Back to the gym

There are few things in life I resist more than working out (eating pineapple as part of a plant-based diet would be right up there).

In high school, physical education was my least favorite class. I was overweight, uncoordinated, and completely unathletic. I was always picked last on teams. I failed all the fitness tests. I twisted an ankle more times than I can count. I have nightmares about activities where teams were assigned shirts vs. skins. I did everything in my power to be on the shirts team to avoid exposing my rotund and unfit body. The only way I passed PE class was by acing all the game rules tests (and letting guys copy off me in exchange for protection during dodgeball). At least my brain made up for what I lacked in my body. 🤓

I have been overweight or obese going back to the days when my mom bought me Sears Husky clothes. My metabolism mostly kept up with all the pizza, cheese sticks, biscuits and gravy, soda, and sweets I choked down until my twenties, when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. At my heaviest, I was about 290 pounds (131 kg) on a 5'10" (178 cm) frame. Even after I released almost a third of my body weight, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I turned 40.

I've been on a serious health journey for the last nine years, and I've pulled a lot of biohacking levers to improve my metabolism, energy, and brain function. I've addressed nutritional deficiencies and keep refining my diet. I've worked on my mindset. It hasn't been enough.

Food is medicine, but as a good friend of mine likes to say, movement is also medicine.

I'm built like a poker player and can sit for hours on end without moving. I don't have the built-in trigger like most people to get up and move. You want to know how easy it was for me to avoid exercise? The simple obstacle of putting on socks and shoes was enough to stop me. 

When I turn 50 next year, I want to be in the best shape of my life, which, sadly, is a pretty low bar. I am committed to helping others take control of their health, and I am my first client. I want to help more people achieve their dreams, but I also want to be honest enough to admit that I am still working on becoming the person I’m asking others to become.

Today, 10/21/26, I had so much resistance walking into the new Mountainside Fitness that opened up near my house. It has nothing to do with the money and everything to do with letting go of the scared, bullied kid who learned to use food for enjoyment and emotional comfort.

I love you and forgive you, buddy, and I love and forgive myself now for not honoring the precious gift that is the human body. 

We all feel resistance to change. It's our programming. It's our mind trying to keep us safe. Many people feel the resistance and avoid it. "Guess it means that's not for me. It's not my time or my place. It's too risky." May I suggest an alternative viewpoint?

Resistance Means GO

I don't mean push through every obstacle as self-punishment, David Goggins-style (though if that's your style, you do you).

GO means get moving. Get uncomfortable. Overcome the fear. Make a decision. Do anything you can except stand still and let the life you were meant to lead become a death-bed regret.

Wherever you feel resistance in your life right now is your opportunity for growth. You know you were meant for more, but you let the world, others' opinions, and negative self-talk convince you otherwise.

For me, walking into that gym today was not about punishing my body or trying to become someone else overnight. It was about keeping a promise to myself. I am not trying to erase the kid I used to be. I am trying to take better care of him.

Where are you feeling resistance in your life right now?

Maybe it is not proof that you are on the wrong path. It could be a reminder that something in you is ready to move.

You do not have to become a completely different person.

You just have to take better care of the person you already are.

#ResistanceMeansGo #BeWellthy