guitar case diet
I was an overweight teenager and a klutz. No seriously, klutz would be an understatement. By the time I was a Sophomore in highschool, I had broken over five bones in my body and all separate times. The doctors began to wonder if my parents were intervening or if the steroids in my asthma medicine had compromised my bones. All parties involved finally just arrived at the conclusion that I was uncoordinated.
Dealing with asthma and obesity as a teenager was not an easy feat. I was ridiculed and depressed. Unfortunately, the depression just led to more eating. The only exercise I was doing outside of gym class, was bike commuting to my first job at Mcdonalds when I was 14. The effects of bike commuting were quickly lost however whenever I consumed the very products we sold.
By the time I reached highschool, I realized I had a passion for singing and the performing arts in general. I was fortunate enough to have an outstanding performing arts program that opened many doors and provided many opportunities for self-discovery. Sophomore year, I discovered my interest in playing the guitar and singing. Little did I know then that it was my interest in playing guitar that would lead to some radical life changes.
After hauling my guitar around in a hard case for months, I wanted to start looking for a soft-shell case that had backpack straps. I had found the perfect one too, but I couldn't afford it as a teenager with a meager budget. Fortunately, my parents were willing to help me out.
My parents were amazing educators and role models. Growing up, I had to contribute to the family by completing chores and helping out around the house. Occasionally, they spoiled me with gifts, but they made certain to help me understand the value of setting goals, hard work, and budgeting. Therefore, if I wanted their help to get this guitar case, I had to set a goal.
I think my dad was thinking I would set a musically related goal, but for some reason, I decided my goal would be to lose 5 pounds. We agreed and much time had passed. I drooled over this guitar case for days, if not weeks. I had finally had enough, and the impulsive marketing ploy of the sale at the music store had gotten to me.
I put on shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers and headed down to our dusty basement. There, I hopped on a rickety old scale and measured myself. I think I weighed-in around 210 pounds and was about 5 feet 9 inches at the time. The only thing left to do, was to hop on our old, unused treadmill.
The goal was to run two miles. That first time, I don't even know how long it took, or how many breaks I had to take, but I did it. I was so out of shape, that I got an endorphin high and I got hooked on the feeling of those positive hormones surging throughout my body. Exhausted, and sweat-drenched, I immediately hopped back on the scale to see my progress. I don't know if it was the old scale, my eagerness to get the case, or a combination of factors, but I read that I had lost five pounds.
I clued my family in on my accomplishment and smirking they went along with it. Within days we had purchased the guitar case. By that point though, my focus shifted from being excited about the guitar case to seeking that endorphin high again.
From there until college, I tried to run two miles every-other-day. I slowly got faster at running, and confident enough to start running outside in my neighborhood. Over time, I decided to start watching my diet and what I put in to my body. I lost over 30 pounds by the end of my Freshman year in college.
The more I think about it, the more I believe there are others out there like me. They may have gone about it differently, or trying to figure out where to start, but we should all be headed in a general direction toward healthy lifestyles.
It was an emotional journey to get to the point where I am today, and this blog is dedicated to sharing more of this story, talking about my other healthy pursuits and interests (e.g. craft beer, technology, and outdoor adventures). My hope is to probe and delve into interesting topics related to these things to engage a social conversation. Getting and staying fit can be quite awkward and perhaps some of my stories will help those out there build the confidence to get moving.
Thank you for reading. Pay it forward by sharing this with others, or engaging in the conversation.
Dealing with asthma and obesity as a teenager was not an easy feat. I was ridiculed and depressed. Unfortunately, the depression just led to more eating. The only exercise I was doing outside of gym class, was bike commuting to my first job at Mcdonalds when I was 14. The effects of bike commuting were quickly lost however whenever I consumed the very products we sold.
By the time I reached highschool, I realized I had a passion for singing and the performing arts in general. I was fortunate enough to have an outstanding performing arts program that opened many doors and provided many opportunities for self-discovery. Sophomore year, I discovered my interest in playing the guitar and singing. Little did I know then that it was my interest in playing guitar that would lead to some radical life changes.
After hauling my guitar around in a hard case for months, I wanted to start looking for a soft-shell case that had backpack straps. I had found the perfect one too, but I couldn't afford it as a teenager with a meager budget. Fortunately, my parents were willing to help me out.
My parents were amazing educators and role models. Growing up, I had to contribute to the family by completing chores and helping out around the house. Occasionally, they spoiled me with gifts, but they made certain to help me understand the value of setting goals, hard work, and budgeting. Therefore, if I wanted their help to get this guitar case, I had to set a goal.
I think my dad was thinking I would set a musically related goal, but for some reason, I decided my goal would be to lose 5 pounds. We agreed and much time had passed. I drooled over this guitar case for days, if not weeks. I had finally had enough, and the impulsive marketing ploy of the sale at the music store had gotten to me.
I put on shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers and headed down to our dusty basement. There, I hopped on a rickety old scale and measured myself. I think I weighed-in around 210 pounds and was about 5 feet 9 inches at the time. The only thing left to do, was to hop on our old, unused treadmill.
The goal was to run two miles. That first time, I don't even know how long it took, or how many breaks I had to take, but I did it. I was so out of shape, that I got an endorphin high and I got hooked on the feeling of those positive hormones surging throughout my body. Exhausted, and sweat-drenched, I immediately hopped back on the scale to see my progress. I don't know if it was the old scale, my eagerness to get the case, or a combination of factors, but I read that I had lost five pounds.
I clued my family in on my accomplishment and smirking they went along with it. Within days we had purchased the guitar case. By that point though, my focus shifted from being excited about the guitar case to seeking that endorphin high again.
From there until college, I tried to run two miles every-other-day. I slowly got faster at running, and confident enough to start running outside in my neighborhood. Over time, I decided to start watching my diet and what I put in to my body. I lost over 30 pounds by the end of my Freshman year in college.
The more I think about it, the more I believe there are others out there like me. They may have gone about it differently, or trying to figure out where to start, but we should all be headed in a general direction toward healthy lifestyles.
It was an emotional journey to get to the point where I am today, and this blog is dedicated to sharing more of this story, talking about my other healthy pursuits and interests (e.g. craft beer, technology, and outdoor adventures). My hope is to probe and delve into interesting topics related to these things to engage a social conversation. Getting and staying fit can be quite awkward and perhaps some of my stories will help those out there build the confidence to get moving.
Thank you for reading. Pay it forward by sharing this with others, or engaging in the conversation.
