It Takes More than a Gym Membership

It takes more than a Gym Membership to reach your weight loss and fitness goals.

The number one New Year's Resolution in America is to lose weight. You probably made that your resolution, as did I. Thousands of Americans head to the gym every year to start their annual attempt at weight loss. I too, have started working out again after a rather unfortunate and extended layoff. 12 percent of all gym memberships start in January, so if you've started back up, you're definitely not alone.

Yet 80 percent of those who start a gym membership won’t last their first six months!

My British friends across the pond have the same problem, with over 60 percent making the resolution to get fit and over a third quitting by the end of January.

So 80 percent of new members will quit and 1 in 3 won't even make it out of January. There are several reasons for this. Work gets in the way, and many people have commitment issues with resolutions anyway. I would venture to guess that many people get discouraged with they can't get the weight off as fast as they want to and give in to their comfortable life of eating junk and watching TV.

The Issue of Gluttony

New Year, New You is a great catch phrase, but it doesn't equal success. Setting goals is very important, but unless eating is taken into account, all the workouts you attempt are just going to increase your hunger. Without a solid eating plan, you're out to lunch...pun intended.

My wife and I use the 21 Day Fix. Yes, it's a bit faddish, but it requires me to eat a ton of vegetables and good proteins while reducing (but not eliminating) carbs. If you're interested in the program, I know a few coaches that can get you started.

Surviving January will require more than a gym membership. It will require you to attack the issue of gluttony. I approach it on the basis of Christian faith (this is The Navy Christian, after all), but even nonbelievers will understand the issue I'm talking about.

You know the one...you come home from a long day at work (you maybe even hit the gym on the way home) and there's nothing in the fridge. Well, Dominos delivers, right? So you torch all of your progress for the day by stuffing very delicious pizza down your throat. Hey, I'm a realist. I know it tastes good.

If you want to avoid that, you need a plan, which is why we use the 21 Day Fix. It keeps us thinking about what we ought to be eating, not what we want to eat. Left to our own devices, we're heading back to pizza and pop. You can use any plan you want, you just need to have one and stick to it.

Of course I think there is a faith component. That's why I spent time studying gluttony and scriptures that pertain to it. You can download my book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (also available for iBooks through your iTunes store).  

The bottom line is that you can't reach your weight loss and fitness goals by gym membership alone. You must bring in the faith component and beat gluttony as well. Take a look at the subject on this blog and, if you need more assistance, buy the ebook. Feel free to leave any questions as comments and I'll answer as quickly as I can!

Here's to a great 2016!

Your Greatest Strength (Fiction)

I wrote this and posted it because it's for fun. Sometimes I like to write as a way of just setting life aside for a few minutes and enjoying my imagination. If you enjoy this, please share it with your Facebook and Twitter friends!

Your Greatest Strength

By: S. Daniel Smith

The wind was chilly, but felt good against his legs as Paul trotted down the lane toward the starting line. He wanted to be warm enough at the start of the race to get off quickly. Of course, the bios weren’t warming up. They didn’t have to. The millions of nanobots that acted as sensors and trigger servos in their legs and lungs would make up for the deficiency.

Paul didn’t care that he was the only runner left in the elite class who ran as a whole human, or “non-bio” as they were termed. Everyone else, in order to compete against the other bios, became a bio too. Oh sure, thousands of people ran marathons, even competitive ones, as non-bios, but they didn’t really compete. Often they were charity runners. An important part of the running culture to be sure, but not where Paul operated.

“Mornin’ Paul,” said another elite runner as they crossed paths. Paul recognized the runner, a fellow American named Todd Bogart…a bio. Todd had reportedly made the switch a year ago. He hadn’t won anything yet, but it often took a year or so for the implants to reconfigure the muscular and cardiovascular systems.

Paul nodded, but didn’t speak. He was angry.

The trotting was over. Paul conducted a very short, very simple stretching routine. He didn’t want to stress his muscles too much before the race. They would be tested plenty once the gun went off. He wanted to win. When he beat the bios, he wanted them to see it. He wanted his body as fresh as possible.

“All elite runners please report to the starting line!” bellowed the loudspeaker. “Race starts in 10 minutes!”

Paul made his way forward. The bib number told others around him that he was an elite. They made way for him. Some of them didn’t know who he was, but most did. They, being non-bios, knew Paul the non-bio because all of the running magazines did articles on him. He was the fastest non-bio in competitive racing.

“Two minutes until start!” warned the loudspeaker. He was telling jokes and making fun of the newbies in between warnings.

Paul took his place in the second row of the elite group. He didn’t want to be too brash, even though he planned to beat every last one of them. Knowing what he knew, and having the advantage that he had, he didn’t mind starting just behind them. He took notice of who was around him. Many of his fellow runners had raced non-bio for years before succumbing to the pressure to compete. Money came from winning, or at least placing in the top three, and the top three was harder to come by for non-bios. A small wave of sympathy washed over him, but Paul dismissed it with a furrowed brow. He was angry.

