I don’t know many people who don’t want to be happy, healthy and full of energy, but I do know a lot who have become complacent and unwilling to put in the effort to live a fulfilling life. It’s so easy to look at others and be critical of how they are treating themselves, but not quite as easy to look at ourselves and be totally honest. So, in a reflective moment, I did just that. I took a really hard look at myself in the mirror. The reflection inspired me to start a new journey, a completely different lifestyle. Over the next year, myself and the team we select to help will give you detailed information about resources available in our community to help you achieve balance in life.
This project, entitled Lifted, will cover six areas—Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Business, Home, and Social—with hope of achieving a new level of balance. To assist, we are choosing local experts in these areas to help us on the journey. Right off the bat, I know that improving my physical condition will allow me to have a better experience with the other areas, so let’s begin there.
The thought of beginning is a little daunting. At the start, I am 208 pounds and a formidable 27 percent body fat. I learned this by sitting down with Eddie Reymond, owner of Eddie’s Health Shoppe, for a Bod Pod session. Eddie measured me and then calculated what my caloric intake should be to lose weight. It will be a pretty big change for me as I have learned that I am overeating by 1,200-2,000 calories per day. Armed with this new knowledge, I’m off to the gym! But the bigger question is, where?
Remembering a recent encounter, Chris Blue spoke with me about his training success. He related that his mentor Hallerin Hill had said to “train like an athlete,” so he hooked up with athlete and professional wrestler Devin Driscoll, owner of D1 Performance Training. Chris’ results are impressive and he agreed to introduce me. I wanted a trainer who is as physically fit as I want to be and Devin lives up to that. He trains clients like he trains himself. It’s not brutal, but it’s not easy either; it looks sustainable.
I am also going to start an aerobic program this week at Core Change. I like the idea of a high-intensity low-impact aerobic workout and being in a class setting provides me some motivation not to stop.
I am excited about both of these new physical activities. This week I will be visiting local providers that can assist me with my nutrition needs. I can’t wait to see what additional support Knoxville has to offer.