Independence day to me

June 30, 2013

Independence day is celebrated next Thursday. It is a reminder of the first time I lost a lot of weight twenty nine years ago. When I graduated high school in 1982, my dream was to join the army. After high school my first job was working at Keebler Cookie working on the line boxing up cookies and on occasion cleaned up the cooking sheets. I remember the cleaning up because I have a small scar on my hand from the power-hose coming in contact with it. While working there I ate so many cookie I had added 15 pounds to my frame in a very short time.

Then the following year, I  worked at a park during the summer cleaning up at a recreation center. Then in the fall that year I worked at the Ritz Carlton hotel as a Houseman, cleaning hallways. During these years I tried to join the Army and came close to joining until they found out I had seizures in my childhood. All of a sudden they weren't interested any longer.

Down hearted I thought my dreams of joining the military were over. Then I brainstormed while reading my test scores for all the military branches, of my cousin that was in the Air Force traveling all over the world. So I showed at the Air Force Recruiter office who told me the only thing holding me back for them was that I was thirty pounds overweight. I weighted at that time 230 pounds on my 5'11 frame.

That was October 1983. As I headed home at the subway station I emptied my pockets of the candy in my pockets. Soon afterwards, I picked up two books at the public library. One on running and one on cooking dishes with rice. I had never worked out in my life except for gym class and my short football tryout in my junior year.

During my short football tryout I hated running and exercising only like the actual football scrimmages. That all I wanted to do was play the game without the exercise part. Now I'm told in order to get my dream to join the military I need to lose weight.

A fire inside me came alive I never knew I had. So in my back yard that was almost a acre on land I walked everyday around and around. Then eventually I walked and jogged everyday. Then in short order I was running everyday, even in the rain because I had become so addicted to it.

For dinner I ate rice and soup, rice and lean fried beef, rice and chicken, rice and broccoli, rice and whatever. This and being on my feet all day at the hotel help burned tons of calories off my body and I lost the most weight I had ever done in my life. From October 1983 to March 1984, I had lost an incredible seventy pounds in six months.

March 1984 I showed up to my recruiter office to let him know I had lost the weight. The same recruiter kept asking me who I was because he didn't recognize me. The next week I was raising my right hand to pledge to protect the nation and the President of the United States. My dream came true and I joined the U.S. air force.

Now with tears in my eyes form reflecting of that great moment and achievement in my life, I know I will repeat history again but this time my motivation is to live a healthy life for the rest of my life. Step one is losing the weight and step two is maintain it forever.

At 48 years old I know nothing is impossible with God's help and a desire in your heart and a goal in front of you. Like my goal was almost three decades ago, my new goal will come true. Everyday I getting stronger, healthy, wiser, and fit. I'm never giving up and don't make excuses to fail. I just get up everyday and give it all I got.

Back then I had youth and some knowledge. Now I have so much more knowledge, resources, a track record of success and mental toughness. Today I do have responsibilities- wife, house, bills etc., aches and pains - bad back,and medical challenges too-  sleep apnea and morbid obesity . In spite of all that I still will do it and it will feel even better because this time I doing it with more mountains to climb. So the award will be even sweeter. Until next time take care and God Bless.