“One minute!”

Only one other bio was in the group with him. Paul didn’t know the guy’s name, but did know he came from Ethiopia. Once upon a time, that would have mattered. It didn’t anymore, for the most part. While the biomechanical implants helped everyone improve, regardless of talent level, the body’s natural abilities still had an effect. The implants couldn’t just make a fat couch potato a star athlete (that had been tried before), but it nearly always gave an advantage.

“On your mark!”

Now the adrenaline was pumping. Paul always got nervous, even though he knew he would win this day.

“Get set!”

Why did they count down like this? It was stupid. A race like this, that lasted the better part of two hours, didn’t need a sprinter’s countdown.

“Go!”

Lots of cheering, bodies bumping against each other, and runners dodging elbows. He almost wished he weren’t an elite runner. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with it as much.

The race started normal enough. The elite runners, Paul included, tore off on a 4:10 pace down the main stretch of the road toward their first turn. The bios could maintain that pace nearly the entire marathon. Paul, while the elite of elite as far as non-bio running was concerned, could only maintain 4:25 or so per mile. Human running had adapted significantly over the years, even to the point of almost calling it evolution, but keeping his pace below five minutes per mile for the entire length of the race was still impossible…unless one was a bio runner.

“That’s where your greatest strength becomes your greatest weakness,” Muluneh had said several months back He was the last elite Kenyan runner to go bio a few years before. It disgusted Paul. He liked Muluneh a lot. The guy was a fierce competitor. Too bad he was in today’s race.

Paul stayed with the pack for several of the first miles, then started drifting back a little. They were maintaining a sub-4:15 minute mile pace and he was starting to eek a little above. A few seconds here and there would add up soon.

“Just a few more miles,” he breathed to himself. He took water at the five-mile mark. Several years ago, back in the early part of the century, a 4:20 pace would have been incredible.

But that was before the big running companies started testing biomechanical running aids. Elite runners shunned the equipment for several years and major races like Boston, London, Berlin, and New York disqualified bio runners.

Things change though…people do too. Berlin was the first to allow bio runners. Once a major marathon dropped the rule, the others followed suite until the USATF was forced to do the same. It was all downhill from there.

“Almost time to make your move,” he told himself as he lost sight of the last bio elite runner ahead of him. They had rounded the turn at mile 19 without him. He was still running a blazingly fast speed, but it wouldn’t be enough. His greatest strength was his greatest weakness.

Mile 21 came and went. It was now or never. Paul was high-fived by a friend of his at the water station, where Paul took his last drink for the race. That friend then texted another friend at mile 23 (where the bios were in the race). A simple howdy-do was all he needed, and he pushed a button on the cell phone that linked to an encrypted satellite, that linked to a hacked cell phone tower, that linked to the biomechanical controller implanted in the elite runners’ bodies.

He knew the risk. The doctor he had consulted told him that it could hurt people. The biomechanical equipment hadn’t been tested in a way that bypassed its normal shutdown routine because no one had ever hacked the system before. Arrogance. It serves them right.

Except for Muluneh of course. He really didn’t deserve this, but he had gone bio too. It was another nine minutes before Paul saw the effects of his high five. He started passing them at mile 24, but a few had managed to escape the first blast and the “man” had to trigger a second one. Paul found Muluneh at mile 26, a mere 350 yards from the finish line.

Paul was alone. No other elite ran as a non-bio. He slowed as he approached Muluneh and stopped by his side. Muluneh was lying prostrate on the road, trying desperately to claw to the finish line. He dragged two inept legs behind him.

“Something is wrong, Paul,” he said, out of breath in his heavily accented Kenyan accent. “I can’t work my legs.”

Paul knelt down and touched his adversary on the shoulder. For a brief moment, the race seemed to stop. He looked at Muluneh and sighed.

“Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness, Muluneh,” said Paul. “I’m sorry. I hope they figure out what happened.”

Then he got up and won the race.

2014 Year End Review and Fitness Goals for 2015

2014 was a great year for myself and for my family! I was able to commission as a Chief Warrant Officer (Two) in the US Navy, we moved to a wonderful new base in Mayport, FL, started new schools, and many other things.

Personally, this year represented a lifestyle change for me. I lost 30 pounds, ran two half marathons, and passed two US Navy body fat composition assessments and subsequent physical readiness tests. The year was great for me professionally, spiritually, and physically.

More than just running those half marathons, I set a personal record of 2:01:20, just shy of my ultimate goal of beating 2 hours. Those half marathons were part of 490 miles run in 2014.

I’m also very happy that my resting heart rate is in the high 50s. While I’m still a fairly large man, I’ve made some good strides to get completely healthy in 2014, and I’m really looking forward to continuing that in 2015.

