And Finally

Update: Well folks, I've been talking a lot about my theories on how to be successful when choosing to take on a healthier lifestyle, and I've got just one more piece to add to the foundation. Before I get to that, however, I thought I would let you know where I'm at with the weight-loss efforts. I weighed in this morning, and am now down 36 pounds. I'm feeling better, I'm getting into clothes I haven't been able to wear in a long time, and my confidence is growing that this plan will work long-term. Mandi is doing very well, too - she continues to drop the weight and is now the lightest she's been since she was pregnant with Madilyn. Between the two of us, we have dropped an amount of weight equivelant to Kaedyn - almost 62 pounds! When I started, it seemed getting under 300 pounds was going to be nearly impossible, but I'm only 10 pounds away, now. Here I come!!!
Now, onto the final installment. This one sort of ties everything together, and is really the central part in building the foundation I've suggested. I believe in order to be successful with weightloss (or anything else in life, for that matter) you have to be 100% committed. That seems rather obvious, but how many times do we only think about doing something and as a result, only give it half an effort, at least until we decide we're sold on it. This line of thinking seems especially true when it comes to changing any habit. In this case, it's healthy eating/living. In order to be successful, I believe you have to decide you are going to give it every effort, and then follow through. Half-assing it, in this case, won't cut it. Bill Phillips, author of Body For Life, spent one of the first chapters in his book discussing this very idea. He called it "crossing the abyss." The abyss being that vastness of uncertainty when it comes to making a concrete decision to change your lifestyle. If you pick a plan and give it a fair shot, and it doesn't work, find another one. But don't bounce from plan to plan only giving each a small effort, or you will fail altogether. I firmly believe in that theory.
One of my close friends recently decided he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. He spent a few months going back and forth with it, but finally the desire to play became so overwhelming that he said to himself, "I'm going to buy a guitar, an amp, and I'm going to learn how to play it. Period." He changed his life to meet the needs of practice, a weekly lesson, and he is now well on his way to being the next Jimi Hendrix! You have to find that deep, overwhelming desire to change, and you have to keep that desire and let it lead you through your changes, and you have to be fair to yourself and your chances at changing by giving it 100%!!!
At the risk of writing a novel here, allow me to quickly recap what I have come up with as a foundation to changing your eating and exercise habits. First, NO DIETS!!! Diets suck, they don't last very long, and they are too negative. Make a lifestyle change, and feed your body what it needs to become an efficient, fat-burning machine. Second, absolutely no doing this for anyone else but YOURSELF!! It's your body, it's your life, and no one else should care about it nearly as much as you. Making these changes for anyone else but yourself is a recipe for failure. Third, go into this knowing and understanding that YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES!!! And that's okay. Really. Make your mistake and move on, as dwelling on it will only prove to be more detrimental than the mistake itself. And finally, GO BABY GO!!! Make the decision to change your life, and don't look back. Give it everything you've got, and when you run out of muster, reach deep down inside and find some more. There have been times when I've been working out at 11:30 at night because I haven't had any other time to do it. I'd love to just call it a day and crash, but I've crossed the abyss and made the decision to change my life, no excuses. Just do it.
There you have it - my foundation for healthy living. What I have said is merely my own theories, none of which is scientific by any stretch. As I previously mentioned, I have been overweight my entire life, and have tried just about everything. But I am well on my way now to being successful and making some great changes, and I enjoy sharing my thoughts with whoever can use them. I wish anyone who is seeking similar changes the best of luck, and if you need someone to chat with, you are more than welcome to post comments or email me at meatloaf15@juno.com. Thanks for listening and reading, folks, and I will continue to post small tips as I discuss other issues on this blog. Godspeed!!