I think of myself as an ordinary guy who has lived an extraordinary life. A couple of months ago I stepped on the scale and discovered I had gained 20 lbs. since completing a solo backpack of the John Muir Trail through the California Sierras. After training hard for eight months and then hiking the mountainous 253 miles in 19 days, I spent three months in R&R, having turned my back on fitness and my healthy lifestyle.
Standing on the scale that day, I felt ashamed and deflated. You see, seven years before, in 2017, when I was newly single, I moved to Colorado to pursue my dream of hiking, skiing and backpacking my way into retirement. The problem was that I weighed 260 lbs. I was not unfit, but I was obviously very overweight. Over the course of the next three years, I dropped 90 lbs. through a program of diet and exercise. Reaching my goal of 170 lbs. was an achievement that changed my life. Keeping it off for three years required focus and commitment. So, looking at 196 on the scale that day was like getting punched in the gut.
After feeling sorry for myself for a couple of weeks, I was faced with a decision: get my act together and recommit to a healthy weight and lifestyle or buy new clothes. You see, someone told me back when I started to reshape myself six years earlier that I should throw away all of my “fat clothes” so that I couldn’t ever go back. There is nothing to make you feel like a failure than no longer fitting into the new clothes that you bought yourself as a reward for dropping so many sizes!
If you talk to someone that has lost a large amount of weight without drugs or medical intervention, and kept it off, that person probably has consumed many books on dieting, has listened to multiple podcasts and watched hours of YouTube videos. I know I did and, although I am not a doctor, scientist, dietician or coach — I know how to lose weight, and I know what works and what does not –for me.
I got excited. I know this stuff! I had even thought about writing a book about my experience. I dreamed of sharing my success with others who have never cracked the code. This is my shot, I thought. I will lose the 20 lbs. and I will do it in about six weeks. Then I can share my story. I can explain all that I have learned and help others, especially men in their 30s to 60s that need to drop 20, 40, even 60 lbs. and reclaim their health.
So that is what I did. I dropped the weight, this time in a rehearsed and efficient way that got the results that can only come by doing something a second time. This is my story and I am going to tell it over the next couple of months. I invite you to follow along and don’t be afraid to comment or reach out with your questions.
I have a new Instagram that I will dedicate to my way of dropping weight and getting into shape. It is called Switchflipping. I will double post here and there for a while, and eventually stop posting here. My website is almost up and running! More on that in the weeks to come.