Unfortunately, not all is rosy. After working very hard to pass the fall body fat composition assessment, and doing so with flying colors, I’ve let my body fat rise from 20% to 28%. While I haven’t gained pounds because of it, I’ve lost definition in my arms and my belly is flabby. I haven’t stayed strong on strength training (pun intended) and my core workouts have slipped horribly since my last Navy weigh-in. I’m grateful that it didn’t equal a falling off of the wagon weight wise, but there is definitely some work to do in order to get where I want to go.

I have a vision of where I want to be this year, and I’d like to share it now:

Half Marathon time: 1:49:00
Navy PRT 1.5 mile time: 11:20
Navy PRT pushups: 61
Navy PRT curlups: 96
Resting heart rate: 55

The PRT results will get me an “Excellent” rating, which I haven’t had in a long time. The pushups will be difficult with my wrist, but I think I can train to that weakness and beat it.

In order to reach these goals, I will need more victory over gluttony, else I’ll just out-eat my gains. It’s a sad state of life for me. I enjoy food more than I burn the calories it brings. I’ll also need to do a better job of drinking water. When I get lazy, I drink soda or coffee, things ready made that take very little effort and honestly taste better than water.

So, in the end, it comes down to whether I want to do better with weight loss or if I want to remain in the status quo. Today, I’m choosing to change.

To learn more about the battle against gluttony, check out my short volume on the subject at Amazon. It’s on sale for $0.99!

The Weight Loss Journey: The After-effects

I've been fighting the urge to have a blow out on my weight loss journey lately. It's been a roller coaster ride that had ups (where I made decent choices or worked out and felt good about myself) and severe dips (where I jumped off the wagon and ate more than I should have or skipped a workout). Of course, those dips brought with them a new sense of guilt and feelings of failure.

As I got home on Friday, I told Alicia pretty plainly that I was tired of struggling with it for the moment and needed to reset. Then I laid out a plan for the weekend for food that essentially meant no plan at all! Yes, I was going to have that blow out. I was done fighting for now, so I let it go.

My last update told you that I had hit a magical number...that number represented a 30 pound loss. I was grateful to have continued to lose a few more pounds, but then I had my reset weekend.

I've heard that it's ok to have a cheat day or so every now and again, but 4.2 pounds worth probably isn't the intended measure. If you've ever stepped on the scale after a bad day or whatever, you know the feeling. The guilt washes over you and you realize that failure. You simmer in the soup of your defeat. It's a little worse now because I planned for the event to happen. I could have been better off if I had kept up the struggle. Thoughts like that are the after-effects of bad decision-making.

I'm excited though. I've had my fun and hopefully it's enough for the foreseeable future. As I am not strictly reducing calorie intake, or ditching carbs, or any other of the crazy diets out there, I'm not as worried about building up and giving into cravings. I simply have to be careful as I move forward in the future, just as I had been doing.

So here's to the after-effects of my after-effects. May the joy of next week's weight check erase all of the sadness of todays. Be blessed in your weight loss journey, as I hope I will be!

My Weight Loss Journey: Before and After Photos

I mentioned in my last post that I had ballooned up to 260 pounds after my surgery and even had to buy a new shirt for my uniform. That was a very bad time for me, and I thought it might be nice to show the contrast in those two "Dan Smiths."

In the photo below, I was at a good friend's retirement ceremony. And I was embarrassed. Here I was, celebrating the distinguished career of a fellow Chief Petty Officer, a Christian guy who had helped me so much during my own CPO induction, and I looked like that. Shame is a better word.

This day was the first one I had to wear a new uniform shirt because my old one didn't fit anymore. I was just a mess.

In the second picture, taken a few weeks ago in Newport, RI while attending LDO/CWO INDOC, I was 30 pounds lighter, healthier, and feeling confident in uniform. To be sure, there is still lots of room for improvement! So many of the Mustangs here in RI look better than I do in uniform, but I'm on the way.

My next post, to be written at some future date, will detail more about my eating regimen and workout routine. Then I'll start writing periodically about my injury. 

On my Weight Loss Journey

My name is Dan Smith and I really love food. There...I said it.

The fact is that I also like working out. I was working out so hard, in fact, that last July I pushed myself too far and tore my scapholunate ligament. I'll write about that someday because I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) of lessons learned for anyone going through that injury. Actually, that injury is the crux of the reason for this blog post.

Shortly after my surgery, which started as a minor scope and turned into a major two-pin and cast operation, I got pretty depressed. I thought I was going to lose my US Navy Chief Warrant Officer's commission and that my wrist might never work right again.

And I ate. And I stopped working out. In all fairness, the wrist hurt often. Even running moved the pins in my wrist and caused (on good days) discomfort or (on bad days) pain. On those days, I got more depressed. And I ate.

Then one day I stepped on the scale and it read 260 pounds. I had never been so heavy before. Worst yet, I had to buy a new uniform shirt because my gut pushed out against the old one too much. I was a real mess. I was embarrassed to even be at work because I was supposed to be a good sailor. I was supposed to be the example. Oh, I had become the example all right. I was an example of a mess.

