As I prepare to start college as a fourteen year military veteran, I sit back and think about how I would be if I had started the Paleo diet back in 2001.
2001: I was stationed at Fort Bragg for the first time and I decided to start a high protein diet. However, I made a few big mistakes, I did not cut out my soft drinks or Alcohol so I consumed loads of carbohydrates and I was not getting the rest I needed. Needless to say, my weight hiked to 240lbs, went on my version of the Paleo diet and lost about 25lbs. I held that weight off for around a year but during that time I was married and then divorced and as most everyone knows when divorce happens it is rough so it had an effect on my weight again. I PCS'ed to Germany and did two-15 month tours in Iraq while going on and off my high protein, low carb diet.
2007: I had a great time in Germany BUT I left Germany in 2007 weighing over 250lbs. My neck got very large and to this day my neck is what kept me from getting the Uncle Sam boot out of the door.
2008: I find myself back at Fort Bragg, still over 250lbs, showed up from Fort Irwin CA, Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) failure, busted tape(was 4.5 percent over the Army’s allotted height and weight scale). At the time I was 72inches tall, 258lbs, 17.5 inch neck and a 44 inch waist. I started another diet, the pill popping, going to the gym, running my butt off diet. The only problem was that I hurt everyday. I was doing it meeting the Army’s minimum requirement to stay in but not get kicked out.
2011: I have lost enough weight to pass an APFT and weighh in. Hooray! So I am now in my third unit finding myself en-route for Afghanistan. My wife is pregnant,we have a one year old, and a 5 year old when I leave. I was still big(a size 38). We get here in Afghanistan and it is just a joy. I get assigned as a security force section NCOIC. I have some gung ho troopers and an LT with a Nutrition degree so we worked out like crazy. LT taught us proper lifting techniques, proper dieting, and life changing decisions.
One day while in the mess hall, someone asks the LT, “Sir what do I need to do to loose weight?” and Lt replies,"Change your diet and make it a life changing diet, not a 30 or 40 or even a 60 day diet." I looked at him and thought to myself hmmmmm, I can do that and I am tired of being fat and over weight. Later on, I overheard LT talking to another NCO about this book wrote by Robb Wolf, I did not get all the details, but I was in and just needed to know what to do. Lt proceeded to explain to me what was going to happen and we started two days later than moved to another Base in Afghanistan. We had been working out together, eating, and almost everything for about four months then September roles around and I am headed home on Emergency leave. I arrive home telling my wife what I can and cannot eat but two days into being home, I open the fridge and to my dismay there were no eggs, bacon, or anything that I could really eat. As I'm trying to figure out what to do, my soon to be two year old comes down stairs wanting a pop-tart and like always I give her one. My stomach is growling so I decided to eat the other one in the pack. Now I had been on this diet plan for just over 35 days. I ate that pop-tart, and I paid for it dearly.
Now back to Afghanistan...I Get back and we do a weighh in, I was 218 and after the taping of my abs and neck I was 5% under my allotted percentage then Thanksgiving roles around I eat me some pie....by God it is Thanksgiving and I am in Afghanistan so I think I at least deserve a piece but boy did I pay for it….yep bathroom bound. Now It is almost 2012, I sit in a coffee shop in Kuwait, waiting to leave for my R/R leave. I have put on 4lbs since my weigh in and itcould be fat but I highly doubt it. It is more than likely water because on December 1st the outside temp dropped like crazy but all that aside I had been living about 80% Paleo. For four months I have been living and working in combat theater on the Paleo/Caveman diet. Has it been easy?No, but it has been fun. I've enjoyed getting to learn from my LT, reading books on it and now I'm getting to going to college for my degree. This deployment has sucked but I have gotten things in order. My wife and kids are starting Paleo with in the next few days. This journey is going to be even better with my close family and even extended family starting on the Paleo diet.
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