A month ago, my wife and I literally shook hands when we made a bet who could reach their target healthy weight first. Years ago, I entered into a competition with myself to lose some weight. Over the last year, I’ve allowed the pounds to creep back on.
My doctor tells me I’m healthy. I can still run 10+ miles at a time. However, lugging 25 extra pounds around when covering that many miles isn’t for the faint of heart. I sweat more. I have to work harder. I generally don’t feel as good.
The logical decision: change my diet because by the time you reach middle age it’s impossible to outrun a bad diet.
I just got home from a 3-day business trip. On that trip, I drank an incredibly unhealthy amount of soda, and I ate two huge meals, a couple of smaller ones, five donuts, two softball-size muffins, two Bobos, and about 15 pieces of Red Vines licorice.
Oh, and a protein bar.
Now wait! Wasn’t I just talking about entering into a contest with my wife to get back to a healthy weight?
Donuts + muffins + Bobos + Licorice + Soda ≠ A Healthy Diet¹
Here’s a reality for most of us. We don’t all have the discipline of Ashprihanal Aalto who ran the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race in 40 days, 9 hours, 6 minutes, and 21 seconds. I know you’re wondering: that’s almost 77 miles every day for 40 consecutive days. (I once ran 1,400 miles in an entire year.)
It’s almost a given that at times and seasons in our lives, our self-discipline will wax and wane.
Look. I’m not a doctor nor did I ever play one on TV, so take what I say with a grain of salt. It seems there’s not one body type that epitomizes health. Generally, however, it’s a safe bet that unless you have a chronic ailment of some kind, walking up a flight of stairs should not leave you winded.
Now, this article is introspection that I’ve chosen to let out. If it resonates, that’s great. If not, feel free ignore my introspective advice.
Even though I’ve backslid on the agreement I made with my wife, that doesn’t mean I need to give up, succumbing to some imaginary inevitability that I’m somehow beyond change.
There’s one thing humans excel at, and it’s the reason anthropology believes we’ve come this far: there are few species better at adapting than we are.
Change is constant in our lives. This week, I partook of the DoMuBoLiSo diet. Next week, I may have a protein bar each morning and run 10 miles a day.
The point is, when we backslide, we don’t have to stay where we are (or continue backsliding). We can progress.
It’s never too late to hit reset. I might have single-handedly kept Krispy Kreme in business this week, but that doesn’t mean I’m stuck on this path. I made a bet with my wife, and I can recommit to the process today, right now. The beauty of life is that it gives us so many chances to get back up and try again, no matter how many donuts we eat.
So, whether you’ve chosen to follow in Ashprihanal’s footsteps (literally) or are just trying to take the stairs without sucking air like a Nascar engine, it’s all part of the same journey. The key is to keep moving forward. When you slip back into old (bad?) habits, just start moving forward again. Some days will be great, other days you’ll indulge in too many muffins and licorice. What’s important is not letting the slips define you. Instead, let them add to your determination to do a little better tomorrow.
¹My sincerest apologies to the gurus peddling the DoMuBoLiSo Diet. It doesn’t work. Sorry!
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