Ken has always been prone to gaining weight. When I met him 17 years ago (has it been that long already?) we were both in our twenties. Even then, he wasn't what you'd call "slim". Over the years, his weight has been up and down, but the long-term trend and forecast were both up. It made me feel sad, because I knew that those extra pounds would shorten our time together.
A few years ago, I all but stopped making any effort to influence Ken's weight. I came to terms, as much as I could, with the fact that I would probably outlive him, and decided that I would just enjoy our years together in each moment. I wouldn't want to regret being a constant nag and the cause of inevitable arguments. Still, I prayed that he would decide to change his ways and take control of his health.
And then. Guess what! It finally happened! In December, Ken decided that enough was enough. It was time to change everything. And so he did. He switched to a low-carb diet. He joined a gym and has been working out with the help of a personal trainer at least 3 times per week. He's been disciplined and dedicated, walking to the gym in cold and snowy weather, even when he's had a long and tiring day. His diet allows him two "cheat days" per week; sometimes he only takes one.
As of this morning, he has lost 34.5 pounds. Not only that, but he's gained a significant amount of muscle. He has gone down one entire pants size!
I can't tell you how happy all this makes me. Ken would be my bestie no matter what his size, aesthetically speaking, but I used to worry every day about his health. Now that he's slimming down and shaping up, we're both happier and more confident. I'm so proud of him.
When he first started on this regimen, i.e. spending 3 evenings per week at the gym, he said to me "This is going to mean that we have less together time." I said "Yeah, but if you die young it'll mean even less together time!" Plus while he's at the gym I get to watch whatever I want on TV, even those vet shows on Animal Planet that make him squeamish. Everybody wins!
10 comments:
Yay! Boyfriend and I are keto/low carb too! Cutting out the processed carbs is definitely super helpful for weight loss. Go ken!
Wow, good for him! And good for you for not being a nag. I really don't think that's helpful, and probably makes things worse in many cases.
And I know it's not easy. Results can take a while to be noticeable, but he's made great progress. Very inspiring!
This is such a great example of how to help a loved one. Don't nag. It has to be their decision. Good for him! Good for you! Definitely a win win situation.
Yup. Losing weight takes discipline. I'm down about 45 pounds and have done well keeping it off.
Yay for a healthier Ken!
Good for him!
Excellent! This reminds me that I have to get my bicycle fixed for the warm weather, so I don't have to keep driving for my weekend errands again.
Father Nature's Corner
Well done Ken! It's certainly not easy. I'm trying myself to drop a few but I do love my carbs. It's certainly tough to drag yourself to the gym when the weather is terrible.
I am so glad to hear of his weight loss. Of course, you'll probably outlive anything simply he's a male.
Booyah for Ken! Woo! Give him a big high five from me! Ketosis can be hard to maintain, so I know how hard he's worked.
Kudos for you too, sweet Spark, for being such an encouraging and supporting wife. Having someone who is that supportive makes such a huge difference. Some spouses can be critical and that's so undermining. You guys are a good team. :D
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