Yet I made a decision that day. I made a decision that 260 was too much to weigh and that, even if I lost my commission and if my wrist never worked right again, I couldn't live life at that weight. I started very slowly working out, using the Couch to 5K plan (C25K) and I started tracking my food. It wasn't perfect, and I struggled with many a cheat day.

I got to 253 and stalled. I thought I was starting to make progress, so I didn't really keep pushing. I was at that weight for several weeks while I retooled for the next step. I worked hard during my occupational therapy sessions though in order to regain everything I could in my wrist. Then I got to 245 and stalled again. Then I finally started making some real progress.

As I celebrate my first month as a US Navy Chief Warrant Officer, typing with my hand that I was scared might never work again, I celebrate also the loss of 30 pounds. I think that is my bigger joy. Losing that 30 pounds was so important to me.

Furthermore, I'm stronger now. I still get sore from running periodically if I run further than I should or if I do an especially hard day of hills, but the fact is that I've been a healthy runner for longer than ever in my past. Couch to 5K was a godsend and I'm grateful for the program.

Here's to the next 36 pounds of weight loss. My goal is simple. I want to weigh in at my next official weight check without having to have my body fat measured. If I can do it, it will be the first time since 1997.

If you have any questions about my weight loss journey, please feel free to post them below and I'll answer them for you.

Fat Tuesday #2 CPO 365 Phase II

Chief results came out just a few days ago and much excitement over the new selectees has ensued. I personally enjoy this time of year a lot since making Chief myself a few years ago. It's much more enjoyable, of course, on this side of the table as I now have all of the answers and I get better sleep at night than selectees do!

Obviously there is a connection between a struggle with weight and Chief selection season (now called CPO 365 Phase II). If you fail a weigh in at any time during your career as a Petty Officer First Class, you might as well tack on four more years to your time as an E6. I know I did, and it's not getting any easier. I recently had to have "that talk" with a Sailor who failed her weigh in...it's a rough talk to have, because you have to tell the Sailor that he or she has just ruined several years of an otherwise good career. A struggle with weight is that dangerous!

I didn't think I was fit to help do too much during Phase II this year because I'm so overweight right now. I've definitely struggled more than I have in the past and an unhealthy fear of injury is fueling that struggle. Nevertheless, I am happy to report that I lost 1.8 pounds since last Tuesday! Can I call it 2 pounds? I suppose not. Anyway, I'm very grateful for the loss...any loss! I'll take it and try to roll it into a loss for next week. The Chiefs who make future Chiefs should be able to maintain the standards. We like to say we "own" the standards...so do I? Well, I know the standards, and I enforce them, even when it's marking down a failure on my own part. Phase II is the drive to succeed. This is my last one before commissioning as a Chief Warrant Officer

Anyway, yes, I'm taking part in CPO 365 Phase II. My weaknesses make me a viable part of the Mess and yes, I bring them along with me too. So here we go!

Next week I'll give an update on the Fort2Base race coming up on the 25th! And I have family coming in the week after that, so we'll talk about visiting family members the following week! Should be a lot of fun!

Fat Sailor Friday: Gluttony Part IV

This is Part IV of a 4 Part Series

For a refresher, visit the following links for Parts 1-3:
Part I
Part II
Part III

Here is today's part:

Don't you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB).

I have a slogan for running and healthy eating that I've started using. I don't expect it to be my official slogan forever, but it works for me now when I'm tired and don't want to work out or when I want a bag of chips between meals. Here it is: I AM A TEMPLE.

Granted, it's not very flashy, angry, militant, or even all that athletic. However, I am a believer, and as a believer, I have the Holy Ghost in me. This is something I've always ignored really, at least as far as how it relates to my body image and my eating.

Right now, I confess that I'm doing significant damage to the temple which is me. The rafters are rotten, the foundation is weak (my knees!), the walls are bloated with rot and “extra.” But that's now the temple I'll be in the next several months.

The funny thing is that I'm asking God for his help in rebuilding his temple. I can't do this on my own because I'd run this temple into the ground if it were up to me. All success, therefore, is God's as the Holy Ghost rebuilds his temple within me.

I am a Temple.

It's Monday Again

It's Monday again, and that means I'm trying to reign in my insatiable desire to eat everything that is bad for me again. I can't believe that I still do this to myself. Things were supposed to be different after making Chief Petty Officer, but I guess sometimes things just don't change that easily.

How many times have you had Monday come again? Are you like me and it pretty much comes every week? Worse than that, by Wednesday, you've already overeaten at least once and you're saying, "Well, I'll start again on next Monday?" I've done that too. Well, I hoist my water glass to you to this being the last Monday.

I put 12 pounds back on from making Chief. Today, in order to support my Church, I did some stuff food-wise to help me accept the plight of the hungry. It helped me realize what hunger was, and it made me grateful that I'm not struggling with hunger on a daily basis. But it obviously made me realize that I am at a deficit when it comes to understanding what the destitute go through. Not only am I NOT hungry most days, but I'm also overly full! Gluttony is a sin that robs us of our sensitivity to those who are without.

