I decided to change the title of this post from "Honesty. Sometimes the truth hurts" to "Choices. Choices. Choices." because that is what this journey is all about - choosing to be healthy.
I have become more self-aware over the past few days. I have realized that this journey that I'm on may be more challenging for me than others because, well, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
I have to choose to be healthy BUT when it comes to things (food) that make me feel good or make me feel comfortable I have an extraordinarily difficult time sacrificing them...especially after a rough day. So what do I do? I give in and eat 3 chocolate chip cookies. Immediately, I feel like crap because I am disappointed in myself, and then I become complacent and say to myself "It's okay, Mike. You're really not that overweight." For so long, food has been a crutch/security blanket for me.
Truth is...I am way too comfortable with my bad habits and I need to move out of my comfort zone because the numbers do not lie: my BMI is 30.4 and, according to the World Health Organization, the ideal weight for a 30 year old male standing 5' 11" is 197 pounds. Even though I have lost a total of 6 pounds in this journey, I still have quite a ways to go. But I can do it...if I make the right choices.
A couple of days ago during my young adult bible study, I realized that choosing to eat the right food and going to the gym is just part of the code that will break the back of this battle I have been fighting since I was a child. The other part, and for me the most important part, is positive self talk and owning the choices I make TODAY and forgetting about the one's from yesterday or tomorrow. This is especially important when it comes to setbacks like the fast food I ate last night at 9 p.m. because I had not eaten dinner and was stuck in traffic on HWY 17. That was yesterday, and today I have a new opportunity to make good choices in my life. Ones that will benefit more than just myself because this really isn't about me...it's about my family.
Today I choose to be healthy.
Thanks for reading...
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Mike, I feel your pain. I too am determined to make changes this summer. I have found talking this over with a spiritual director to be the single most important change I have made. My "hoarding" or food for comfort, just like other hoarding behaviors, is a spiritual problem, not just a physical one. Couple with a slower metabolism and the creeping onset of age, weight has become a terrible issue in my life.
ReplyDeleteI will pray for you everyday and ask you to do the same for me. My goal is 10% of my body weight by August 30th.
Mucho love
Robin in Texas, sort of your auntie