The things I need to stop:
Fried Foods: These are empty calories that are destroying my body and raising my (already elevated) blood pressure. So many bad decisions are covered in batter and placed in hot oil. Goodbye Grease.
Coca-Cola: Big red cans of happiness. Soda in general is a weak point for me. Coke is my nemesis. I have no restraint. In moderation, Coke can be enjoyed even by healthy people, but I have proved too many times that I need to cut it out.
Eating Out: Portions are bigger. Calories and fat are increased. Soda or beer is usually involved. Meals at home are simpler and healthier. I hardly have a meal from a restaurant that doesn’t leave me feeling bloated. Which brings me to…
Stop Eating when I’m full: Putting that in writing seems silly. Who wants to shove food down an already full stomach? As most over-eaters can tell you, eating is not a means to an end, i.e. get energy and nutrition. For us, eating is the end. It’s the goal and the reward. While food is necessary to sustain my life, food is not my life.
So if I cut out those things – fried foods, sugar, restaurants, and over-eating – Now I’m good. Right? Hardly. It will never work if I don’t replace the bad things with good things. All those bad things are security blankets for me. It’s time to re-focus my efforts. I need action steps.
The things that I need to start doing:
Exercise: Goes without saying, right? Not exactly. For a former soldier and athlete, the desire to exercise is tough because my current physical ability is so far below my personal expectation. I expect to get out and run five miles, play a couple hours of pick-up basketball, and hit the weight room for a quick, low-weight, high-rep session. Ain’t gonna happen. There’s no time in my day for that and my body would quickly convince my mind out of this whole plan. I need to start a daily 20-25 minute routine that maximizes my heart rate and progressively builds towards cardiovascular health. I’ll start on my lunch break on work days and when I first get up on non-work days.
Sleep: It is a rare occasion that I actually get more than 5-5.5 hours of sleep a night. I stay up too late and get up too early. I need to get to bed by 10pm every work night and by 11:30 on non-work nights to ensure my 7.5-8 hours of sleep. Numerous advantages (cutting caffeine?), but mostly my body will really need this recovery time with the introduction of exercise.
Accountability: If I’m honest, I want to make this all about me. This is my weight problem and nunya bidness. Unfortunately it was my own failures that got me into this mess. I’m sure everyone around me was thinking things like, “Are you sure that 8th piece of pizza is the best decision?” or “Your breathing kinda sounds like a vacuum cleaner.” We don’t say these things to each other, because we’re too nice and polite. I need to recruit people who love me enough to tell me to put down the half pound burger and steer clear of the Chinese buffet. I need eyes on me and I need to KNOW there are eyes on me.
Give it to God: When Jesus healed the paralytic that was lowered into the house from the ceiling, he forgave his sins. This man was unable to walk, but after the grace of Jesus came in, stood up and walked. I can walk. But I reference it because I need physical healing and I know that my heart must change to receive it. This starts with consistent prayer and study. I’m so hesitant to call my weight “sinful” for reasons I can’t fully explain. Still, sin is synonymous with selfish desire and that’s how I got here.
There it is. If you’re reading this, thank you for your love and support.
