It happened. It was the reason I was postponing having a physical for several years. For some reason, it didn’t change the emotions that hit me when I heard the news. It didn’t bother me to hear that I’m overweight…I already knew that. It was when I got the phone call from my lab work which confirmed my fear. I am pre-diabetic.

Now…I realize that there are much worse diagnoses out there. I hear them all the time in my line of work; after all, I’ve done funerals for people younger than me whose lives have fallen to cancer and various other diseases. For me, those words brought something different this time. They brought accountability.

The fact is this. I’ve got a lot in my life riding on my health. My wife. My kids. My job (everyone is replaceable, but I like leading the people God’s put in my hands). The diagnosis simply confirmed that if I continue down this path, all of those things are going to suffer to some extent. After all, it’s not about me. If it was, I wouldn’t have flinched when I heard the news…I would have gone home, grabbed a couple of meximelts on the way (one of my fave’s), eaten whatever I wanted for dinner and if the mood was right, finished it off with a beer. No big deal, right? #Murica!

This is the starting point.

I’m gonna warn you…this might not be really exciting, but it’s important…

My lab work indicates that I may have something called, “metabolic syndrome.” Here’s why:

– High cholesterol. Apparently there are several different types…I didn’t know that. What I learned was my sLDL’s are really high. Like double what they should be, high. These are the small, dense, particles of cholesterol.
– High blood pressure (I thought it was the job).
– High triglycerides (whatever those are).
– Weight primarily in the midsection (thought it was the beer…well, that’s probably a big part of it).

Here’s my “lightbulb” moments through the research we did on metabolic syndrome.

– My mom has Hashimoto’s…look it up.
– I have a hard time losing weight, even when I work out hard and watch my calories.
– Ignoring this equals heart disease, diabetes, strokes, etc…no big deal, right?!

Luckily for me, I have an amazing asset on my side. My wife. If you know her, you know she was eating organic before it was cool. Like 15 years ago. Most people know she has a BA in “Stay At Home Mom,” but not many know about her minor in Nutrition. On top of that, she’s an amazing planner (she writes lists for fun) so I had a meal plan ready before I even stepped foot in my home that night.

We’re going in a different direction than most fitness guru’s would advise. Is it because I don’t trust them? Not necessarily. It’s just that I trust my wife more. Take the whole organic thing. Nobody thought anything about it when it wasn’t cool. Next thing you know, people are all over the bandwagon throwing around words like, ‘Monsanto.’ She really is ahead of her time.

I’m going Keto. Not because it’s a fad diet, but because of everything my results and my history have told me about myself. Now…here’s my disclaimer. I’m not endorsing or recommending a fitness regimen for you. I’m simply sharing my personal journey. What works for me may not work for you…heck, I don’t even know if this is gonna work for me yet!

Now, I don’t have time to tell you all about the Ketogenic diet – you’ll have to do that research yourself. For now, I’ll tell you it’s like Paleo, but with domesticated cows. Dairy is okay, but vegetables that grow in the ground are not (the part you eat). Oh, and no beer. Ugh…

It’s low carbs, high fat, moderate protein. That’s it for now. I’ll be sharing more about this journey as we go; my prayer is that my experience may help a few people out there, because I know I’m not alone. After all…this is America. The land of childhood obesity, high cholesterol and heart attacks.