Being overweight and gaining steadily was a miserable experience, one that I don't ever want to revisit again. Not only was it a bad physical experience but emotional one as well, one that had the ability to dampen the human spirit. How I looked on the outside, as far as being overweight, certainly had an impact on who and what I was on the inside, physically as well as emotionally.

I began the transformation by following common sense principals of proper nutrition and fitness. I was not on a diet nor did I use any prescription or over the counter weight loss products. The most important element was something that can't be purchased at any price, the element of time. To reverse the effects of years of physical neglect the element of time can't be avoided.

Preface to the update- My update here isn't so much about myself but rather a message to others that one can take back control of their lives against all kinds of odds and live a healthy and active lifestyle. There are no special diets or programs but rather a lifestyle change. This lifestyle change will not only change your health and body but it will permeate every other aspect of your life in a most positive way. It will not only change your life but it will positively affect the lives of others around you.

Well, I'm still living the healthy lifestyle that I begun in August of 1999. I have never gone back to my old ways and now live a very active lifestyle and have the endurance and stamina of an athlete, well actually, I have become and athlete.

Although my primary career is the Internet business I have developed a passion for fitness and helping others in their pursuit to live a healthier lifestyle. I work part time at a local gym on Friday nights helping folks and I enjoy it thoroughly. My goal is to help folks transform their bodies into the best body they have ever had, the best body they are capable of having and doing so through a positive lifestyle change. I would like nothing more than to have others experience the positive life changing experience of living a happy and healthy lifestyle such as the one I'm now living. There are so many positive affects from doing so and it is indeed a life changing experience.

Talk about having a new lease on life! I am always on the look out for the next challenge or adventure; my most recent was participating in my third 5k race. My second race wasn't so good because I ran with a knee injury and I had such high expectations for that race. I had trained for it and during training sustained the knee injury. My intentions were to place in the top three of my age category but instead placed last in the race limping in and in pain. After three months of recovery I ran in a 5k race last month and placed second in my age category. This is a far cry from two years ago when I couldn't even run a half a block. That's a life I don't even know anymore.

This year I'll be hiking the Grand Canyon (Done)and running across the Golden Gate Bridge and back (Done)and I can't wait to get my hands on a kayak as well! People have asked me how I have time to do all the things that I do. Well, it not a matter of time, I budget that now. It's a matter of energy and passion for living and enjoying life.

Now I'm not always running, hiking , mountain biking and climbing on things, I take advantage of the calmer things in life as well. It's a lot nicer to do when I have a clear mind and healthy body. I enjoy quality time like a recent drive up to a local campground in the mountains. It was a lazy day, one of relaxation reading by a campfire in the mid afternoon amongst the Sequoia tress and solitude of the forest.

The luxury of Central California also affords the opportunity to visit the coast for a day of leisurely strolls along the surf and quite walks up and down the piers. There is just so much to do and see. Once you condition your mind and body to accept these things there are no limits, there is always something to do whether it is priceless moments of calm and relaxation or exhilarating moments of adventure.

There is still no place like home though and the calm and relaxation that can be found there. Home is always waiting here quietly for me when I come in from the excitement or relaxation of the outdoors. It all has a whole new meaning though.

Update June 2004: In addition to the above I have accomplished several other challenges since my lifestyle change. Just to review, I had convinced myself in early 1999 that I was simply "fat" and that was now a part of midlife, something to accept. At that time I figured that I would no longer acheive what I had done in my youth. Boy was I ever WRONG. In the past couple years I have also climbed Half Dome three times, Mt. Whitney from the west once (A six day backpacking journey), completed a Triathlon and just this month (June 2004) finished a Marathon. So, let me ask you, does life have to be "washed up" at 41 years of age or is there still hope to tap into the fountain of youth? The answer is a resounding YES, there is hope for everybody. Heck, during this months marathon I saw a blind man running in it. Everybody can make some kind of change. The best part of all is that I can participate in activites with my kids instead of just watch them. Lets face it, when I had a BIG gut it was just too difficult and sometimes painful to be active.