My Friend Changed My Life
I was not entirely in the dark about my weight. I was tall at 6’5” and could hide my weight issues. I often hovered anywhere between 250 to 260 lbs and always told myself it was an acceptable weight for someone who was “active.” Imagine how much I would have weighed if I wasn’t active. Thinking back on it, how active was I? I played hockey a few nights a week which accounted for a few hours here and there. But this was Beer League Hockey, and the name tells the story. I viewed this as being active, and I am sure I offset all of this activity by the amount of eating I did.
My definition of active also involved me buying a gym membership and rarely using it. I was the guy who had a million excuses not to go to the gym. It was easy to develop a habit of not going and extremely easy to substitute something unhealthy in its place. I knew I needed to make a change, but nothing was pressing me to make this happen. It had to come from me, and I needed to want to make it a reality.
Volleyball
I decided to make the gym more exciting. Volleyball became a sport the athletic center offered indoors at our gym. It was here I met my friend William. I don’t want to understate this, but William was “In Shape” and a heck of a volleyball player. He looked like a weight lifter and played the sport like an agile beast. His competitive drive and enthusiasm were infectious. You could not help but want to be in this man’s orbit. He and I became fast friends, and it was at his prodding I took up weight lifting in addition to more competitive volleyball.
I had brought meaning to the word “active.” No longer would I only play hockey a few nights a week? I had a daily regimen and a driving force behind it. I pushed William to get to the gym, but more often than not, he motivated me. There were days when I did not feel like working out, but I feared letting William down more than anything. One piece of advice William shared with me, and I wholeheartedly agree with it. It would be best to find the weight you are happy with and keep it off for one year. Your body will adjust to the new weight, and it will be easier to keep off going forward.
William did change my life in more ways than one. First, I went from 250 to roughly 200lbs and have kept this weight for the last 12 years. Second, and most importantly, he indirectly connected me with my future wife. William was a true friend and life changer. For this, I will be eternally grateful.
Gym
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