Day 1

Yesterday I joined the Whole9 Forum and made a post with a little about my background and linking other forum participants to my blog here.  If you're visiting from the forum, welcome!  I hope that my small contribution helps.

Perhaps you're wondering who I am and how I got to the point of radically changing my eating habits.  I grew up in a small rural town in North Alabama.  My family ate a diet that is pretty standard for the region:  lots of fried foods, sugary sodas (remember 3-liter bottles?), pasta, bread, bread, & BREAD.  One of my favorite things as a kid was making a "sandwich" from a slice of white bread stuffed with Hamburger Helper and mashed potatoes.

I was overweight as far back as I can remember and although I was active in seasonal sports I was always one of the "fat kids".  I was teased and bullied for my weight and developed a lot of negative emotions surrounding food.  I simultaneously loathed my fatty body while turning to binge eating as emotional comfort.  A vicious cycle if ever there was one.

I always told myself that the day I weighed over 300lbs would be my "breaking point".  That day came when I was around 19 years old.  My heart sank when I stepped onto an industrial digital scale at my dad's small manufacturing business and 310lbs appeared on the readout.

I cut out fried foods, sodas and began walking a few miles several times a week.  Eventually I was able to jog and finally run as well.  I lost weight but still hovered in the mid-200s over the next few years in which I got married and saw the birth of my son.

In early 2005, I decided to enlist in the US Air Force to get funding for college and make more money to support my family.  When I visited a recruiter the first time I weighed 270lbs.  This was nearly 60lbs over the 202lb weight limit (for my 6' 2" height) that I would have to meet before I could process into the Air Force from an enlistment center.  I quit my full-time job and got two part-time jobs so that I could fit twice daily workouts into my day.  I ate grilled chicken, raw broccoli and protein shakes until I gagged (literally at times) but it worked.  At the time I shipped off to Basic Training I weighed 198lbs.

During the course of my Air Force career, one of my roommates turned me on to CrossFit.  The method embodied many of my own conclusions about fitness and I began incorporating CF training into my workouts.  I got into the best shape of my life but disaster struck as my marriage began to fall apart.  I became depressed, stopped exercising, drank heavily, and returned to poor eating habits.

My enlistment ended in December of 2009, but my depression and poor eating habits continued.  Additionally, I sustained injuries during my service which made working out even more difficult as I became afraid of the pain of re-injury.  This resulted in eventually being designated a disabled veteran and a diagnosis of degenerative arthritis of the spine and left ankle.

I went back to college in Fall of 2010 and while I've had ups and downs, some degree of depression persisted.  Aches and pains became a daily routine which caused lots of irritability and sedentary living.  Almost every time I moved or even changed sitting positions everything from my neck to my knees hurt, causing me to illicit groans and what my girlfriend has termed "dad noises".  Additionally, I began taking Zantac and Alka-seltzer on a regular basis to fight my chronic acid reflux and heartburn.

By the 2nd half of 2012, my depression reached an all-time low.  I spent weeks barely functioning and many days I'd hardly get out of bed.  I knew that eating healthy food and exercising would help but I couldn't muster even the most basic motivation to take on those tasks.  Everything was overwhelming.  Finally, I realized that I had to do something and sought help through the VA.  Since beginning treatment in the last month, I've been able to begin rebuilding the parts of my life which I've neglected.

I'm looking forward to the next 29 days and I know that I am investing in my own long-term wellness.  I am confident because I have overcome so many obstacles to get to where I am now.  I'm armed with that experience as well as the knowledge that I need for success.