I’m lean, I’m in great shape, and physically, I feel incredible. If you looked at me, you’d probably assume I’m about as healthy as a dude can be. But something showed up in my blood work that scared the hell out of me—and taught me an important lesson: looking healthy and actually being healthy aren’t always the same thing.
My White Blood Cell Count Dropped Too Low
At my annual physical, my doctor noticed that my white blood cell count was unusually low. Looking back at my blood work over the years, there had actually been a gradual downward trend, but this was the first time it dropped below the normal range. My doctor was concerned enough to send me to a hematologist, and when I called to make the appointment and saw “cancer” associated with the practice, my mind immediately went to some pretty scary places.
The hematologist took it seriously. I went through extensive blood testing, an abdominal ultrasound, and screenings for everything from autoimmune disorders to blood diseases and cancer. Waiting for those answers was incredibly unsettling, especially when I felt perfectly healthy on the outside.
Fortunately, the tests came back normal. I do not have leukemia or cancer, and they didn’t find evidence of some underlying disease. That was obviously incredible news. But it still left one big question: why was my white blood cell count so low?
Explanations for the Downward Trend
One possible explanation was something I never really wanted to admit: I may have been pushing my body too hard. I’ve always exercised a lot, but when I decided I wanted to be in incredible shape by 50, I took things to another level. I was running around 45 to 50 miles every week, running seven days a week, weight training multiple times a week—sometimes twice a day—and adding incline cardio at night. At the same time, I was trying to get leaner and wasn’t eating enough calories to compensate for everything I was burning.
The crazy part is that I thought I was doing everything right. The more I exercised, the better I felt mentally. I was getting leaner, seeing results in the mirror, and feeling proud of how disciplined I was. Exercise became more than something I did for my health—it became part of my identity. And because I was seeing positive results on the outside, it was incredibly difficult for me to accept that I might actually be doing too much.
That’s where this experience really changed my perspective. More is not always better—even when we’re talking about something as healthy as exercise. Extreme training without adequate recovery and nutrition can put tremendous stress on your body. There comes a point where discipline can cross the line into excess, and I think I crossed that line.
Discipline Crossing the Line to Excess
So I’m changing what I’m doing. Instead of running seven days a week, I’ve cut it down to four and replaced some of those runs with brisk walks. I’ve eliminated the additional nighttime cardio, kept my strength training, and increased my calories because I’m no longer trying to lose body fat. My goal now isn’t to see how much I can push my body—it’s to give my body what it needs to be healthy.
And mentally, that adjustment is harder than I expected. When you pride yourself on working hard, doing less can feel like you’re being lazy or losing progress. But recovery is not weakness. Rest isn’t something you earn only after destroying yourself in the gym. Sometimes doing less is exactly what your body needs in order to function better.
This whole experience also reinforced something I’ve been talking about a lot lately: you need objective information about what’s happening inside your body. I felt amazing. I looked amazing. I had energy. There was nothing physically telling me that something might be off. The only reason I knew there was an issue was that I had regular blood work and historical numbers to compare.
Being Proactive About Health
That’s why I believe every guy needs to be proactive about his health. Get your blood work done regularly. Establish a baseline. Track your numbers over time. One isolated result can tell you something, but trends can tell you even more. If something starts changing, you have an opportunity to investigate it before it potentially becomes a bigger problem.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that health isn’t about how lean you are, how many miles you can run, how much weight you can lift, or how disciplined you look from the outside. It’s about balance. Exercise is incredible, discipline is powerful, and pushing yourself can transform your life—but your body also needs enough nutrition, recovery, and rest.
I love working out. I love running. I love lifting weights, being active, and challenging myself. That isn’t going to change. What does need to change is my belief that if some exercise is good, more must automatically be better. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do isn’t push harder. Sometimes it’s knowing when to back off—and being disciplined enough to actually do it.
