My name is Stephen Strong. I live in Fairfield County, Connecticut with my wife and two kids (ages 3 and 7). I am privileged to run an advertising agency with a friend of mine and work from home. I identify as a vegetarian but generally keep vegan and gluten-free. I was born with bilateral clubfoot.
About My Journey
I’ve struggled with my health and weight my entire adult life. 2 years ago I looked at the scale and had peaked at 338 pounds. I was addicted to sugar and processed food. My blood sugar peaked at 10.2 mg/dl (for reference: anything above 6.6 mg/dl is considered diabetes, 5.7mg/dl and above is prediabetic).
The thought of fixing what was wrong was so daunting that it was far easier to do nothing and that’s what I did for the next 9 months.
Through all of this, I was losing weight- not on purpose, but because my body was so sick. I was exhausted all of the time and was setting the worst example for my kids. I was living a lifestyle of sugar, alcohol, and drugs.
Then one day I woke up and had a glass of water and it physically hurt. April 21, 2021, was my rock bottom.
The next day, instead of getting my normal breakfast of donuts and pastries and a sugary drink, I took a left turn instead of a right and walked for a mile around a beautiful lake. Then I did the same thing the next day, the next day, and then the day after that. Behaviors changed and new habits formed.
I stumbled. I struggled. I made mistakes. In some cases, I pushed myself too hard. I took 3 steps forward, then 4 steps back. I kept at it. I am 185 lbs today, my blood sugar is well controlled and I’ve never felt better.
This is my health story, this is my health journey. I hope you can learn something from it. I truly believe if I can do it, anyone can.