Why I Write This Blog

I am not writing this blog because I am a finished role model.

Quite the opposite.

I am writing it because I have reached a point where I have to say honestly: things cannot continue like this.

I am 1.76 metres tall and weigh around 95.6 kilograms at the start of this blog. I used to be athletic, resilient and considerably fitter. After Covid, a great deal of work, everyday life, commuting, family commitments and a fair amount of comfort, that has changed.

I have gained a lot of weight, my fitness has deteriorated, and I notice it in situations that should really be ordinary: tying my shoes, being active with the dogs, working on the dog-training field or simply looking in the mirror.

I do not like that.

More than that: it affects me.

At the same time, I see more and more people around me embracing the “super healthy” lifestyle. Everywhere, people talk about what works, what you need to take, which product supposedly changes everything and how much weight they have lost. Social media is full of it. Everything looks easy, polished and successful.

But I ask myself: how sustainable is it really?

I want to show a different path.

An honest one.

No show. No expensive programmes. No miracle cures. No promises from powders and no perfect staging.

My goal is simple and difficult at the same time:

I want to show that it is possible to lose weight sustainably, become fitter and rediscover enjoyment of your own body with simple means.

With a kettlebell.

With bodyweight exercises.

With walks.

With healthy food.

With small routines.

With setbacks.

With discipline.

And above all, with consistency.

That is exactly my greatest weakness: actually sticking with things over the long term.

Stopping smoking was surprisingly easy for me at the time. Giving up coffee, however, was extremely difficult. That taught me that not every change follows the same rules and that willpower alone is not always enough.

Now comes the next big step: I do not want to silence my inner resistance with a motivational slogan. I want to learn how to deal with it—even when everyday life is exhausting, motivation is missing or a week does not go as planned.

My circumstances are not perfect.

I have three children, two dogs, a demanding job in Frankfurt and live in the Odenwald. When I commute to the office, public transport takes around one hour and forty minutes from door to door—each way. On those days, I am quickly away from home for twelve to thirteen hours.

And it still has to work.

Not because I suddenly want to live perfectly.

But because I want to stay healthy. Because I want to be there for my children as they grow. Because I want to remain active with Qyu and Onni. Because later in life, I do not want to have only time and money, but also the body and stamina to truly enjoy my life.

Dog training is therefore also part of this blog. Not because it is the centre of my health, but because I encounter the same themes there: observation, consistency, timing, patience, mistakes and gradual development.

With Qyu, we are not starting from zero. We are already in the middle of an ongoing process and preparing for the BH companion-dog test. That is why his story will not be retrospectively polished. I want to begin honestly with where we are now.

With Onni, I later want to document a new development process from the beginning: the starting point, goals, training steps, mistakes, setbacks and adjustments.

Dog, body and mind are not separate worlds for me.

My body shows me what is changing.

My mind decides whether I continue.

And my dogs show me every day how important clarity, observation and consistency are.

This blog is my attempt to take responsibility again.

For my health—and therefore for my body, my mind, my family and life with my dogs.

I do not yet know how successful this journey will be.

That is exactly why I am writing about it.

Welcome to Hund. Körper. Kopf.