I'm done with it. Here's to no more Mondays!

Accountability in Weight Loss

I've somehow done it again. Once again I've come to realize that I simply can't make it happen without God and some accountability. After putting close to 10 pounds back on after losing so many, I'm hoping I've hit a wall...that waking up is right around the corner. The fact is that I need to be right there. I need at least the hope of being close to getting my life squared away.

Part of me knew that this was going to happen; maybe all of me did. I had been clicking along so well, and then I just took a few days off here and there after the success of everything. I made Chief Petty Officer, I lost a lot of weight, got promoted officially (it was nearly a 7 week process), and now I'm in danger of losing everything I've worked for.

But isn't that the problem with a stronghold like gluttony? I wrote on my main blog today that Gluttony is essentially making my belly my god. It's a painful reminder that I can and will fail if left to my own devices, which brings me to my next point.

Making a god out of your belly rejects accountability. I don't want others to know what's going on in my life right now because a lot of it equals over-eating. I've got to fight back against myself, get my accountability going, and move forward. It's ugly, but it's my reality. My goal is still intact. I want to weight in for my next PFA without being taped. You can read more about how the Navy PRT program works by clicking on the blue.

Do you struggle with gluttony? Or with accountability?

Gluttony Update

Well, it's the day after Thanksgiving and I suppose that now is as good a time as any to give you an update on my issues with gluttony. The short and long of it is that yesterday was definitely not a great day for me, but then again, I haven't had a lot of great days lately, since passing my most recent weigh in a few weeks back.

I still struggle with gluttony, especially when it comes to food. As most of you know, I have been working hard on it (mostly hard) for the past year, desperate to see change in my life. I wrote about various topics, including the Biblical issues. However, I feel it's time for an update.

First, the bad news. I was delayed reporting to my current command by about three weeks because I failed an initial weigh in at my journeyman instructor training (JIT). I managed to pass the weigh-in in time to get through the training, but it was a crash diet of epic proportions. I am grateful to God because I didn't deserve to pass that weigh in, and yet I did.

Upon arriving at my new command, and after returning from burying my grandfather in Kansas, I weighed in at 2% over the limit. I had about three weeks to get squared away before the official weigh in that would decide if I was going to be able to qualify as an instructor.

Yet I am extremely grateful for passing the weigh in for the fall PRT. It was a bit touch-and-go for a while, but I made it without a doubt in the end. God truly gave me the victory with the weigh in. Whether you believe in him or not, I'm here to tell you that I could not have done that without some supernatural intervention.

So, looking forward, I have to decide how to proceed. Do I essentially start over this winter, especially considering the dreaded New Year's Resolutions that everyone makes (including myself)? Or do I give up? Or do I just press ahead as best I can?

The fact is that I'm going with the latter. I'm going to proceed as best I can and push through. This most recent joyous occasion, wherein I passed my weigh in, was just a step in the process. Gluttony is something that will haunt me all of my life, I believe, and I will simply have to fight back with my faith and God's grace every time I can.

No New Year's Resolutions for me regarding weight, although I will share my goals in the future. I will also provide helps for those who are battling gluttony like I am. Today I simply wanted to take a few minutes to update everyone on my current situation as it pertains to gluttony. Check back soon for more details and goals!

The Rest of the Story Part III: Successful Ending

For those who have read parts I and II of my "Rest of the Story" series, I welcome you to what I expect will be the final installment. First of all, a hearty congratulations to everyone who found out yesterday that they made "Chief". I have been passed over two years now, so we'll see how next year goes. It's hard to be too disappointed when God has given me so much, as you will see in this post.

We begin where I left off in my last post. I spent four weeks in the holds division. I mentored Sailors where I could, helped whomever I could help, and worked hard on my weight.

This past Monday, however, was significant. If I were to be able to execute my orders, meaning still get to Great Lakes and teach Navy Sailors, I would need to get into my Journeyman Instructor Training (JIT) classes this week. I was more than a little nervous Saturday and Sunday. I felt that God would carry me through if he were done with me at holds. If he needed me there a little longer, then I wouldn't pass, wouldn't get to go to JIT, and wouldn't get to go to Great Lakes. I had no idea what the Navy would do with me, but I expected I was going to JIT anyway, so I wasn't too worried.

Spiritually, I felt God had done everything with me he needed to do in the holds division. Most of the young Sailors I had worked with were moving on to other things, so I felt that I too would be moving on. That didn't mean Monday morning, with an official weight and body fat check, wasn't more than a little harrowing. But they passed me! God had provided yet again, and I was and am so grateful!

In all, I have lost 4 inches on my waist and a total of 18 pounds. But that was just my part. God really carried the day by providing a way for me to help a bunch of junior sailors. Now that I'm in my instructor school, I am preparing myself to help even more sailors as they prepare for the fleet. So, here I come Great Lakes! Let's see what God will do now!

