For Mike Rubin, a sports writer for The Evening Sun, the last eight weeks have been challenging. Why? He and wife Shannon have been trying to revamp their lifestyle and journey towards better wellness, fitness and weight loss.


Shannon explains, ‘In the last couple of weeks we have been focusing on cleaning up our eating habits because as I am sure you know, diet plays a key role in achieving fitness goals…We have been keeping a food journal in order to help keep us more accountable about the choices we make when it comes to eating, as well as to begin a little bit of overhaul on our diet. It has helped me to make some better choices because I really do not want to have to admit that I ate a doughnut instead of something healthier like scrambled eggs.’


Mike notes, ‘Well the big news for me has been that I have developed a passion for doing CrossFit now. By no means am I saying it has gotten easy, but I truly enjoy doing it and accomplishing it.’ The couple recently went on holiday and Mike managed to still lose a pound during that time as he managed to steer clear of the junk food he usually loves to eat on vacations. One particular vice of Mike’s has been fizzy drinks/


‘I am proud to report that I did not experience any headaches due to caffeine withdraw,’ Mike enthuses. ‘I stayed strong and avoided soda most of the week. I do have to confess that late Sunday night I went into the refrigerator at the beach and grabbed a Ginger Ale and took a couple of sips of it. It tasted so delicious, and then Shannon found it and did not have any problem reminding me that I made a commitment to cut out soda so she kindly finished the rest. Man I was jealous.’


Mike adds, ‘The workouts were killer this week. On Wednesday I had to come home and lay down right away because I felt like I was going to throw up…Thursday’s workout was equally brutal, but again, I finished, and again I was the last. I have convinced myself that being last is ok, it is all about finishing. I am pretty excited to weigh myself this week. I feel like I am starting to see some transformation happening with my body. It is very small, but it is something.’