275

me at 275lbs

This Article is not recommended reading. If you want to read it go ahead, its your Funeral. --NK


That Number means something to me. That is the single most largest number I have ever seen while standing on a scale. And when I saw it, I was baffled.

Why Baffled?

Well, I have always been an explorer. As a young child, I spent my days walking the woods in my area. I had a 10 square mile radius of woods that I had bushwhacked or made trails and forts in that I called my stomping grounds. I remember the first day we moved into the house I grew up in, I went for a stroll in the woods. I found a clearing. In this clearing, there was fallen trees that had been pruned and arranged.

It was cold that day, I remember cause I was wearing a jacket, I was seven years old. At this place I found a piece of plywood in the corner covering a hole. Inside that hole I found three toolboxes filled with tools. So what did I do, I took them home. My parents were amazed.

As a teenager, I skateboarded everywhere. I didn't have or own a bike, I would cover many, many, over ten miles a day, by skateboard. By far some of the coolest moments that I had in my past.

I went in the Military by age 17. When I turned 18 I remember that day well, I was in the middle of a twenty mile Road March carrying a 70lb ruck sack and my M16 rifle.

I went into the army weighing 135lbs came out a muscle packed 176. I still remember the look on my mom's face. She had to rub her eyes in disbelief how much I had changed in such a short time period.

After the Army, I got caught up in trying to figure it all out and trying to do the College thing and all that. I would skate, but less, I was not as active, but I was not a slouch either. I slowly over time, saw the pounds come on.

I eventually made it to 205 pounds and leveled off. Had my first son, then during the pregnancy of my second son the weight really started coming on. I though for a moment I was experiencing what my ancestors described as the Couvade. Its something that sometimes happen to men, that they experience the symptoms of the wife's pregnancy. I remember these years of my life as being deep and profoundly spiritual. I remember learning and seeing so much in those years and experiences that, In retrospect, are so far off the spectrum of lucidity that I won't bother to mention them.

Regardless.

There I was sitting on the couch after thanksgiving dinner. I had done what I usually did at that time in my life. I had fallen asleep after eating. My brother, at this point, had been ragging on me hard and about my Girth, so when he saw me napping, he snapped a pic. Later, I saw that pic and didn't recognize the person in the photo. Its funny how you look in the mirror and you don't ever see yourself as others see you. Your self image is so affected by your mind its astonishing.

Kailan had been born and I was now 70lbs heavier. OK. Well, I got tired of it and did something about it.

It started in December of 1999, a good friend of mine named Alberto pretty much, single handily turned me into a mountain biker. That's the short story. There were many bikes from here to there, but later I will share.

I started riding, 13 miles a day everyday before work. I counted calories and kept my daily intake to a precise 1800 calories. And, it worked. Each week the pounds were coming off. And after about a year, I had lost close to 40lbs.

At this point in my life, the riding had brutal effects on me. After doing a 20 mile ride at hanging with your buddies trying to kill each other pace, I would get home and pass out for 3 or 4 hours. I thought it was normal and never thought twice about it.

I eventually decided to take it up a notch and get into the fast and furious world of Florida MTB XC racing. Coming from a skateboarding background, I was naturally drawn to urban riding and the whole freeride thing, so at first, I used to stunt alot, still do at times(LOL). My friend Aaron and I were hitting this Jump spot, and I was going to jump down and he was going to jump up it, at the same time, and I figured he would move to the right side; Didn't work out that way. We ended up crashing straight up head on collision.

Sucked so bad. I got hurt, ended up eventually going to the doctor, to check myself up and stuff. Doc calls me three days later, telling me I needed to return right away. I did, they re did the test, called me back and told me that I have Hypothyroidism.

From the way I understand it, the thyroid is like the alternator in the car. The alternator sole purpose is to regulate and recharge the electrical system of the vehicle, the energy manager. Everyone knows what happens if your alternator quits, eventually, your car quits. Same thing with the thyroid. In fact, it was because of the thyroid that I had gained all the weight and because of the thyroid I was having such a hard time coming down from 225.

I got on the meds and overtime I got down in weight, eventually my lowest was like 195 or something like that, but it fluctuated(at times all the way to 215 back down to 200, avg 205). I raced and did my thing off and on. In 2006 I was able to have a breakthrough season as a result of a philosophical shifting in thinking; the regimen had stayed the same. After doing well at XC, I totally got over it. It had become pointless and a waste of time and money. So I started thinking ENDURO.

I dedicated myself to it, like I do everything else. I'm still working on it. After many rides and many events I have learned to do well. I'm not the fastest, not the strongest, but I am Capable.
Since I got into Enduro, I have had a chance to really test myself and I still was finding that something was off.

Eventually it all came down to nutrition as being the key element that I was missing. In fact my entire philosophical shift has altered in 2008 because of this. I totally understand what is happening with America's health and can see clearly what is going on with the human condition when it comes to health and weight issues. With the guidance and leading of my lovely spiritual partner and wife, I was able to finally lose the 30lbs I had been fighting for 8 years to lose. All thru diet. My cholesterol was the lowest ever, blood pressure, all my numbers were like the numbers you would expect to see on a chart for a man half my age. Even my thyroid medicine came down in prescription and I anticipate it will come down even more. It all came down to nutrition. If you really want to get yourself in shape. Really want to feel good, really want to stop getting sick or even loose a health condition that you have had for years, get a hold of me, we can help you do it and its simple.

BUT, there was one thing WAY wrong on my chart, my hematocrit levels were way below the acceptable level. As I understand it, the hematocrit reflects how many red blood cells you have available to perform important tasks such as carrying oxygen throughout your body. Actually, people who have this condition where traditionally given EPO (the infamous and evil word in cycling) to help improve there levels. I apparently was slowly, bleeding to death.

How and why I was bleeding to death is not hard to explain. I was having a problem with an internal vein in my lower area, that when I did a certain thing at a certain time it would bleed. And usually that was my only symptom. But in the recent year, things had gotten worst, and I will not even go there to describe the new symptom, but it was awful and painful. Not only that, but I was going to Endurance races with the opposite of EPO going on in my blood. And I got everyone smoking me and I'm sitting here trying to figure out what was going on and I was pissed.

All is grand in my world. The family, the wife, the bikes, I got directions and goals, I am very satisfied. Even my physical is were I want it, I feel great, I don't get sick, but now this, I had to get it fixed and the only way was surgery.

I have spent about a week and a day walking a pain filled path of mind numbing intensity. I have shed tears and felt despair, I have suffered hard, but finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And I cant wait for the day when I show up to represent and battle on the field of fun, and show up able to put in 100%. I anticipate this next year to be a great year.

Looking forward to it,

Laters,me at 175lbs

LOS