Intro to Me

Here I am in all my glory. My name is Bradley Smith and I currently hold the rank of Sergeant (E-5) in the Missouri National Guard. I have two children, a step-child, a dog, and a ferret. My civilian job is administrative assistant at the University of Missouri. It is a desk job so it is very easy to put on a few pounds if I'm not disciplined about my workout habits.

I have a history of being very active followed by long periods of sedentary living often dictated by long hours at work and too many commitments in my personal life without enough commitment to working out. I went to college at 145 lbs and within 10 years was a whopping 235 pounds. I was very ashamed of my condition and I took steps to control my eating but I was not yet committed to exercise.

In the Winter of 2009 I decided to change all of that. I made a commitment to my health and pushed my self physically toward a goal of becoming fit enough to join the Army. I dropped from 215 pounds to 170 pounds in 20 weeks, thanks to closely monitoring my diet and 4 - 5 hours per week working out. I began with a regiment of cardio and interval training and eventually moved to weights and calisthenics. I tested myself against the Army standards for the Army Physical Fitness Test and enlisted.

I physically prepared myself for the rigors of military training and graduated Basic training that summer. That same fall I graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate of my class from W Company at Fort Lee, Virginia. All my hard work resulted in confidence and the ability to perform at a high level. I was physically and mentally prepared for success in Army life.

However upon returning home I become complacent. Within a few months of returning home I gained twenty pounds and saw a decrease in my PT test performance. I worked out enough to pass my tests but not enough to keep the weight off or maintain my good PT scores. A year after returning home from the Army training I weighted 200 pounds.

I used to be very active, I found my way back again and now I want to assure myself that I will not have to fight this fight again.

Motivation: Change habits and career to promote a health lifestyle with considerable activity. It will ensure that I win the battle with my weight, improve my military career, and make me a more confident and satisfied person.