My name is Ron and I’ve always loved food. Whether I’m happy or sad, hungry or full, it doesn’t matter.

Eating on the Farm, Circa 1940's

My grandmother and grandfather were a part of The Greatest Generation. They coaxed a living out of the earth as farmers in Southeast Kansas. My grandfather’s brothers lived nearby and they also were farmers. At the end of a long day, food was the catalyst to draw them together. On Sunday, food was the key ingredient of fellowship after Church. In short, food was family.

When they gathered, food was not just fuel for the body, it was fuel for the soul! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, fresh bread, green beans, cole slaw, applesauce, milk, and brownie cake were commonplace on my grandmother’s table until she could prepare a table no more. Growing up, we ate the same way, as did millions of other Americans, because it’s what we knew and that’s what the government recommended: a diet composed chiefly of grains and carbohydrates. The problem was that we weren’t working in the fields all day. Our physical activity wasn’t enough to stave off the assault of the carbohydrates and calories we were shoveling in.

1993 @ 190 pounds

My story starts there. I’ve always been in search of that emotional connection with food. That in and of itself is not a bad thing: food is wonderful! Where it all falls down is when that search becomes unbalanced and our diets don’t match our level of physical activity. Let’s face it, I’ll never lead a life like my grandfather did, so I can’t eat like he did.

In my early twenties, I had balance but it was forced upon me by the Marine Corps.  From ages 19 to 25, I did the things Marines do: run, jump, push, pull, sweat, and of course, curse! Because of my age and metabolism I could pretty much eat what I wanted. We would run five miles and then I would head to the chow hall for biscuits and gravy, bacon, corn beef hash, and a big glass of milk! After six years of this, I learned how to keep in shape but I didn’t develop a passion for it. As a result, when I was honorably discharged in 1997 things quickly became out of balance. I continued to eat the way I always did, but the physical activity stopped cold. Not surprisingly, I started to put on weight.

June 2009 @ 300 pounds

In just a few short years I had gained about 30 pounds. And then in late 1999 I started a decade of jobs that required me to travel at least 50% of the time on average. By 2001 my doctor put me on blood pressure medication at the age of 29.  By June 2009 I had weighed as much as 300 pounds. My energy levels and moods were unpredictable and erratic and I learned from my doctor that in addition to the high blood pressure I was also now pre-diabetic.

Earlier that year, I had the blessing of sharing my father’s last few months of life while he battled cancer. After a period of mourning and reflection I realized that happiness was not just about a moment in time. Happiness was a about obtaining a lifetime balance. I could lie to myself and others by saying I was happy being fat, but inside I realized I was unhappy because I didn’t want my children to have to watch me die at the hands of a disease that I could have done more to prevent (take your pick: heart disease, diabetes, cancer…). I was unhappy because of my lack of energy. I was unhappy because of the way I looked. I was unhappy because my life was completely out of balance.

January 2010 @ 275 pounds

In July 2009, my wife and I both agreed that we wanted to change our lifestyles and get on a healthier track but we had no clue how to do it with 3 kids, busy careers, and all the daily stresses life laid at our feet. We completely turned it over to God and one week later I was introduced to Wade and Heather Hodges, who were faced with a similar decision just one year prior. They spoke a strange language of CrossFit and The Zone. When you turn something over to God and he drops a solution in your lap a few days later, it’s difficult to ignore. Within one week (on Labor Day 2009) I was on my way and about a month or so later, Amy (my wife) began her journey.

6 months later we are both seeing dramatic results. Most importantly, though, the results are sustainable and we’ve been able to keep a healthy balance while achieving results. But trouble is brewing on the horizon because I yearn for the emotional connection with my food. I’m not able to live on sliced cucumbers, almonds, and chicken breast alone. I need flavor! I need an experience! So I decided that I was going to go on a journey to find the best recipes that allowed us to stay In The Zone and continue to see results in both our weight loss and our CrossFit performance. This blog chronicles that journey and it’s our hope that others out there will find it useful. Happy eating!