I've noticed that many veterans are similar to professional or collegiate athletes. When they are no longer forced to remain fit because of their profession, they let themselves go to seed. This is also complicated by the fact that their bodies are often beaten up and multiply injured, which makes it more difficult to pursue fitness.
Add to this the normal time and expense in pursuing fitness on a regular basis; life just tends to get in the way.
This is where I found myself in 2004.
I'd done my duty, I had broken my body, and I was anticipating retirement. I'd also pretty much given up on life, though I hadn't realized that, yet. I had no real goals, and was living an aimless existence at a job I hated. I was so bad, I was looking at right hand drive vehicles so I could get in and out. I was overweight, had broken my back, had my left leg partially removed by trauma and reattached, and had broken my collarbone multiple times.
In 2005, I was fired from my job, and the only job I could find was as a military contractor. The folks I worked for were young, fit and had an extremely "can do" positive attitude. This penetrated into my hard skull, dark mood and soft body. Soon, I was not just watching these hard chargers work out, but was doing my own work out, parallel to theirs.
I also started to actually watch what I ate. Most men just don't, which is ironic, since testosterone is an excellent fat burner. Most women have to fight to lose ounces, while a man can just cut back calories just a little and have dramatic results.
So, by 2007, this was me:
I have maintained that level of fitness since that time. The biggest game changer for me was always putting my workout first and continuing to watch what I eat. Because my workout is fairly intensive, I can eat pretty much all I want, as long as it's not sweets.
What this has meant for me: My outlook is much more positive than before. My depressive episodes are less intense and smaller in duration. I have excellent mobility; I can sit down and get up without assistance. My wife likes me more, in a physical sense . My circles of friends have expanded and become younger. I'm still introverted, even borderline sociopath, but I have friends now (never did before) who tolerate my introversion because I am a much more positive person.
I learned that the type of workout is less important than that you do it, and it has sufficient time and intensity to burn the calories you consume. I also learned that starting out too intense will make you sore and make it difficult to sustain the effort. I'm no longer impressed by workouts that are INCREDIBLE or MIND-BLOWING!!! An "incredible" workout you do once a week is far inferior to going for an hour long walk 6 times a week.
I've also developed a philosophy:
Every one of us, is fighting for our lives, every day. And every single one of us is going to ultimately lose that fight. Once you realize that, it opens up your possibilities. My choice is to sustain that fight as long as I am able.
I hope that this post helps others, or that people can ask questions or chime in with their own stories. I do fitness as a lifestyle, I don't sell a product or coach.
Add to this the normal time and expense in pursuing fitness on a regular basis; life just tends to get in the way.
This is where I found myself in 2004.
I'd done my duty, I had broken my body, and I was anticipating retirement. I'd also pretty much given up on life, though I hadn't realized that, yet. I had no real goals, and was living an aimless existence at a job I hated. I was so bad, I was looking at right hand drive vehicles so I could get in and out. I was overweight, had broken my back, had my left leg partially removed by trauma and reattached, and had broken my collarbone multiple times.
In 2005, I was fired from my job, and the only job I could find was as a military contractor. The folks I worked for were young, fit and had an extremely "can do" positive attitude. This penetrated into my hard skull, dark mood and soft body. Soon, I was not just watching these hard chargers work out, but was doing my own work out, parallel to theirs.
I also started to actually watch what I ate. Most men just don't, which is ironic, since testosterone is an excellent fat burner. Most women have to fight to lose ounces, while a man can just cut back calories just a little and have dramatic results.
So, by 2007, this was me:
I have maintained that level of fitness since that time. The biggest game changer for me was always putting my workout first and continuing to watch what I eat. Because my workout is fairly intensive, I can eat pretty much all I want, as long as it's not sweets.
What this has meant for me: My outlook is much more positive than before. My depressive episodes are less intense and smaller in duration. I have excellent mobility; I can sit down and get up without assistance. My wife likes me more, in a physical sense . My circles of friends have expanded and become younger. I'm still introverted, even borderline sociopath, but I have friends now (never did before) who tolerate my introversion because I am a much more positive person.
I learned that the type of workout is less important than that you do it, and it has sufficient time and intensity to burn the calories you consume. I also learned that starting out too intense will make you sore and make it difficult to sustain the effort. I'm no longer impressed by workouts that are INCREDIBLE or MIND-BLOWING!!! An "incredible" workout you do once a week is far inferior to going for an hour long walk 6 times a week.
I've also developed a philosophy:
Every one of us, is fighting for our lives, every day. And every single one of us is going to ultimately lose that fight. Once you realize that, it opens up your possibilities. My choice is to sustain that fight as long as I am able.
I hope that this post helps others, or that people can ask questions or chime in with their own stories. I do fitness as a lifestyle, I don't sell a product or coach.