Now and then, I will think about my past and remember an issue that contributed to my weight gain. 2001 was a year in which I began to notice increasing pain and declining cardio health.
My wife and I separated that year, and my two kids were with me. To say that I was stressed would be an understatement. It was January, and I was at a new duty station with the Navy. I had served with many of the people at this duty station before. Many of the people here seemed as stressed as I was. From the first day I went to work at my new command, I found out many of my co-workers met at a bar off-base daily.
As stressed as I was, it was easy for me to follow suit. My co-workers and I were finished by 2 p.m. and were at the bar by 2:15. Most times, we drank until about 5:40. And yes, I picked up my kids from Daycare and drove home every time. I was not in a good place. By God’s grace, I never had an accident or got a DUI.
I was drinking every day. As a result, I continually gained weight. Maintaining my fitness requirements for the Navy became more difficult each day. My legs and back began to hurt. By the time I left the Navy, I was overweight and unable to complete my final fitness test. I had to get a waiver from the doctor to be excused. There is no doubt I would have failed.
In addition to all the alcohol, I mostly ate high-carb foods (bar foods). Oddly enough, I cook healthy meals for my kids at breakfast and dinner. Somehow, I managed to teach them good eating habits, which they still mostly follow today. They both are in excellent physical condition. Both of them are athletic and regularly go to the gym.
Back then, I knew I should not have been drinking every day, but my mind was completely broken; I was a wreck. I ruined my fitness and health. As the years passed, my health continued to decline. I continued to eat the wrong things, and the drinking did not stop.
Eventually, I managed to slow things down and tried to correct my eating habits. However, repairing my health would not be as easy as destroying it. The journey back to health has been long and will last until my last day.
Alcohol is the most significant contributing factor to my initial weight gain. At present, I may have a glass of wine with dinner once in a while. Alcohol consumption certainly is not a regular occurrence in my life anymore, and I now drink tons of water and unsweetened tea or coffee. Sweets, such as cookies, cakes, pies, etc., are another issue. Consuming sweets does not happen regularly, but I usually lose control when it does.
Despite my past, I’m in decent health today. I still want to lose weight, but it is pretty tricky.
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