By Paul Quinn Melissa Matthews

I had just turned 56 in February 2018 and started saying almost 60 when people asked me my age. My mirror in the bathroom was not kind to me but Id gotten used to the acceptable reflection of the man Id been for more than 30 years. My traveling salesman-style job kept me in planes and cars for weeks with no regular schedule. My diet was an assortment of restaurants and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a28399383/healthiest-fast-food-road-trip-meals/" id="21e0fc54-b4d3-3f61-aee7-2c1a2eda41cd"> fast food. </a>

I had no time or desire to exercise. A few months later summer came, and I didnt get the body I was planning to have and settled for the same mirror reflection looking back at me as every other summer.

But this summer was a very special one. In July, Logan joined our home after losing both his parents. He was a 17-year-old young man finishing his last year of high school and we were very proud to share our home with him. Id never raised a child beforenever mind a teenagerbut was ready to do my best. One thing I saw right away was how lethargic I had become in comparison to him.

So, I joined <a href="https://www.lifetime.life/" id="b3ef7ab4-f5e3-3776-a321-f6ebc45c2e5a"> Life Time </a> and it turned out to be my lifestyle change. It was the total makeover that I never saw coming. I had a personal trainer named Ro at the club in Cypress, Texas.

My wife, Piyada, and Logan joined with me.

The first 30 days were the most amazing. The family was all on the same page with a common goalit was called health. We cleaned out and restocked our kitchen pantry. We cooked together and ate together, and we even shopped together choosing the right foods.

I started eating less cookies and chocolates and switched away from all sodas. I cut my alcohol intake and challenged myself to only have a limited amount on the weekends. And then I started a strict <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/keto-diet-guide/" id="de8a9dca-bcb4-3497-a4ab-2286ecc8ab0e"> keto diet </a> .

In February 2018, I weighed in at 193 pounds with 29 percent body fat. On July 24, 2018, I weighed 186.2. On January 5, 2019, I weighed in at 163.8. Now, I average 169 pounds. I practice a limited keto diet but enjoy a few sweets and a few beverages now and then.

I noticed abilities like tying my shoes could be done without some sort of back pain. I could squeegee the shower from top to bottom where I used to skip the lower section because I couldnt bend down. I was moving like I always wanted to.

So now it is a lifestyle that works. I enjoy the newfound capabilities in range of motion and strength.

The Keto Diet and Joining a Gym Helped Me Lose 35 Pounds

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Pulse Kenya is the most followed news and entertainment platform in Kenya. It informs and engages young Kenyans around the clock and provides updates by the hour.

By Paul Quinn Melissa Matthews

Articles written by the author

The Keto Diet and Joining a Gym Helped Me Lose 35 Pounds