In 1991, I weighed 175lbs and had a 29" waist. Today, the numbers are much higher.

Back then, I was in the Army and obsessed with fitness and strength training. We had to stretch, exercise, and run every day, and in addition, I went to the gym in the evening. I was in the best shape of my life.

Yesterday, a Twitter friend asked me what my plan was (in response to an essay about weight loss) and how I would do it differently this time around.

That question led me to reflect on what would help me succeed this time.

Framework #1: Commitment

In 1991, I was committed to exercising every day because of my job, which led to me seeking further fitness improvement so I could 'be all I can be.'

Today, without that mandatory framework to guide me, I committed to using the fitness facility provided in my community. It carries a usage fee, which is part of my motivation to use it. I'm not going to waste the money by not using what they offer.

By itself, this is not enough. How many people buy gym memberships every year and then don't go?

That leads me to my second framework.

Framework #2: Accountability

In the Army, you are held accountable by everybody: your peers, your leadership, and the whole organization.

Every six months, we had to 'prove' our fitness level by taking a fitness test, and we had to step on the scale to show that we weren't overweight.

For my accountability today it's a bit different. I had a Twitter friend DM me and said he had read my essays about weight loss, and he offered to be an accountability partner. Of course, I accepted, knowing this would help me on my journey. My beautiful girlfriend is also 1000% supportive, and I'm also keeping myself accountable to her as well as supporting her on her own journey.

I've had nothing but support on Twitter, and it's nice to get that because I'm not used to putting myself out there.

Wish me luck and thanks for the encouragement! I'm going to do it this time.