The Rest of the Story, Part II

In my previous post, I wrote about how I had failed a very important weight and body fat check while entering Journeyman Instructor School. This failure jeopardized my chances to become a Navy instructor and caused me gross embarrassment.

Nevertheless, I thought that maybe God could use this as a ministry to others. I didn't know for sure, though, because this wasn't something God did to me, it was something that I did to myself. I kept eating high-calorie and high-fat meals. I didn't work out to compensate. None of this was God's doing. Still, as I sat in the holds office awaiting my fate, I prayed, "God, maybe you can do something with this. If there is any way, I give you my situation." It was a simple prayer, but it was the best I could do. I was ashamed of myself.

God wasted little time. Yes, I went through a good deal of judgement as I checked in to the holds division as a loser and a failure. The chief who was in charge of the division made no effort to hide his displeasure. I did stand up for myself, but didn't argue with him. That would have been counter-productive. I knew the truth. I knew that my hope was in God.

I met many of the young sailors I would be working with that day and the following morning. A lot of them were being kicked out because they had screwed up their lives to that point. In some ways, I understood. Despite having a number of awards and great evals, I was essentially throwing away my career, just like they were.

Another thing that they were all going through was a harsh prejudice against junior sailors/students. Once they were in trouble, the military in charge of them continued to nit-pick anything that was wrong, even if marginal. Things that wouldn't have gotten them in trouble on a ship "in the real Navy" was getting them in trouble here. I realized what God was wanting me to do. I realized my purpose.

They needed to know that not every senior leader was out to get them or drag them down. I tried my hardest to become the person that could give them hope. I counseled and mentored many of them about their futures. Those who weren't being kicked out I mentored to help them find their direction. I encouraged them to do what they were told, keep their noses clean, and push through. They would get to the fleet soon...a fleet that didn't care if they made a mistake in A School. I told them about sailors I had known who had made mistakes in school only to be great sailors in the fleet.

And I worked hard. I was losing about 4 pounds a week during this time. I was determined to show these students that I, too, was doing everything I could do to fight through my situation and the judgement I was facing as a "failure." God was using me as an example of hope and spirit for these young sailors. It felt wonderful.

I didn't get through to all of them. Many did get kicked out of the Navy. I might have made their last few days a little brighter, but the fact is that many of them were already too far gone to rescue. It wasn't up to me to make them see the hope I had, only to offer it to them. I also didn't get to outright share my testimony with many of them either. On a few occasions, I was able to share how my faith was vital to me getting through the current circumstances. On another occasion, I was able to reinforce the faith of a few young sailors, even including offering them a ride to church if they wished for it. Anyway, all I can do is pray that I left an impression.

My stay in the holding division was God-ordained. It might have been my fault that I was there, but I was in God's hands the entire time. And when it was time for me to leave...when my work there was done...God move me along. Find out about that tomorrow!

The Rest of the Story

Many of my regular readers, or at least my Facebook friends, know that my family is still in San Diego almost three weeks after we should have left. However, many of you don't know exactly why. All I have said up until now is that my orders were put on hold.

Well, here is the rest of the story:

On the morning I reported to Journeyman Instructor Training school in San Diego, I failed a preliminary weigh-in and body fat measurement. As many of you know, I have struggled most of my adult life with my weight, particularly this year as I wrote about gluttony in a vain attempt to hold myself accountable. Well, I couldn't do it, but the Navy could. Before I could even get an excuse ready, I was dropped from the class and told to report to the holding division.

I was devastated and horribly embarrassed. I apologized to Alicia immediately, and she responded admirably. Not once did she fault me or attack me, although I had no defense. I have known for a long time that I needed to get squared away. It was my fault and only my fault. No one else did this. I had been surprised by the body fat check, but that didn't mean I was not to blame for it's results.

Something clicked inside of me, though. I became determined not to go off the deep end. A scant few months earlier, I had changed almost everything in my life because I became dismayed at something God had done in our family. I was determined not to do it again. I knew God could do something with this...this pain and embarrassment.

But that is tomorrow's post. What I want to let you know now is that I am still in San Diego because I failed a crucial weight and body fat check. I had held off telling everyone because I wanted to make sure the plan was coming to fruition. Tomorrow I will tell you how God worked a wonder in my life.

The Diary of a Fat Sailor

When I was a teenager on a farm in Southeast Kansas, I ate like a small horse, at least that's how I remember it. Many a day came and went with me rushing home after football practice to devour dinner leftovers, as I often missed the main meal. Most of all, I remember feeling invincible. I had no fear of food (quantity-wise) and welcomed it, particularly potatoes, fried chicken, and other forms of meat. I also enjoyed pasta, particularly my mom's chicken noodle recipe. I did always have problems with type of food, something that really caused problems when I got overseas. In some ways, I still struggle with this too.

