I've lost 33 pounds so far, and I've dropped my cholesterol by more than 100 points. I'm proud of that progress. But if I'm being honest, the biggest lesson I've learned has nothing to do with a diet plan, a workout routine, or some magic trick.
TL;DR: None of it — the meal plan, the gym membership, the willpower — matters until you have a real reason to change. Mine turned out to be a text message from my son. Here's how to find yours.
It's this: none of it matters if you don't have a real reason to change.
A lot of people want to lose weight. A lot of people want to feel better and live longer. But wanting it in a general sense usually isn't enough. If your reason isn't big enough, lasting change probably won't happen.
This kind of transformation is not a quick fix. It takes effort. It takes discipline. It takes making hard choices over and over again, especially when nobody is watching.
That's why the first step isn't a meal plan or a gym membership.
The first step is asking yourself one question:
What is your why?
Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to lower your cholesterol? Why do you want to get healthy in the first place?
Write it down. Be honest with yourself. Because when the cravings hit, when your motivation fades, and when the process feels slow, your why is what keeps you going.
My why is family
It starts with my wife. We've built a life together, and I want as much of the rest of it with her as I can get. She didn't sign up to watch me eat my way out of the years we have left.
Then there are my two grandkids, who I adore more than anything in this world. My daughter and son. My daughter-in-law and son-in-law. I want to be here for all of them as long as I can — more time, more memories, more life with the people I love.
That's what this is really about for me.
The moment it got real
My son deserves credit for helping me face reality.
Back in April, my wife and I went to visit him in College Station. I ate badly all weekend — most of a package of Nutter Butters, a gluttonous dinner at Texas Roadhouse, donuts the next morning at a coffee shop.
When we got home, my son texted me. He told me he was taken aback by how I was eating. He knew I'd been dealing with atherosclerosis. He knew my cardiologist had already told me to get serious. And he had the courage to say what needed to be said.
That message hit me hard. I still keep it on my refrigerator.
It forced me to stop making excuses. It reminded me this wasn't about a number on a scale or a line on a lab report. It was about whether I was willing to change so I could keep showing up for the people I love.
Find your line in the sand
Every health journey needs a turning point.
Maybe for you it's a doctor's appointment. Maybe it's a hard conversation with someone who loves you. Maybe it's a number that finally wakes you up. Maybe it's just looking in the mirror and deciding you're tired of living that way.
Whatever it is, don't ignore it. Use it. Let it become your line in the sand.
If you don't have that kind of reason behind your effort, it's going to be very hard to stay the course. But if your why is strong enough, it will carry you through the hard days.
So if you're starting your own journey, don't begin with perfection. Don't try to change everything in one day.
Start with your why. Find the reason that means enough to you that you'll keep going when it gets difficult.
That's where real change begins.
Want the next one when it's out? I post updates on YouTube and Instagram, and you can always reach me at ron@reclaimdiscipline.com.