I have fought being overweight for quite some time. I diet, lose weight, slowly regain it all back: rinse - repeat. Sometimes I use the same plan, other times I use something different. The key here is that even though I have never been over 225 pounds, I seem to spend most of my time near 200 rather than under it. It's a battle I seem to be used to. But the last few years have really been tough and have changed my perspective greatly. It is not just about my weight anymore, or about how I look. It is now about my overall health.
I already mentioned that I have a daughter with special needs. Specifically she has Down Syndrome. When you know your child is still going to need you as an adult it really makes you think about what you can do to make sure you are around for as long as possible. But beyond that there was something else that happened that really made me open my eyes. It was the death of my father on November 17, 2007.
My father died from a stroke and the complications that arose from it. But truly the stroke was just a byproduct of years of him neglecting his health. My father had diabetes, heart disease, kidney trouble, and high cholesterol (among various other things). Yes, he was also overweight. The problem is, he did not really do anything about any of those conditions (except to take any medications prescribed for them). He ate what he wanted to eat, when he wanted to eat it and seldom was it a healthy food choice. He also smoked, worked too hard, slept too little and never exercised. I love my father dearly and I miss him terribly. But when he died, I knew that he had no one to blame but himself.
Now my mother is also getting older and I see her health also starting to wane . She too was just recently diagnosed with diabetes. She also has high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and many other problems. She too is overweight and has been battling with that for as long as I can remember. I also love my mother dearly and I don't want to be missing her anytime soon. But I fear that with her diet and poor health habits, I just might.
Seeing a person suffer is hard enough, but there is nothing more frustrating than seeing someone suffer when they do not have to be. People say they want to lose weight, feel better, and be healthy but their actions tell a different story. What they mean is they "wish" they could lose the weight without having to do anything. Well, that is NOT going to happen. That's life folks. It takes hard work to get anything that is worth having and that includes good health.
Yes, sometimes we have to eat things we do not like or worse yet, not eat things we do. But as we make the right choices and our bodies become adjusted we CAN finally get to a point where we do like what we eat. Yes, sometimes we are going to have exercise and we are going to hate it. Believe me, I do not exercise because I find it fun. But after the panting and groaning are done, we will actually feel better. Yes, sometimes we are going to have give up stuff we like. Whether it's a cigarette, a certain beverage, a Ho-Ho, or a Big Mac we have to be willing to say our health is worth it. We are in a huge health care crisis in America. Not because the care is not available and not because the prices are too high but because American's are refusing to take care of their health.
Well I for one am going to take care of mine. Will you join me? I hope to inspire as well as be inspired by those of you I meet along the way. I look forward to where this journey will take us! Shall we get moving together? I hope so!
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