My physical health has been an ongoing battle since I finished playing football in 2006. I can make all the excuses
–Working out stopped being part of my job
-We’ve gone from 1 kid to 6
–The gym was too far away
–I don’t have time
The list can really keep going and I’m sure that most people share similar experiences. They wish they could be healthier, weigh less, look better, etc. I’ve tried lots of different methods, diets and gyms but it didn’t stick. I would drop some weight, then a few months later I would put it back on and then some. One time I had no sugar for 10 months; January through October. Then the Halloween candy showed up, then Thanksgiving pies, then Christmas cookies. Chocolate and cookies are especially hard. They tend to call my name very loudly.
For me the motivation to really do something had to come from a different place than just losing the weight. I needed to identify the ‘WHY’ that would be the catalyst for my habits to change. If my healthy changes were going to stick then I needed a long term goal to focus on. That long term goal became to able to play with my kids today, my grandkids tomorrow, and to still be able to adventure with my wife when I’m older.
“That long term goal became to able to play with my kids today, my grandkids tomorrow, and to still be able to adventure with my wife when I’m older.”
When the pandemic hit the world in 2020 I was at my heaviest ever. I went into January at 338. Keep in mind that I played football anywhere between 305-315. I felt uncomfortable and unhappy. My joints hurt, my back hurt and it was not fun to get up and down to play with little kids who just wanted to wrestle with their dad! Mrs. King had spent the previous several years really researching food and its role and function in our lives. She encouraged me to intermittent fast and look at my macros (Fat, Carbs, Proteins). As we entered into the shutdown in March, I started walking and cutting meals. I joined two different step challenges and was putting in over 10K steps each day. It worked really well. By June I had dropped down to 298 and was starting to feel better. The 4th of July brought cookouts, snacks and summer fun. I let things run away from me again and crept back up to 315 by September. The habits didn’t stick and I was frustrated.
Enter Nick Hardwick and his Lose Weight Like A Lineman plan. Nick is an NFL center who dropped a ton of weight right after he retired and was now focused on things that were important to me like being healthy, caring for his joints and brain through food and being present and able for his family into the future. I signed up and it’s been an incredible support to my goal. The greatest part of it is that it’s not a “diet” but a habit builder. I’m building real habits and learning how to make food decisions that will last beyond the program. In reality, if I want to shed a few pounds down the road, I just jump back into the program for a few weeks.
The key to Nick’s plan is to empower a person to make better decisions when it comes to food, sleep and activity. The food plan is like muscle confusion for your stomach. There is plenty to eat and I regularly feel full. Combine this with walking, standing while working, moving throughout the day and getting plenty of sleep and you’ve got a recipe for losing weight in a very consistent manner. Plus their is a community of people who are also on board with the same program. We communicate throughout the week about wins, recipes, struggles and encourage each other to stick with the program. This combination of a plan and accountability in a community are exactly what I needed. I’ve been following the program since December. I started at 315 and I’m down to 278.
That’s 60lbs total since the beginning of 2020! I feel incredible! I haven’t been this size since high school. I’ve dropped 3 pants sizes and 2 jacket sizes. I’ve got more to go. My healthiest me is still a little further down the road. I’m happy though and I’m looking forward to being around for my family for a long time.