I WAS DYING...
Or, was I just waiting to die? Both are bad places to be in your mind…and I was there.
Hi, I’m Keith Miller, the owner and head coach at Up For It Coaching & Fitness. And, Congestive Heart Failure, Sleep Apnea, Low Testosterone, High Blood Pressure, and the fact that I had gained over 70 lbs had driven me to a depression and lack of energy that I didn’t really see myself coming back from.
I remember saying to my wife, “I’m not suicidal…but if I don’t wake up tomorrow, know that I’m ok with it.” I was in my early 40s, and just couldn’t comprehend another 30+ years of feeling like this.
I had been a martial arts instructor, MMA and Muay Thai fight coach, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. I was busy and active daily. Then I became ill.
I was first diagnosed with CHF after going to the emergency room to complain about what I thought was fluid in my lungs. I was right, but not for the same reasons. I thought that I as maybe fighting some walking pneumonia. The doctor put me on an EKG, and said, “You’re going straight to the hospital. No arguments”.
I really didn’t understand the severity of it all. As a matter of fact, I had done 7 rounds on the heavy bag, and sparred 5 or so rounds the night before. I thought I felt fine. It’s funny what you can get used to, isn’t it? But, that was just the beginning. At some point, you just can’t get used to it anymore.
All the other ailments began piling up. Or maybe they were already there, and just got worse…who’s to say. Getting sick like this is like rolling a huge boulder down a hill that gradually steepens, until it ends in a shear cliff…over rocks below.
Combine CHF with not being able to sleep from Sleep Apnea (I was waking up over 60 times per hour), and you’ve got a terrible situation. Now add in some extremely low Testosterone to the mix. There were days when I would get up, take my daughter to school, then go back to bed until time to pick her up.
Then I’d go back to bed…
I’ll spare you the details and long story of years of getting sicker and sicker, and just tell you that at 255 lbs I decided I had to start moving again. I had to turn this around, or I truly thought I’d be dead within a year. Sure, I had been given treatment for all the various ailments I had, but I was still dying. You don’t just jump out of bed one day to run a marathon after you’ve been so sick for so long.
I started building myself back up. Luckily I had been a trainer, and knew that trying to do my old workouts was out of the question. I started small, and built upon each and every success. I worked to the best of my abilities, then pushed harder. I changed my diet. I developed a sleep schedule. Drank more water. I listened to my body, and gave it what it needed. I did everything I already knew I was supposed to do…but actually DID IT.
More importantly, I wasn’t just Doing these things…I was BEING. Laying in bed is not Being. I had stopped Being for a long time. I was Up For It. Up for the challenges ahead of me, and Up For making lasting change.
And that is why I have named this company, Up For It Coaching & Fitness. That’s what we do. We help people learn how to be Up For…whatever IT is!
Up For It isn’t just a name, it’s an attitude, it’s a lifestyle…a tribe.
Our holistic approach to matching you with the perfect fitness lifestyle and training program is what makes us different from most online and in house training organizations. Whether you are training with us one-on-one, or using one of our online PT programs and apps, we will work to customize it specifically for your needs. Contact us to book a Consultation Today!
