Saturday, December 11, 2010

Lifestyle Choices: You have the Power to make a Change

Whether you've run 500 marathons or you're training for you're first half marathon, it is extremely important to eat a healthy well balanced diet.  Eating healthy kind of goes against the lifestyle that the majority of Americans choose to follow.  Every single day as I venture out into the world, I see obese and morbidly obese individuals.  I don't think there are many things in this world that irritate me more, than the sight of individuals that completely and utterly disrespect their own bodies in such a careless manner.  Temptation seems to have a huge influence on an individuals desire to yearn for such things.  Don't get me wrong, I have cravings all the time, just like anybody else.  However, you have to make a choice!  If I could, I'd eat skittles, bowls of ice cream drenched in countless delectable toppings, pizza with ranch, and don't forget my favorite-NACHOS!  However, you just can't live that way.

It's kind of funny how the foods we desire most, make us feel the worst and the foods that don't sound the least bit appealing tend to give you the most energy and make us feel good about ourselves.  Life's all about choices.  It doesn't just pertain to food.  Everyday you are presented with countless options and you have to make a choice.  It could range from staying faithful in a marriage, to which house you want to buy, whether or not you're going to clean the garage, or stopping to aid a stranded motorist on the highway.  Food is the same way, however, its' effects can have the most direct effect on your daily life and the ability to allow you to continue to make all of those other choices that you struggle with from day to day.

The most detrimental effect unhealthy eating can have is its inhibition on an individuals daily activities and overall life expectancy, not to mention the countless medical problems that must be dealt with on a daily basis.  Another thing that gets me absolutely livid and downright annoyed on a day to day basis is hearing people moan, bitch and complain about how they don't feel good and how they have this or that sickness.  Well, guess what people, if you weren't eating Taco Bell at 2 in the morning, stuffing down 3 Chalupas, a 44oz. Pepsi, and then immersing yourself on the couch like a bedridden hospital patient for countless hours, as opposed to eating a well balanced diet and exercising, you might not have these problems!  Absolutely irritating.  People are too caught up in being comfortable these days.  They say and do things they don't mean to their love ones, for fear of losing them.  They rarely alter their daily habits, because of fair of change.  They eat things because they're depressed, thinking it will cheer them up, when in fact the reason they got depressed in the first place was probably that poor diet of theirs.

It just disappoints me to see how people live these days.  Nobody cares about themselves anymore.  Restaurants and marketing techniques, through commercials, billboards, and magazines aren't doing much to help either.  Thank God for Subway.  At least there is one company that acts like they care about the future of America.

As I sit here and go off from tangent to tangent about how I resent peoples lifestyle, I have been in the same boat as many overweight and unhealthy individuals.  I at one time weighed 205 pounds at just under 5 foot 9.  I am now a slender, toned, and athletic 162.  Looking back, I am absolutely ashamed in myself for allowing myself to get that way.  I didn't just become a fit individual overnight either.  It took years of hard work, education, and lifestyle changes to evolve into the person I am today.  So, I don't mean to demoralize anyone, because I do believe that anyone has the power to change a behavior.  However, it has to come from within.  If you want to change, YOU have to make it happen.  Some people think that a Personal trainer is going to make them lose weight, or going on a walk is going to get it done.  You have got to find the motivation, some way, some how.  Get off of that coach and get out that door.  Sorry, but to be honest, a 15 minute walk each day isn't going to do it either.  Bring some intensity, bring some heart, bring some will power.  If you want something, you've got to earn it.  Do it not only for your loved ones that would love to spend countless years with you, but do it for yourself.  I can promise you that you'll feel 800x better once you start exercising.  And, heck, if you're like me you may become an addict.  A quote by Edward Stanley sums it up best, "Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness".

Make the change,

Jon


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