Inch by inch
He’s happily married and has two kids, the house and the whole nine yards. He’s blessed and enjoys his biannual vacations to the white sand beaches of the Bahamas.
His name is Robert Hanley and he loves the beaches in the Bahamas, the sand in his toes and sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. He could spend every day at the beach, but buffers the rays of the radiant sun not because of skin cancer or that he’s fair skinned, but because he’s lost it INCH BY INCH.
It started when he joined the firm 15 years ago. Once a high school athlete and avid surfer, Robert, with his success, lived high on the hog. He moved up the ranks and earned raise after raise, and took on more responsibility with each climb of the corporate ladder.
His job often required him to host clients at fancy restaurants, and the food and drink were irresistible. In his first year of college he considered majoring in sports nutrition because of his love for healthy eating and a fit lifestyle. After meals at his favorite steakhouse, he always awaited one question, “Can I bring your the dessert tray, Mr. Hanley?”
At the beginning of his marriage and the start of his position at the firm, Robert would rise early in the morning to make a wholesome breakfast and hit the gym. Monday through Friday he would ritualistically maintain this routine and on the weekends he and his wife would hike the local trails. INCH BY INCH he skipped breakfast here and postponed his workout there. The demands of work kept him late many days and his intentions of going to the gym afterward were buried by stacks of paperwork and presentation deadlines. These deadlines brought on stress, and Robert, who once used healthy eating and fit lifestyle to cope, turned to a few cocktails and easy take-out.
INCH BY INCH, he gained weight and lost his edge. It wasn’t overnight, just a few pounds per year. He canceled his membership to the gym he belonged to for so long and opted for a home treadmill which didn’t seem to put a dent in his late night binges with his clients.
Fast forward to the present, 15 years later he’s now 50 pounds heavier than when he got married and when he started his job at the firm. He weighs 260 and uses his at-home treadmill as a $1,000 clothes hanging apparatus.
Robert is uncomfortable at the beach now and avoids being seen without his shirt off in public. INCH BY INCH he’s lost his self-confidence and accepts his current state of health.
“It’s genetics, it’s my thyroid, it’s part of my job to eat out and host parties,” thinks Robert. It’s INCH BY INCH that got him here and it’s INCH BY INCH that will get him back.
This might sound familiar or you might have a different story, but you have to start clawing your way back. You have to make a commitment to yourself to regain that edge and start making healthy eating decisions INCH BY INCH.
You have to get to the gym, be active and choose health, INCH BY INCH. Seek help, avoid temptation and make time for worthwhile wellness. I’m here to help so don’t hesitate to contact me or someone on my team.
Peter San Nicolas, Ramona Fitness Center owner, is a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified fitness professional, Titleist Performance Institute-certified golf fitness professional, CrossFit Level 1-certified trainer.