Hello friends!
Today I am going to write a little more about me as well as a bit about a couple other people who have had the 'BUG'. When I say 'BUG' I mean the let’s get my butt off the couch and get in shape bug.
Although he doesn't know this yet, I will be asking my brother Denny to write a short blog for me to post here of how and why he chose to 'GET FIT'. Also about what kept him motivated. A friend of mine whom also worked for me at one point also has over the last couple months been bit by the 'BUG' and has been making great progress towards her fitness goals. Michele just posted I believe today or yesterday that she has set a goal of running her 1st 5k within the next year. Awesome work Michele and keep it up. I have also (already) asked Michele to write up her workout info, goals and what motivates her to add here. You will find all 3 of us have completely different reasons, workouts and motivations but nonetheless it is working for all 3 of us. Hopefully through reading one of our stories it will give you reason to find your own motivations and get the 'BUG'. Keep an eye out for these stories soon from Denny and Michele.
So, you’re reading my blog and you just read that I'm going to tell you more about me. You’re thinking oh Lord; I already know more than I want to. Maybe you’re thinking about the time I got beat senseless by a band of brothers in front of the Knights Hall, or the New Years Eve party on McVey St, or maybe even the gunshots at the Wing Ding. Well I'm not here to tell those stories. I'm here to talk about the Darren who is a single dad. The Darren who has been through heartbreak. The Darren who had everything and nothing at the same time. Hmmmm never heard these stories while sitting around drinking the brews?
Well here goes. So I am 37 yo single dad to the greatest little man on Earth in my eyes. I have been married, divorced, engaged, and dumped. That takes a toll on a man or even a woman for that matter. I have forgiven those people but found it hard to forgive myself. I worked for a company I loved and moved away from everything I knew for my job. I made great money for a guy with only a high school diploma. My company was bought by a larger company and like all larger companies do after buying smaller companies-they started closing stores, letting loyal employees go and turning the work over to 3rd parties. Just in the last few weeks my original store in Chillicothe, MO where I started was told there store would be closing at the end of the month. That store had been there for 20+ years and trust me when I say it was always busy. Well after the merger, I lost my love for the job I had. My management changed from the management I so wanted to work for when I came to Kansas to management that had no clue what my employees names were little lone that cared what there sales #'s were. I hope that has changed for the people who got to stay. Anyways during that time I didn't want to be there, I was going through my engagement breakup and other than my son had nothing that I loved anymore except for family and friends. On September 30th, 2010 I locked the door for the last time at a job I once loved that I no longer desired to be there. At this time I was at the heaviest weight I have ever been in my life.
So with the above paragraph or book however you look at it on September 30th, I became jobless, had just ended my sons custody case, was way overweight and away from home. Out of those things I am only still jobless!!! Hutchinson is home and I am even coming to enjoy that. Hutchinson is my son’s home therefore it is mine as well. I have shed 40+ pounds, can ride a bike farther than the driveway and am getting close to my high school physical condition. That is as close as I can for being 20 years older.
Getting to where I am today from where I was September 30th, 2010 has not been easy. There have been times I wanted to give up, or sit on the couch instead of head to the gym or jump on the bike. There were times I thought I would never reach my goal. There were times I just wanted to grab that Big Mac and say $@#% it. Every time I thought about quitting I remembered some words my parents, Denny, and Coach Long said to me when I wanted to quit wrestling my senior year of high school. I also thought about my son and how I would explain to him how I had set a goal and gave up after getting so close to attaining the goal. How could I ever expect him to not quit if I set that standard for him.
I will not sit here and tell anyone it is easy to lose weight. It is hard work but the reward is well worth the hard work and time spent in the gym, on the bike, running, walking or whatever you do to lose your weight and get fit. For me I had to set goals and have rewards for myself along the way. One of my rewards was a new pair of shoes. It was all the motivation I needed to get to my next weight goal. Workout partners are a great thing to have as well. I had a regular workout partner for about the first month or so. After that I have primarily done all my workouts alone. It is much easier though when you have that other person who counts on you to be there as well as you count on them.
For those of you who have kept up with my blogs you know the end result to my weight loss goals is to fight at least one MMA fight. I plan to fight at 170 lbs. Right now I have a fight scheduled for July 23rd, however I am working through some issues with that. I will let you all know as I know more in regards to that.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Darren
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