Seven Habits That Derail Your Wellness Goals

Many have written about habits that help you on your wellness journey.  We at Wellness Leadership LLC believe that knowing the practices to avoid is also essential.  Read below Don’s two-part story.  This blog covers the seven bad habits that transformed him from a fit Army officer to an unhealthy corporate executive.   Part 2 covers Don’s journey back to wellness and the return of Elvis!

You see from this picture I was fit first! I was a West Point cadet, Elvis imitator, and later a well-toned Army officer.  It has been said that you learn more from what you do wrong than what you do right.  So, this is the story of how I went from a Fit Captain in the US Army who could pick up a ruck and jog 13 miles on any given day to a 358 behemoth that could barely walk 13 yards without getting winded.

My weight gain story starts as a slow progression to a rapid decline into morbid obesity.  It is not a fun story, and I would instead tell the other blog (the next one).  But it is a story that needs to be said for others who may be dealing with this problem now.

Growing up until my teen years, I struggled with my weight.  I and the rest of my siblings have a predisposition to being bigger.  But by the time I was 15, I shot up like a weed.  I was no longer chunky, and my high school sports of football, wrestling, and track/baseball kept my weight under control.

I could also control my weight in the Army and West Point.  I did, on occasion, have to pick up a ruck on the day of the weigh-in at the Army to jog a few miles to keep my weight down.  But it was no problem.  When I left the Army at 175 lbs., I could run a half marathon at the drop of a hat and had no problem with any physical activity.

Over the next 25 years, my weight more than doubled!  It did not happen at all initially.  For the first 20 years, I fluctuated from 220 to 260 and could quickly push my weight back down. The first slow weight gain over the 20 years was the result of three things:

1. I was not exercising as much.  In the Army, you are paid to do PT, which is part of your job description.  You could not perform your job function if you did not do it.  But as much as my current company does commend fitness, they do not require you to do it.  I still worked out, but not as much.  However, despite this decline in activity, I continued to take on the same number of calories.
2. I was prone to Yo-Yo dieting. I was adept at driving my weight back down through a series of the latest diets – Slimfast, Protein diet, etc.  I also would up my exercise in brief bursts that were unsustainable. I would go from zero to 60 on the Stairmaster or equivalent and think I could keep it up.
3. My metabolism slowed from aging. I was no longer eating the 4 Suzy Q’s in one sitting as I used to do at the academy, but I was still eating 2.  And my raging metabolism from back in the day had significantly slowed.

Still, until about 2010 and 2011, I was in a redeemable place.  Then, two singular events caused my weight to progress non-linearly gaining over 100 lbs.  It’s not a pretty site.   Seven habits drove my journey away from wellness.  But before we discuss the habits, let me discuss the two triggers that started this “hockey stick” moment in weight gain.

1. I took on too much responsibility at work, and the work I was driving also had a “hockey stick” moment. Unable to say no, I took on three roles, two of which have now been taken over by my peers or superiors.  In addition, the business I was helping to drive grew from 60 people to nearly 1,000.
2. I lost my last parent at the same time as this growth. I did not take time to grieve, nor did I take time to get her estate in proper order.

These two triggers caused seven bad habits that I have since conquered in part.  Some I still struggle with, but I am in a better place.

1. Binge Eating – During the time I was working crazy hours or in moments of grieving, I went on unmitigated eating binges. I had three nemeses.  First, a tray full of peanut M&M’s was kept in our office.  When pulling a late nighter, I would drink a cup full of peanut M&M’s to keep my sugar high.  Next, I would usually not make it home for dinner, so I had a McDonald’s two-way fix.  On the way home from work, I would have a Quarter Pounder and a milkshake.  On the way to work, to break up the Austin traffic, I would eat two sausage McMuffins (I would skip the egg in the crazy idea of cutting calories!).  Lastly, on the weekend, I would get a bottle or two of Barefoot Wine (because it was cheaper) to keep me going through weekend work.
2. Overworking – My binge eating was mainly a symptom of my inability to say no and overworking.  I fashioned myself as the Iron Man who could work anyone into the ground—no time for exercise, no time for eating right, no time for sleeping or getting a check-up.  My misshapen thought was “How could I ask my team to work if I was not always in the trenches with them?”  This is the root of the other destructive behaviors.
3. Not Sleeping – I pushed those two years on very little sleep.  Here is a true story.  One day, I was on a call at 3 AM, trying to adapt to some changing direction.  I suddenly realized I was in danger of missing my 6 AM plane since I was still at work.  I continued the call on the hour-long drive home.  I threw some clothes in my suitcase and remembered praying I could get on the plane without crashing the car and getting some sleep.
4. Stress, stress – I put a lot of pressure on myself.  Some of it could not be avoided, but most self-imposed.  I had in my mind that I could not let the team down; the only way to do it was to lead up front.  I also did not want to let my siblings down with my mother’s estate.  I let myself, my work, and my siblings down by working so hard, not caring for myself, and insufficient delegation.  Also, stress led to two medical conditions.
5. Not going to the doctor – I had a nagging cough and several bouts of walking pneumonia during these two years. I also had two undiagnosed issues directly contributing to 30 lbs. of weight gain.  I did not have time for the doctor and let it ride.  As a result, my shoe size went from 10 ½ to 12 ½ (sometimes I needed a shoehorn).   Lesson learned – never, never, never let a medical problem go undiagnosed.
6. Not taking time for grief and not recognizing Depression – I spent the two years busy but depressed. I never took the proper time to recover from losing my last remaining parent.  That, in turn, fueled my overeating and my stress.  TAKE TIME TO GRIEVE!
7. Not drinking enough water – This lousy habit is the least one of the seven discussed.  But it cannot be discounted.  I drank Coke and coffee and very little water.  I went for the sugar and caffeine rush and skipped drinking water.  I now know that being tired was partly from being dehydrated.

So now it is time to unveil the “After” picture. This is a picture of me at my Birthday party with an Elvis impersonator and me.  I got it from one of my colleagues as a reminder after I made the turnaround.   A few weeks after this picture was taken, I tripped while leaving work and landed knocked out on the ground at 3 AM.  After an unspecified time knocked out, I could crawl back to an upright position, just barely getting into my car.  I keep my smashed glasses to this day in memory of this painful memory.

Don Grier

Helping others thrive through wellness and weightloss.

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