One year ago, on my 55th birthday, I made a choice to live healthier. I must confess, I entered into this journey reluctantly.
Burgers and beer were two good friends I really enjoyed hanging out with a few times a week. However, when I looked in the mirror and down at the scale, I knew I needed to make some changes. In full transparency, my blood pressure and cholesterol were elevated to the point of needing medication.
In addition, I was just not feeling like myself. While I love so many things about my work, being on the road all the time, the stress of leading an organization, and the long hours led to some lifestyle choices that were causing more harm than I realized. Besides the physical setbacks, my mental, emotional and spiritual health were teetering, too.
Some of the activities I once cherished had been neglected: exercise, the outdoors, reading for pleasure, and journaling were just a few. I knew I needed to make a change.
It was at that moment that “the Holy Spirit” (voiced by my spouse, Missy) also decided to weigh in. Unbeknownst to me, Missy had been reading up on the physical and mental benefits of GLP-1s (Glucagon-Like-Peptide-1). GLP-1s are medications that help lower blood sugar and promote weight loss. The Food and Drug Administration approved them for use in 2005, with researchers continuing to learn about their potential benefits.
Despite my hesitancy, I made an appointment to talk to a physician. After careful consideration and being reassured of their safety, I decided that heeding the advice of a physician and “the Holy Spirit” would prove to be a less challenging path forward.
NOTE: This is not a commercial or endorsement for GLP-1s. My purpose is to simply share my story. My medication was prescribed by a physician with my primary care doctor monitoring my progress.
In August of last year, I began weekly injections. I noticed a difference almost immediately.
Interestingly, it wasn’t a weight change that first caught my attention; it was my mental clarity. After a few weeks, the brain fog I was experiencing due to inflammation and living an unhealthy lifestyle started to lift. I was thinking more clearly and able to concentrate on tasks longer.
I also had more energy. Getting up and going to the gym (something I have done fairly regularly throughout my life) no longer seemed burdensome.
I actually looked forward to my workouts. After researching the best exercise for men over 50, I shifted from a cardio focus to building muscle through weight lifting—making sure not to skip leg day, of course.
The workouts started to make a difference, or so I thought. I came home one day and told Missy that I noticed some of the young people at the gym were checking me out. My loving and supportive wife didn’t miss a beat: “I bet—they’re all thinking, ‘Good for you grandpa!’”
It seems “the Holy Spirit” enjoys humbling me now and again.
Along with the exercise, my eating habits changed. I began prioritizing protein and limiting processed, carb-heavy foods.
With the help of the medication and better nutrition, portion control no longer felt like deprivation. It seemed my brain and stomach were finally communicating effectively, ensuring that I knew when I was full and controlling the “food noise” that has become so prevalent in our culture. I was no longer eating just to eat.
As great as those changes were, there was another habit I had to address; I needed to change my relationship with alcohol.
Again, almost immediately, I noticed I no longer felt the urge to reach for an after-work drink or weekend cocktail as a stress reliever. Now when I’m feeling stressed or need to relax, I pick up a good novel or my writing journal.
Alcohol no longer flows freely in my life. Words do.
These days, when I decide to have a drink with friends, I really enjoy it—not for the way it feels coursing through my veins, but for the conversations and company around those moments. When you feel better physically and mentally, you can be more fully present.
Since last year, I’ve lost over 50 pounds, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are reading in the normal range, aches and pains are gone, and my mental clarity is back. I still forget things every now and again; aging is aging after all. However, I am thinking much better than I was a year ago.
As I turn 56 next week, I am feeling much better, but also eager to continue building on my healthier lifestyle. I recently layered in regular visits with a therapist. I’ve never seen a therapist routinely, but I am hopeful that this addition will further enrich my life and ensure I am well equipped to face the work ahead.
My wife sums it up this way: “Aging has a funny way of offering both the blessing and the curse of reflection as well as an invitation to reevaluate priorities. With each passing year, our bodies find new ways to prove that the flight attendants are, in fact, correct. We must make sure our own oxygen masks are on before we can effectively tend to those around us.”
I am grateful for the last year, for finding my own oxygen mask, and for the ways in which this lesson finally seems to be sinking in.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
CEO of Good Faith Media.