Growing up in northeastern Nevada helped fuel my passion for the outdoors. Most of my favorite memories growing up involved excursions into the great outdoors. Whether it was loading up to go hunting with my Dad and Grandpa, fishing, gathering pine nuts, swimming in lakes, or just exploring the outdoors; I loved it. Not only have those memories stuck with me, they have molded me and the lifestyle that I live.
About 9 years ago I changed careers to join an industry that mirrored my passion. Through this change I have had the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people that share similar passion for the outdoors. This career change is what lead me to meet my wife, which in turn placed me in the delivery room to welcome a bouncing baby boy…twice. The trade off to this career switch was going from creating my own schedule to working rotating shifts. Don’t get me wrong, I would not change it for the world. Not only did the career bring me into and industry that I truly enjoy, it brought me the amazing gift of my family. It also seemed to bring with me an eating lunch or dinner on the run lifestyle. I got away from the routine I had and working out. I was making gains in my life, and many of them were on the scale.
As an outdoorsman, my mind is always wondering about what is over the next ridge. I would find myself pushing further and further on my hunts, only to realize that my mind was writing checks that my body was struggling to cash. I started to think of the dream hunts, dream trips, and goals I had for myself. I thought about my son. How would I teach him about the back country if I couldn’t get there? I was done. I started hiking more. I came up with reasons to push myself beyond what I knew I could do. I learned from some amazing back country athletes. Yes, they are athletes. They push themselves hard in every element Mother Nature throws at them, while taming rugged terrain. These friends offered support and encouragement.
As it seems to happen, it started to pick up steam. I had become friends with the founder of Wilderness Athlete. Mark started checking in on me and what I was doing. I had been using some of their products and was very happy with the results. I started the 28 day challenge before telling Coach Paulsen that I was doing it. My weight started coming off and my energy level started to increase dramatically. It was noticeable. I was doing more with my family, which now include 2 little boys.
Soon it was very obvious that my lifestyle change was yielding results. I had lost nearly 50 pounds and was spending a lot more time in the outdoors, which had a profound impact on my outlook and demeanor. In today’s society it seems that people are suspect of change. This apparently was also the case with my lifestyle switch and healthier living. I was approached by an acquaintance who asked me if I was having a midlife crisis. I laughed at first, as they went on to ask if I was slimming down to become more marketable. It took a few moments for the intent of the conversation to sink in. This person thought I was looking for someone new! I was in shock. My reply was fairly curt. I was doing this for my family. I wanted to be able to share more time and energy with my beautiful wife and amazing boys. That was it. The reason I changed my lifestyle was to get more out of the outdoors. I wanted to share these adventures with my wife, sons, family and friends. While I have not hit the elite physical Adonis type of stature, I really have not had a desire to. My goal is the adventures with my family. It is about passing along the love and knowledge that I have about the outdoors. It is about creating memories for my family. It is about the adventure. It is about the WildernessDadlete lifestyle.