Leaving the military can feel like stepping off a cliff. One day, you've got steady pay, housing, and a community that's always around. The next day, it's all gone. That's the reality Robert Wheeler faced when he left the Navy. He went from structure and purpose to bills stacking up, silence from the people he served with, and depression that pushed him past 300 pounds.

In this conversation, Robert opens up about why he once threw out his uniforms and refused to even call himself a veteran. He shares the hard lessons he learned about VA benefits, how Chapter 31 gave him time freedom to rebuild, and why fitness is needed for more than just looks. You'll hear him talk about how to handle when negative spirals hit, and how gratitude helped him get out from under that constant rain cloud.

If you've ever felt like you lost everything overnight after taking off the uniform, this episode is a blueprint for finding your footing again.

Timestamps:

• 03:01 Losing community, pay, and benefits all at once
• 07:27 Throwing out uniforms and hiding veteran identity
• 17:49 How fitness pulled him back from depression and 300 pounds
• 28:40 Pain into progress, building discipline one day at a time
• 35:36 Emotional regulation and telling yourself to "shut up"

Links & Resources

• Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1
• Website: https://www.battlefittedbrand.com
• Follow BattleFitted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/battlefitted
• Follow BattleFitted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/battlefitted
• Follow BattleFitted on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/battlefitted

Transcript

View the transcript for this episode.