Tammy (my wife) left me on Saturday.

I do miss her and will miss her more.

She went to her parents for the 4^th…wait….you thought she’d left me for good. I didn’t mean to leave you with that impression. :) (that is a marketing ploy...people love "dirty laundry")

Love and Support is Key

To achieve your fitness goals, you need the love and support of a significant other, like I have with Tammy.

You need someone who can give you a gentle push down the stairs when needed, like I have with Tammy.

You need someone who can pick you up after they’ve kicked you so hard you can’t walk, like I have with Tammy.

Typing these words reminded me that I haven’t thanked nor shown my wife enough appreciation publicly on this blog, for her love and support since my hospital stay.

I will never forget the love and concern Tammy showed for me the very first night in the hospital. I could barely hold my eyes open….but there was Tammy, right by my side. She kept asking me questions about some paperwork while the nurses were working frantically to rehydrate me (so I wouldn't slip into a coma).

I couldn’t make sense of what she was saying but I could tell she was getting irritated so she came back the next night when I was more alert. She was wanting to know the death benefit of my life insurance policy.....

Here's a picture of my hospital room, or a picture of a hospital room....

OK, I made that story up about Tammy ….but the rest are true stories.

Tammy has remained supportive throughout, almost never questioning or doubting my training regimen. She has a unique way of pushing me to do more. Like the time I told her with great pride, “I finally jogged 2 ½ miles today!” She called me a liar…so we went to the high school track field and I ran a 2^nd 2 ½ miles that very day to prove it to her. Yes, Tammy really knows how to motivate me.

She used the same technique the day I passed the 5 mile distance. Once again, there she was pushing me in her own unique way….calling me a liar…so the next day we went to the track and I exceeded the five miles by running around the track 24 times which is 6 miles.

She uses a slightly different form of reverse psychology almost every week when she buys Cheetos, Gatorade, Doritos, or some other very tasty non-nutritious food or drink that she knows I can’t consume. Yes, despite doctor’s orders to empty the cupboards of simple carbohydrates, Tammy is constantly testing me. I guess she’s allowing me to show how strong I can be by seeing these in the drawer or refrigerator everyday and choosing everyday not to eat or drink them.

She last utilized reverse psychology during the shooting of my 30 day pics. I asked how the pictures looked, (I was talking about the picture quality).

She responded, “you look ok except for your gut”…..Yes, without the love and support of a close friend or spouse…it’s really tough to achieve your goals. Everyday I am thankful for having the love and support of my wife Tammy.

I had Brad (my youngest son) read and approve this for publication....so blame him.

Seriously though...Tammy's been very supportive....THANK YOU TAMMY!

Steve