It’s never been harder to answer “how are you … are you ok?” than it has been over the last few weeks. “No” isn’t something I’d ever say, and “yes” doesn’t really suffice.
The most accurate answer I can give is: I’m still here … I’m still walking.
Let me explain.
In early January, my weight was sitting at an uncomfortable 195, most of the extra sitting around my waist. The most alarming thing, though, was my Whoop Age — it had been steadily climbing since October and had me pegged at 5 years over my biological age. Stressors were coming to a head. I was overeating. I wasn’t exercising.
February brought major changes. Divorce, processing the death of my brother and a serious lack of sleep were all doing a number on me. For the first time in my life, I was looking and feeling skinny-fat. No energy. No motivation for anything.
I was lost.
By April, I was down to 165 lbs — the lightest I’ve been since my freshman year of college. Not for good reasons, and not from any effort on my part.
So I started walking. Every day. Whether I wanted to or not. Especially on the days I didn’t want to. I hoped the activity would help me sleep, that the fresh air and sunshine would be therapeutic. Walking with a weight vest seemed like a futile — maybe even foolish — thing to focus on given everything else going on. But it was something. It was better than nothing.
The first week, I averaged 4,000 steps a day.
Then 12,000 a couple weeks later. Then 14,000. This past week — for the second week in a row — 25,000, with 40,000 steps last Saturday alone.
With the walking, energy and motivation improved. Eventually I added band work, then dumbbells. Then I started planning and building out an adventure and destination rig. Then the creativity came back — for art projects, for the rig, for this.
Here’s where things stand.
Jan 4, 2026
- Weight: 195 lbs | Waist: 38″ | Whoop Age: +5 years
June 8, 2026
- Weight: 180 lbs | Waist: 36″ | Whoop Age: +1.3 years
I still have a long way to go. But at least Whoop (and my waistline) are telling me I’m headed in the right direction. And if progress stalls — or I find myself lost again — I know what to do.
Just start walking.
