This is the start of Week 5 of Health Happenings, which means four weeks are done. Twenty-eight days. In that time I've trained with Zac Spinosa at Forge Fitness once a week, walked every single day (with a couple of runs mixed in), and eaten much more consciously. Today I'm eating a couple of tangerines for breakfast on the way in.

Finding time was my number one excuse

For years I told myself I didn't have time. I'm self-employed, I run my own company, and my day ends when I hit the wall, not when the clock says so. So where did the time come from? It came from my downtime. After dinner I used to go into chill mode: TV, the news, some YouTube, maybe Netflix. That's where I found my hour. If I can make this work, anyone can.

"It's what you eat"

The most common comment and DM I've received is that working out isn't the most important part of losing weight, it's what you eat. You're right. From day one I've been tracking my food with MyFitnessPal, an app Zac recommended. And don't worry, the quest continues. The reviews are still happening. I'm just not eating burgers and pizza every day anymore.

Running again

I've started mixing in some runs. On one of them I thought I was going to die, but we ran a better time than the day before. Early days, but it's coming back.

Weigh-in and measurements

I honestly didn't think we'd have the same results as last week, but the measurements kept moving. The shoulders went down, the chest went from 43 to 42.8, and when you add it all up we were down about three inches in total this week. Progress is progress.

How it feels

In Week 1 my muscles felt like they were working against me. Now, four weeks in, I can actually feel them pushing through. They're still waking up and saying, "Hey, we're here, and we're sticking around." Zac finished me off on the sled, and the best feeling all week is walking out of that gym.

Joe is not a doctor or a dietitian. This is his personal journey. Talk to your healthcare provider before making big changes to your diet or exercise.