My Healthiest Ever

February 1, 2024

At the time of writing this, I’m 38 years old, and I can say without any hesitation that recently I have become the healthiest I have ever been in my entire life.

There was a time when I was more athletic. For example, when playing soccer for my college. But I wouldn’t say I was healthy.

I drank a lot of alcohol.

I ate a ton of pizza, pop, and other junk on a daily basis. But, I was young, so I could get away with it. Plus, I was running so much with soccer that I never put on a single pound.

I don’t regret that time at all. I mean, it was fun to crush an entire pizza after a game or tough practice.

The younger me would find today me boring.

Remember when you were younger, and you would think about what you would be like when you were 10 or 15 years older?

Well, that young version of me would think I am pretty boring. In fact, he wouldn’t think it was remotely possible that he would end up this way.

For starters…

I rarely drink anymore.

For years, I drank a lot.

Too much.

It was how I relaxed, had fun, socialized, and did business. If I’m honest, I just loved catching a buzz. But it all came with a cost, especially as I got older. I became all too familiar with hangovers, threw-up more times than I can remember, and made terrible decisions along the way.

Alcohol does that. We think we are in control, until we aren’t. It got so bad for me that I cut it out of my life cold turkey back in 2019. There were countless benefits to doing so, one of the best was that it made losing weight a lot easier. For me, the quality of my sleep and clarity of mind were also welcomed changes.

Today, I have a drink maybe once every 6–8 weeks, depending on what’s going on in life (like when attending a wedding, for example). Even then, it’s one small glass of wine or champagne. Every time, I sort of regret it because it messes up my sleep. I’m just not as rested the next day.

By the way, I credit this book for helping me to change my mindset about alcohol. Give it a read if you’re interested.

But another shocking fact about myself today that younger me would not be able to comprehend…

I don’t eat meat.

This one is relatively new. Recently, Lorena started a vegan diet, so I decided to give it a try as well. I’ll admit, I was nervous when I first started because all I’ve known my entire life is meat, eggs, dairy, etc.

But you know what? It’s actually not that hard of a transition. It forced us to start thinking outside the box on the food we would cook, and we’ve been making some really tasty meals from plant based whole foods.

I feel pretty damn good, but more motivating is that I look good.

Vanity can be an incredibly strong motivator. It’s pretty easy for me to keep eating like this when my muscles have become more defined, I can see my abs without flexing, and my clothes fit exactly how I want them to.

How to reach your own peak health.

As I’ve started to enter middle-age, I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends and colleagues struggle with their own health.

I’m not a nutritionist, doctor, or even fitness expert. But what I am good at is pushing myself to question assumptions I’ve made about my life. I encourage you to do the same.

Try a new weight routine that you’ve never done before. No matter what it is, you have the ability to do it, I promise. I mix up dumbbells and body weight exercises roughly four times per week for 20min to 1hr, depending.
Pay attention to the food you eat. Track your macros for a bit (I did this, and lost 10lbs — and this was before switching to a vegan diet).
Stop doing strenuous cardio and just walk every day. I walk 4000–6000 steps every day, depending on what I have going on. It’s a game changer. It takes me about 40 minutes to do, and I’ve found the “alone time” to be quite beneficial from a business and personal perspective.
Most of all, have fun with it. Track your progress over time. Don’t get discouraged when you hit a wall. Just know that behavior switches like this always have a positive impact on your health, and if you have your health, you have your life.

#health