Repost from Galaxy in Flames: Healthy Wargamer Challenge

Not me, just a random Google image!

Every now and then I come across a post on another blog that echoes my feelings on a subject. Big Jim's post is one of them. I asked him if I could repost it here, but do him a favor as well and make sure you check out his blog, Galaxy in Flames.

My computer issues have now been resolved and I am getting caught back up with the online content that I have missed. I have just found out that one of my Online friends has passed away He and I have been friends since I found the Dice like Thunder now Eternal Warriors podcast and have enjoyed sharing our hobby via the live show chat and forums. We also became friends on Facebook, which was neat as I got to know more than just the gamer he was. I would like to offer his wife and young children my most sincere condolences

On September 9th James Ayles also known as "xxxjammerxxx" passed away from a sudden massive heart attack at age 45. I am in shock; James was only a couple of years older than I am. The first thing that I thought was that could have easily been me.

Back in June I had reached a weight of 375 pounds; I was horrified, I immediately decided that denial of my health and weight issues could not go on any longer. So I began walking every day; at first I walked a mile a day, but within weeks I was walking a steady 3 miles.

It was on one of these walks that I got clipped by that damned car a few weeks ago. It was bizarre I found myself going stir crazy due to my inability to take my walks. So I worked hard at rehabbing myself as fast as I could. Even with the pain from my previously dislocated shoulder I pushed on to rehab the shoulder as soon as I could manage to move the darned thing!

At the time of my accident I had lost 45 pounds, thank goodness I have not put any back on from my inactivity. I have resumed walking although I am only walking a mile and a half right now. The rehab on my arm is taking a toll on me and I don’t want to over do it while I heal.

I would like to lose at least another 45 pounds by the New Year. I will be chronicling my progress by weekly on the blog, not something I would usually do, but I think that gamers need to be aware of the repercussions of being an inactive and/or overweight hobbyist.

I have a few medical conditions that are caused from my weight and inactivity. Up until August I had a serious issue with my blood pressure and was on medication for the condition. I am happy to say that through my recent exercise I have completely corrected the condition. I always knew that I could control my blood pressure through exercise, but was just too lazy and it was easier to just take the medication then go through all that effort. I was also borderline diabetic, which I am happy to say is also no longer the case!

I feel a hundred times better than I did back in June, I really do. I now wake up in the morning invigorated and ready to start my day; before it took me at least an hour to shake the grogginess outta my head.

The tragic passing of James has strengthened my resolve. I will be down to a weight of 190 pounds by this time next year; or at least that is the plan. I swear I won’t go back to ever being as inactive as I was back before June.

So here is the challenge for any of you that would like to embark upon this journey with me.

Make a determined effort to be more active and healthy. Get a bit of exercise and eat a bit better staying away from those typical sugary gamer snacks. This is not necessarily a weight loss challenge as it is more of a getting into a more healthy state of mind and body; don’t get me wrong weight loss is a thing to be praised. Then when I make my post in two weeks just report your progress in the comments.


Whether or not you join me I will be sharing my progress with you guys in two weeks. I will not pass quietly into the night; I will do everything in my power to live good life as long as I can.

As most of my followers know, I've also been trying to lose a few more pounds myself. At the most, I have lost exactly 50 pounds by changing my diet and exercising. I've put back on a few pounds over the last two months since I have gotten lazy and unmotivated. I've also been having problems with my right foot, so running hasn't been possible lately. Hopefully my podiatrist will give me the all clear on Monday and I can return to running.

Again, not me, but these are my shoes!! I strongly believe in the minimalist approach to running and have had great success with it. If you want more information about minimalist running click the photo.

Thanks again to Big Jim over at Galaxy in Flames for letting me repost this. Click the link and head over to his blog if you haven't checked it out already!