Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Oh No!

Oh yes… Today, let's talk about dieting, HaHa!  I mean it’s that time of the year, true?  January 1st; New Year Resolutions; this year I’m (finally) going to drop a few pounds.  The health clubs love this time of year even if we don’t. 

I have written often about writing out an annual achievement plan for the upcoming year.  And within that plan I’ve advocated these four quadrants: 

This year, I’m particularly focused on the “Personal Development” quadrant; and within that quadrant specifically, my weight.

You see, I have my annual physical scheduled for later this month.  I can already hear my Doc, “Gary, it would be best if there was a little less of you.”  He asked me once a couple of years ago if I was motivated enough to lose weight.  Although honest, sadly my  response was, “Probably not.”  Turns out, I was “right” which reminds me of the lyric from the Joe Bonamassa song “The Loyal Kind”: 

I knew it all along and I hate when I’m right. 

My Body Mass Index indicates I’m not obese, yay!  I am, however, overweight, boo!  Turns out  being overweight is not a moral victory over being obese.  Consequently, this is the year I’m going to finally do something about it!!! (I hope.)  Ooops – there’s that proverbial caveat, “I hope”.  Reminds me of my favorite book title from Rick Page: 

Hope is not a strategy. 

With hope duly noted, to get started I’m going to pay attention to David C. Myers’ advice: 

A recipe for well-being requires a mix of ample optimism to provide hope, a dash of pessimism to prevent complacency, and enough realism to discriminate those things we can control from those we cannot.

In my recipe of things I can control I know I can’t become complacent.  So I’m going to be particularly cautious about this dash of pessimism: 

I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is two weeks. 

Totie Fields  

Yep, I need to commit to the long term; especially because at my age my “long term” is becoming shorter!  I need to create new and better habits.  Thankfully, I have a terrific role model that I can easily follow; my wife.  Bearing two children and following more than five decades since high school, she still looks wonderful!  What’s her secret?  Two things; (1) she only eats when she’s hungry and (2) she doesn’t eat anything after dinner.  That seems like a doable approach doesn’t it?  

It’s simple enough.  Except, of course, when I’m feeling a bit stressed; a bit down; when my feelings take over my rational thinking.  That’s the moment of truth when I need to retain “control”.  Oh, and my therapist was no help: 

My therapist told me a way to achieve peace was to finish things I started.  Today, I finished 2 bags of potato chips, a lemon pie, a fifth of Jack Daniels, and a small box of chocolate candy.  I feel better already! 

Unknown Sage

Kidding aside, weight has become a national issue and the numbers according to the  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases aren’t pretty.  Especially the  part about more than 1 in 3 men are overweight. 

In 2024 I will (finally) follow my doctor’s advice; be motivated; and achieve!  God willing and with my wife’s continued leadership-by-example, next year at this time there will “be a little less of me”.  Oh no?  Oh YES! 

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

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