I arrived in Great Lakes, IL for US Navy boot camp at a whopping 164lbs. Yet I left at about 175lbs. Already, just by getting three solid meals a day and ironically working less than I did on the farm, I was gaining weight. I left A-School at 185 and C-School at 195. See a pattern developing? Well, hindsight is 20/20 I suppose, because I didn't see it then.

Now 13 years have passed since I was last in Great Lakes, and I'm returning to teach A-School weighing in at over 240lbs. In some ways, I am in better shape than I was even then. My body is, relatively speaking, as healthy as an ox. I've run two half marathons and an assortment of smaller races. I also competed in a swim-a-thon at the base pool, although I didn't reach the minimum goal to get a prize. My cholesterol is right at the borderline though, even though my heart rate is a cool 55 resting (I've heard that Lance Armstrong's is only 5 beats less than mine).

But I am also a big ox. I have found recently, as I crossed the 30 year old mark, that my body does not respond as quickly as it used to. I cannot lose 15lbs in a few weeks like I could once upon a time, and I find it harder to say no to food. I have failed physical readiness tests in the past, but after four years of not failing one, I'm finding myself in a precarious position.

I weigh the same I did nine months ago when I started training to run long distance. It has not been a success, although I can't begin to explain how awesome it is to cross the finish line of a half marathon. No, sports fans, there is a problem brewing under my skin, no pun intended.

I don't want to be destined to be this way. I wrote about gluttony at the start of this year in a desperate attempt to find accountability in myself and scripture, but that too has failed. I don't want to be "that chief" or "that first class" who talks about PT like it's vital to a young Sailor's career (it is) yet can't look good in uniform myself.

No, I'm not asking for sympathy. I'm just letting you know how this works. I feel an immense amount of pressure to be thin so that the Navy will look good. I understand the need for the Navy to look good. Who wants to see a bunch of fat sailors? But I am not who I used to be. I am not the young buck who can eat anything and get away with it.

The problem is that my work ethic and determination doesn't seem to translate to my waistline. How does the number 4 E6 sailor on board a US Navy cruiser struggle with weight? I'm the Sailor of the Year as well...it doesn't make sense. It just doesn't even seem right. How will I prove to my future command that I'm a good sailor...no, and excellent sailor, capable of guiding the next generation of sailors when I look like this?

It could be that you struggle with weight too. Welcome to the club. The membership is pretty steep, unfortunately. You have to pay with a career spent barely making weight every six months, and probably missing it a few times here and there. It's not a fun club, and I don't want to be president, but I guess I am, at least for a little bit.

Are you an overweight sailor unafraid to admit it? Do you have encouragement for those who struggle, like myself?

Gluttony Part III

In the first part of our trip through gluttony, I focused on two passages from Proverbs. Today is our final edition of the Proverbs gluttony file. You can click below for the first two sections:

Part I
Part II

As for the final section of our current study, we turn to Proverbs 23:20-21.
²⁰ Do not join those who drink too much wine
       or gorge themselves on meat,
 ²¹ for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
       and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

While gluttony itself can mean more than just overeating, but rather any indulgence, this passage makes it pretty clear that the writer is talking about overeating. So we look at this and see what the passage suggests:

1.  Gluttony results in becoming poor. It's no stretch to believe that an alcoholic can and probably will ruin his finances. Beer and liquor costs money. But can you waste money with gluttony? Yep! I've never done the exact figures, because I still live in denial, but I figure that I spend at least $30-$40 a month on soda alone. And we're trying to save for a new family car right now! What a waste... I'm not saying that eating healthy isn't expensive as well, but we're talking about wasting, and gluttony is wasting. My soda-drinking habits are just part of that overall trend in my life.

2.  Drowsiness clothes them in rags...Being full all the time makes one sleepy, especially in the afternoon. Like a food-induced coma, the overeater becomes lazy and unproductive. Unproductive people don't keep jobs, or don't advance in them. In the Biblical times, that equaled living in rags. That might be a little different for us in our day, but not much philosophically.

3.  Matthew Henry says: "It is really a shame to make a god of the belly." That is exactly what we do with food, unless one eats because he has made food his god. Either way, it is a shameful act.

We must fight against the act of gluttony. Correction...I must fight against the act of gluttony. I must go back to the true God every time the desire to fall comes, just as I might to fight against lust, cheating, lying, etc.

What does this passage mean to you?

Gluttony Part II

Proverbs 28:7- He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

 I'm already a day off on my gluttony posts. I guess that shows how much I really don't like thinking about the sin that I continually take part in. It is unfortunate, but over time, I hope to rectify it. At any rate, there are a few things in this verse that I want to look at and share with you.

Not every verse we will discuss talks directly about the sin. While I believe this verse does suggest that gluttony is a sin, it won't tell you much about it. Instead, it is a verse about choosing your friends and being a wise follower of the law.

