I am in a war right now, a private one. “What is a private war?” you may ask. That’s an excellent question. All I can do is give you my definition; to me, a private war is an internal battle you are having with yourself. It generally involves no one else, just you (and truth be told, God, but that’s for another post). So, whether big or small, simple or complex, those moments when you struggle between what you what to do or how to think or act are what I would call personal wars.

With that out of the way, if I am frank, I am in several private wars, but I can only take you through them one at a time. This particular “war” has to do with my physical health. I am not in the best shape at this moment in my life. I was on a terrific run of exercising and eating healthier before the pandemic hit. I used the gym at work and a local gym to work out. I was also walking a lot more, mostly with co-workers.

I had my diet dialed in as well. I was doing intermittent fasting and doing well at steering clear of junk food. When things got locked down and I could no longer use the gym or go to the office, I bailed on exercise altogether. My eating habits followed, and now I have put on about 30 lbs and feel it. I feel more sluggish, I get tired easier, and I just don’t have the strength and stamina I used to. It’s all on me; I take full responsibility. I realize that I have to do something about it.

I do have a plan. I have decided to start my intermittent fasting again, which worked very well for me the first time. I am also going to stop eating all the junk food and switch over to fruits and nuts as snacks. My main meals will be lots of protein in the form of eggs and meat and supplementing with protein powder and milk. My exercise plan will be built around daily walking and bodyweight exercises that are pre-determined using this app I found called Muscle Booster.

I hope to stick with it long enough to make it a habit and get back to where I was before. My goal is to lose 20 lbs by the end of the year and 30 lbs by spring. I would also like to increase my overall strength. My goal is 25 pushups and 5 pull-ups by the end of the year. These may be excessive goals, but that is what I am working towards. Wish me luck!