Introduction

My name is Charles Patterson. I was in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years. While in the Marines, I was in the best shape of my life. I weighed 180 pounds, was rarely ill, and could run 3 miles in 21 minutes. I have been out of the Marines for 13 years now. I currently weigh 235 pounds, I get sick more often than I used to, and I would be lucky to run 3 miles in under 45 minutes.

Life’s events happen to everyone, getting married, having children, getting a sedentary job instead of an active one, and we adjust our lifestyle and habits to accommodate those changes. If you don’t make deliberate accommodations to these types of changes, you may find yourself in the same situation as I.

My goal is to lose 50 pounds before the end of the year, and maintain it permanently. I plan to do this through little changes. Every day or two, I will make a small change in my lifestyle, or replace an old bad habit with a new, better one. Each day I will record my progress in an attempt to see which changes have effect, and which ones do not.

I’m writing this blog to track my changes, track my progress, to keep myself on task, and to help others who want to try to change their lives. Most of the changes will be entirely free of cost, or cost a negligible amount.