Matthew Poole said of the last part of this verse, "He shameth his father, because he is a foolish son." I don't mean the teenager who plays football or is overly active and who is eating that much because his body needs the fuel. In fact, we're not even talking about the child being the overeater. It's the fact that he cannot choose his friends. He is not the glutton, but picking friends that cannot control themselves is a disgraceful act. As demeaning as the picture is, this is the shame Poole speaks of.

This is not to say that we should look down on someone who struggles with eating. His friends have a problem with control, but that makes me one of those friends. If I were to attack them, it would be akin to me making fun of my own kind. And this is a serious matter. Someone who cannot control their appetite needs help controlling, not ridicule. Notice here that the writer does not say that he shames himself, or even that his friends shame themselves, but rather that the son disgraces his father. He disgraces his father because he chooses friends who cannot control themselves. This is what makes this verse more about choosing friends than about the sin of gluttony proper.

On that note, I believe we can learn a second thing from the verse. The fact that in the first line we see what a wise (discerning) son is like, in that he obeys the law, we can make a claim that this verse suggests evidence that gluttony is indeed a sin. I am a Baptist, which means that I don't ascribe to the 7 Deadly Sins of Catholicism. However, this doesn't mean that I don't see sin when I read it in scripture. The fact that a wise son follows the law, and a disgraceful one is around gluttons suggests that gluttony is a sin.

However, this verse is not about the result of the sin of gluttony. While it is a sin, it is not the sin being committed here. The simple fact is that the son disgraces his father by picking uncontrolled friends. There are other verses that state more explicitly how much of a sin that gluttony is, which we will investigate in future posts.

Stand by for more study! Oh, and please visit the poll on the far right!

Gluttony Part I

I plan on making this year a year to break the stronghold of gluttony on my life. I hate that word with a passion, but unless I’m willing to face it, I’ll never see victory. So, in order to attempt purity in the area of food, I am going to tackle the gluttony issue over a series of posts…probably not more than one per week.

So why study gluttony? Well, the obvious reason is because I’m overweight and I want to lose weight this year. It’s not an official New Year’s Resolution or anything, but it’s definitely necessary. My health, my life, my career, my family, and my spiritual well-being depend on it. This isn’t just wanting to look better for the beach this summer. This is wanting a change of life.

If my problem was stealing, I would be well-served by learning how much emphasis God puts on theft and thieves in the Bible. Many of us (at least us men) know verses on sexual lust and temptation in order to combat our wondering eyes. Matthew 5:28 anyone? Anyway, as my current stronghold is gluttony, or the extensive power food has over my life, I have decided to go through some verses on the subject and see what the Bible has to say on the subject.

The actual word “gluttony” only appears once in the NIV. Other versions use different words to describe the act of gluttony, as you can see in the KJV below:
Proverbs 23:2 "And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite."
Here is the verse in NIV: And put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

On the surface, this verse seems to suggest that gluttony is akin to the unpardonable sin. However, context is king, so let’s look at the rest of the section, verses 1-3:
1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.

In this passage, gluttony is not described as an outright sin, but something that can and will lead to falling into a trap. This does not mean that gluttony isn’t a sin (we'll discover that definitively in another passage); it just means that this section discusses something a little deeper.

As with so many sins, one builds upon another. A man who initially only looks at pornography or other women moves on to affairs. Someone who starts with shoplifting ends up breaking and entering and assaulting. There are many examples, but the fact remains the same: Sin builds upon sin. In our passage here, the sin of gluttony, or the lust of the eyes toward food, leads to some unnamed pitfall. Unrighteous loyalties? I don’t know, but something is there. Food is powerful. It is comforting and yet deceptive, much like alcohol. This passage suggests that food, in the wrong context, is deceptive and powerful.

These verses also suggest the way out. Metaphorically speaking, taking a knife to one’s throat means to restrain one’s self. Let’s face it; not much eating will take place if my throat is cut from end to end. Matthew Henry said, “Restrain thyself, as it were with a sword hanging over thy head, from all excess.” Gluttony is an ugly word, especially for those who struggle with it. We would prefer to use the term heavy eater, overeater, or something else…indeed anything else, but it is what it is. Our fight is against a strong enemy. Satan has us in a trap and it can defeat just about any New Year’s Resolution.

Which brings me back to the beginning. My hopes this year aren’t to lose “x” number of pounds, but to save my life, both spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I can run a hundred miles a week, but if I continue to fall to gluttony, it will be wasted effort. So I learn. Will you join me on this journey to freedom from this sin?

Don’t feel bad about it. As with any sin, some amount of sadness over lack of control is important, else we’d never come to God for repentance. However, Satan would have you shamed into believing you cannot overcome this. Of course he’s right. But God can overcome this, so don’t let shame keep you from the throne!

I will put a comment down below which will be my prayer for the day against gluttony. Please feel free to add your own prayer as well or make any other comments. Until you are prepared to meet gluttony head on, you will continue to make, and fail, New Year’s Resolutions. This is about success. It’s about victory!