It’s AMAZING how changing the way an individual eats can make them feel, look, and even act. My doctor has always been one of the biggest hecklers of my size. “You are way to big, you don’t eat healthy, and you are not anywhere close to active enough” are the phrases I hear whenever I go to see her. So when I went in to say “heeeeeey…I am doing this thing called Health Kwest…” I got the you’ve got to be kidding me look. I’ve been trying to send you on a Kwest for Health for YEARS!
I asked her what I needed to do to make this a successful journey; not just to try and win the money…but win myself back from the rival that has owned me for years. She simply said it starts with what you eat. Stop snacking on crap, stop consuming empty calories, and get up and go!
Let’s face it, I’m not strapping on a helmet and jumping on the field to partake in spring practice with the Florida State Seminoles anytime soon, however getting back into shape will be a long ride but good trip. My doctor told me eat right! Veggies, lean meats like chicken, some lean beef, even fish like salmon would be great for me because it is high in protein, but don’t load up because I said eat it. Moderation is something else you must learn and embrace! Feeling hungry is a mental thought. A couple of eggs for breakfast fills part of a void, and a bottle of water several times a day keeps that early morning hunger at bay. She also told me when you make your bowl at Genghis Grill as part of the health kwest, get meat, within reason, grab a bunch of veggies, and keep drinking water! This hit me recently as I went to GG for lunch with a group of people and they all got large bowls while I got my regular bowl. People that are TINY in comparison to me looked at my bowl and looked at their bowl and said why? How? That will never be enough to fill you up. But it does! I’m not trying to “fill up” I’m trying to fill a void!
The same goes for my evening meal. We’ve heard it all our lives, don’t eat late, it sits on your stomach, you won’t metabolize, yack, yack, yack, yack, yack…But it makes sense! We try to eat dinner at a minimum of 3 hours before we go to bed, and the secret is to be a little more active following your meal to help your body process and consume what you just ate. While you are active, your metabolism is working. So a little stroll around the neighborhood following dinner is all it takes.
My doctor told me at this point in my current health, there is no doubt in my mind I can lift a house and knock over a building; I am expected to do that at my size and as a former athlete. But can I make it from point A to point B without getting winded? Walk, Walk, and walk. She told me my body will tell me if I have done enough, when I can’t do anymore, then I’ve done enough. But make sure my body tells me that and not my mind. The brain will play tricks with you. I was instructed to set my FitBit daily goal to 10,000 steps. Get to that goal and keep going. Watch what I eat. Stop snacking on crap, stop consuming empty calories, and get up and go!
We all have hero’s, both fiction and non-fiction. Personal hero’s, professional hero’s…we all have someone that we look up to. I have several in various areas of my life. Individuals I look up to and strive to model myself after in the professional world, as a husband, and most importantly as a father.
My hero is my son. To many, they would look at Carson and see a typical, healthy, happy 4 year old. I see my son, and hope to be the best dad he could ask for. He looks up to me so I have to set the example. He makes me a better person without even knowing it.