

In February of 2006, I weighed 310 pounds with a body fat exceeding 43%. I was 40 years old and smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I had a job that paid a pittance compared to the cost of living here in Boston. I could not look in the mirror without getting a bad taste in my mouth.

I think the bottom came when my Puppy, Denver, died of Cronin’s disease. My wife wanted to sue His veterinarian Because she felt enough wasn’t done to prevent his illness. The case came down to my wife’s word vs. the Vets. I know beyond a doubt that If I had been there, things would have gone differently, But I didn’t help. I didn’t defend my puppy. I didn’t do enough. Heck I didn’t even try. I added this to the things in my life that had been taken from me and resigned myself to the fact that It just happens and there is nothing anybody can do about it. There was no reason to put up a fight, It would soon all come to end. I was sure my life would mercifully over by the time I was 50.

I may not be able to stop those I loved from dieing on me. But I could make sure that I enjoyed and cherished the time I had with them while they were still alive. I would make sure that while they touched my life in some way, they would not leave this world regretting having known me. Slowly, ever so slowly at first, I began to concentrate on those things that were causing me so much pain and frustration and eliminating them. And If I couldn’t eliminate them, I could change the way I thought about them. N short I decided to be happy. I fixated on the “Ultimate Prize” and never let it out of my sight.

Prize? What Prize?

Since getting out of the Marine Corps in 1996 Prizes were few and far between. A suit and tie Office Managers Job with a Security firm didn’t cut it. Computer Programming school didn’t pan out Truck driving school was boring. The Border Patrol dried up. Where was the prize? What was the key that I could use to open that door to happiness? Nothing had panned out for me since the Marines in 1996. Perhaps that was the spark I was looking for. Getting back in the Military. Yeah, right. For me that was an up hill trip so far that the top of the hill was in the clouds wile I stood on the bottom looking up.

[IMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/Suokem/Pictures/picture006.jpg[/IMG]

It took me 18 months just to get my recruiter to stop laughing at me and give me a little of his time. If I tried something, Some diet perk or exercise and it didn’t work, I trio something else and then something else again until I got it right.

I forced myself to learn patience.

I researched, I talked to people, got their views and adjusted what I was doing. I got frustrated , fed up, board, angry, and adjusted again. The whole time I reminded myself where I was coming from and where I was going.

This week, I sign my contract.

So what is the magic formula that has helped me get this far? You’ve got to want it. You’ve got to figure it out for yourself. Surround yourself with reminders in everything you do.

[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xFEqdkO5UI]Sunshine and Rainbows[/URL]

[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHJMp5bz9u8]I won't back down[/URL]

For the sake of argument, here is what works for me: Diet, exercise and writing.
I write down everything. From the time I get up, to the time I go to bed. Every weight I lift. Every crunch I do. Every piece of food and water that passes my lips. What time It comes out and what form it takes when it does. A checklist works for me. One piece of paper with everything I want to accomplish outlined for each day. On the back I put notes. How I feel, what is upsetting me that day, what is going good,

I eat 5 small meals a day Usually just enough to keep my system drawing energy about 200 calories. After work, I eat one larger meal. Not to big but more than 200 calories to say the least.

I drink water and nothing else. Roughly 2 gallons a day. Spread out mostly, But very little in the hours before I got to bed.

For exercise, I run, bike, walk, lift weights and swim. The particulars aren’t that important. What is important is that I try and do this everyday (except Thursday) . But if I am hurting, Tired or my wife complains that I spend to much time at the gym and not enough time with her than I am sure to take sometime off.

Bottom line for those still on the bubble is that if you want it bad enough you will find a way. You can move mountains. And don’t ever let anybody tell you different.