The adventures of the dad-bod

In early-mid May I peaked in my overall body weight.  It was the highest weight I had ever been and honestly I felt horrible.  There are several reasons to why this was so:

1.  Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of cardio.
2.  I had been lifting pretty regularly, like 4-5 days per week regularly.
3.  I wasn't exactly eating all that great.
4.  I honestly didn't realize that I got there.

Truth be told, my pants still fit, I still could spar, and I really didn't see myself as fluffy as I was.  This was about 2 months ago (I write this on July 25 and will post on July 26th).

Now, I'm down about 12lbs from that point.  There are several factors coming into play with this.  They are:

1.  I'm running regularly, and enjoying it.
2.  I'm still lifting, but only hitting the major lifts so that I don't reduce my strength.
3.  I'm paying more attention to my calories.  The nice part is that I can have my kryptonite (oreos)at night if I'm under my target.
4.  I weigh in almost weekly.

My pants fit better, I fight faster, but am still somewhat fluffy.

It's just that I got lazy, like many people who work all the time and have kids.  My drive wasn't really there, and the discomfort that came with it didn't help at all either.  I'm glad that I've taken hold of what was needing to happen for me to change, otherwise I'd be even heavier and perhaps more rundown.

I'm motivated by losing my dad-bod.  I'm motivated by having people hold me accountable for my weight.  And I'm motivated because of the cadences found on Spotfiy.

I fight the same war as many of my clients.  The difference is that I'm the crutch for them to lean upon, and not vice versa.  This war will be won, with small victories eventually leading to large victories.  

A punch stroke

One of the things that I love about working with neurological conditions is the puzzle factor.  Each person has a uniqueness that is not as evident in healthy people.  Each person poses a unique challenge that must be overcome to be effective as a trainer.  This challenge is thrilling and satisfying in ways that are unmatched.

On 2/28 I began leading a boxing class for individuals who have been affected by strokes.  Each participant has been hand-selected to help for us to "pilot" this program and is excited for us to get it off of the ground.  The purpose behind the boxing class is for us to hone in on strength, endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, weight transfer, balance, and with any luck, neuroplasticity.

Much of what we are trying to accomplish is to take the "medical" perception out of therapy.  Our program is supervised by a Physical Therapist specializing in neurological conditions, of which I refer to her as the "strategy."  I'm next in line and the lead on the "tactical" front, of which once we're in the room and engaged in the program, what I say goes.  From there we have several physical therapy interns and other trainers to assist in safety.

I'm excited about the program and it is our intention to spawn other programs.  We have been running a Parkinson's Disease boxing program for the last year with a high degree of success and participation.  In the same capacity, I'm the lead once in the room and the class beginning.  We have our own "proprietary" program which allows for us to be different when related to other programs that are in existence.

I'm excited for what the future holds in terms of helping these people heal.  In all honesty, I never would've imagined that this is what my life had in store for me and for that I'm appreciative.