My name is Geoff Clarke. I’m a 45-year-old stay-at-home dad transitioning to a career centered around nutritional science and personal training.

“So, what’s that all about?” you ask. Well….

All of my life I was one of those guys who ate whatever he wanted with little to no consequence…”was” being the operative word. Somewhere in my early-thirties something changed: my metabolism, to be specific. Not quite ready to address the issue at hand, however, I did the next most practical thing: I bought a larger set of pants.

This little dance went on for a number of years. I experienced “sympathetic weight gain” when my wife was pregnant with our first child.   Though while she shed her pounds quickly after birth, mine remained. Undaunted, I stuck to my guns and kept buying larger pants. That is, until the birth of our second child.

At that point I was at my heaviest—235 lbs. (While that may not seem overly excessive, bear in mind that I’m 5’10” and weighed a whoppin’ 125 lbs. when I graduated high school.) Additionally, I had also just been informed by my doctor that I was “pre-diabetic”—a nice way of saying that type 2 diabetes was in my future if I didn’t change things.

So I decided to change things.

Not for me, mind you, I decided to change things for my kids. Certainly, I wanted to ensure that I was in good heath so that I could be there for them as long as I could…but it was more than that. I wanted them to know that one simply doesn’t have to accept adversity at face value…that even if not readily armed for the task, one can start chipping away at a problem…that, if determined, a once-daunting obstacle can be reduced to a harmless mound of chips over time.

The funny thing is, in the back of my mind I always knew there would be some motivator that would literally get me off my butt—I just didn’t know when it would manifest. And while I make no claim of being the perfect parent, this desire to teach through example is likely my favorite aspect of parenthood.

Anyway, my youngest is now 8 years old. Over this time I have transitioned from an inactive guy in his late-30s who ate poorly and drank too much, to a guy in his mid-40s who attempts to feed his family with as few processed foods as possible and participates in 12-mile mud runs for fun. Not only do I feel great, I have the confidence that only comes through knowing I could whup my 25-year-old self. Take that, youth!

As I embark upon my new career path, I’ll be using this blog to process thoughts and information. I would love to say that it was my idea, but really, my wife suggested it.

Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to do so.

17 thoughts on “Greetings And Salutations”

  1. love it Geoff!!! I think it’s great that you have embarked on life changes to be healthy!!! It’s not easy but I know you are one to do it!!! I look forward to reading more!!!!

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  2. I love this, Geoff! I’m practically in the same boat as you. I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic about a year ago. The doc put me on mess and I took them for about 9mo and currently I’m off of them. I’ve always been active but I’ve had to amp up my workouts and eat as clean as possible. I’ve had a few different doctors tell me that regardless of my weight & activity levels I will end up a diabetic due to my genes and I had gestational diabetes with all three pregnancies. However, I’m not convinced of this predetermined destiny. This year has been a battle and it’s not easy but I refuse to be maintained by pharmaceuticals unless absolutely no other option exists.

    I am also trying to figure out a new career for myself. After doing massage for 13yrs in busy hotel spas, I’ve destroyed my shoulders, wrists and hands making massage as a career impossible. Personal training and nutrition seems to be a field that I can transition to fairly smoothly I just need to wait til Calliope is in school full-time so that I’ll have the time to dedicate. It’s scary to start over but exciting at the same time.
    I’m eager to follow you on your journey and wish you nothing but the best of luck!!!

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  6. Yeeeeah, boyyyyy!

    I’ve been down to 206 this year. Had a 203 after a ride, but you know that doesn’t count! Currently at 213. Nutribullet helps a lot. You takin’ any metabolism boosters?

    Joad

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    1. Hey Joad!

      Yeah…I’m currently about 10-15 lbs off my mark. This might have something to do with our 3 week trip to the UK: where I exercised little, though made up for it with full english breakfasts and many pints of cider. Ahh well, if you can’t cut loose once in a while…

      As for metabolism boosters…are you talking about supplements? If so, no. That said, I have a high-protein diet, eat at least a small snack every few hours, eat a frightening about of spinach and broccoli, and add cumin & cayenne pepper to my veggie shakes…all of which are are supposed to enhance one’s metabolism.

      How about you?

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  8. Love it, cuz. Been there myself. I agree that leading by example is the only way to go when it comes to wanting good health for our kiddos. Bravo and best wishes. I look forward to reading more!

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