I’m 40 now, but my health and fitness journey goes all the way back to my early teen years.
I was always a relatively happy kid, but by the time I was a sophomore in high school I had grown rather lazy and overweight. Thankfully, my big brother (9 years my senior) took it upon himself to write me a life-changing letter. In it, he encouraged me to get off the couch, apply more of myself at school, and not waste the time and gifts God had given me. He also laid out the benefits of eating well and exercising, and offered tips and advice on what I could do to take better care of my health.
My brother’s encouragement kick-started a new chapter in my life.
I picked up my grades, became active in my faith, and started taking my health seriously. In time, I lost 40 pounds – which completely transformed my life.
Not only was I more comfortable in my own skin and suddenly good at sports, but I was more disciplined, focused, confident, loving, and full of more energy than I knew what to do with!
This was the first time in my life that I realized just how interconnected physical, mental, and spiritual health can be.
Over the next 20+ years I continued to make health and fitness a priority in my life.
However, it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster.
Thanks to my genetics, if I’m not careful, I can gain weight in no time. Add on a hellacious sweet tooth and a tendency to worry and stress and you’ve got the perfect storm for emotional eating and health goal derailments!
In response to this, I tried for years to out-exercise my diet. Lots of running, lots of pull-ups, lots of push-ups, etc.
When that didn’t work, I changed up my nutrition: First I went Paleo, then did a few Whole30s, then tried out Intermittent Fasting, and even gave up sweets and treats for hundreds of days at a time!
I had occasional success with these diet fads and extreme health challenges, but nothing was long-lasting.
However, with many failures came much learning (as one of my favorite quotes says, “You don’t either win or lose; you either win or learn“). And upon these failures I began my own research and many rounds of trial-and-error.
I was able to make some more progress on my own, but I continued to experience setbacks of all kinds (injuries, nutrition struggles, mindset roadblocks, etc.).
I was turning 40 soon and was as frustrated as can be. I contemplated giving up on my fitness goals and began to believe that I’d never get this health stuff figured out.
And then I did something I never thought I’d do…
I reached out to a health coach.
Over the next few months this coach helped me get back on my feet and introduced me to much more sane, much more sustainable, and much more effective methods of staying in shape – physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Believe it or not, it was the help and encouragement of my coach that led me to getting in the best shape of my life!
On my 40th birthday I woke up happy, confident, and feeling as fit and strong as ever. At 5:30 that morning I achieved a personal record doing the workout known as “Murph”, walked out of the gym feeling on top of the world, and celebrated the start of my 40th year of life with a stack of my favorite pancakes a few hours later (YUM!).
Since that day I’ve completed all kinds of crazy workouts I never dreamed possible, continue to break personal fitness records I originally set in my 20s, and am now able to enjoy healthy food (and occasional treats, of course!) without gaining weight.
And because success, discipline, and confidence in one area of life tends to spill over into others, I’ve also grown tremendously mentally and spiritually as well.
The experience I had and the lessons I learned from my coach truly made all the difference (thank you, Coach Anna!).
I’m still a work in progress, of course (especially when it comes to getting enough sleep and keeping my sweet tooth in check!), but I also know I have something of value to offer: I’ve learned so much along the way and now want to do all that I can to help and inspire others who are pursuing health in body, mind, and soul.
If you’re tired of yo-yo dieting, frustrated with your fitness, struggling to accomplish your goals, or simply don’t know what to do to improve your everyday health, then I’m here for you!
Please drop me a line via my Contact Page and share some of your story with me. I’d love to be a source of grace and encouragement for you and journey with you to a happier, healthier, and holier life!
God bless you!
Greg
HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND HOLY 