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:
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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