OneStepStories-JacobMI wasn’t very happy with the way I had led my life since high school, so I decided that once I was hired at Whirlpool I was going to make a change.

“Normal” life was me working a security job where I would typically sit on my butt for anywhere between 8 and 18 hours a day, 6 days a week, with nothing to do. After getting done there, and smoking nearly a pack of cigarettes every shift, I would come home to sit on my butt and smoke more to ‘relax’ from sitting. I knew the problems that smoking was causing me, and I was trying without success to quit; I was very determined. I like to look in the mirror every day to see what things I need to work on with my body, physical shape or general well being and all of a sudden one day I realized that 300+ pounds is NO way to be.  That was the moment I decided to make a change.

Making a whole new ‘thing’ a part of your daily routine is very hard. Everyone says “I need to work out more, or start doing it”, “I should really eat better”, or “I need to budget my finances so I can be debt free”, but doing them is a different story.  I’ve begun working on each of these by taking 10 to 15 minutes EVERY day to do a little check-up.  Initially I had to sit down for a few hours with each to see where I was, where I wanted to be, how I would get there, and when I wanted to be there. The when was the easiest- NOW. Going through a change like this is important to have people around you who you can turn to.  My biggest supporters would have to be my two friends Keith Terry, and Jacob Ulrich who push my to go further, faster, and harder during workout. As for Whirlpool, it took finally having a ‘serious’ job to do serious changes. They helped me grow up and take my life seriously.

People I haven’t seen in more than a year don’t recognize me, because I’m much slimmer. My shirt size went down 2 sizes, and I’m wearing 2 or 3 pants sizes smaller. My life is looking amazing and for the first time that I can ever remember, I’m very excited for what the future has to offer – I’m even getting closer and closer to my 2016 goal of eliminating ALL of my debt! It’s not even March yet either! In total since I started all of this, I’ve lost nearly 85 pounds And I’m continually pushing further!

If you want something, work for it; You want your pay check, so you work for it. Saying you don’t have time to work out (if that’s your goal) is a lie!  If you really want to change something, how you look, financial or physical fitness, housing situation take a weekend and begin to plan (or as I call budget) for the time or money or whatever needed to do it – You all have what it takes!

Jacob Miller, Amana, IA

March 21, 2016