Lesson #11. Don't get fat.

One should eat to live, not live to eat.  ~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV

It's easier to do it right the first time, than to have to lose the weight.  Most diet plans will emphasize the importance of a healthy diet and exercise.  Take a look at the advertisements on TV, in magazines, and on the internet.  I have no idea what the percentage is, but it would be nearly impossible to go a day without seeing an ad for a weight loss pill, plan, or program.  The reason for that is that we, as a nation, are fat.

Just like anything, doing it right the first time will save you the aggravation of having to do it over.  How many times have you done something halfheartedly and then realized that it wasn't going to cut it?  Now, you must start from scratch and fix it.  You have created double work for yourself, not to mention added aggravation!  I will never forget this important lesson my Grampa taught me a long time ago.  He asked me to clean out the microwave and I did.  He looked at it and pointed out crumbs and gunk that I had missed.  And then he asked me to do it again.  "UGH!!!", I was so angry. I already did it once.  Had I done it right the first time, I wouldn't have been in that position. 

A healthy body is so important.  There is a phrase that says "without your health, you have nothing."  I learned that was true when we discovered little bruises ALL OVER Alice's body.  She was about 4 at the time and there was no reasonable explanation for the bruising.  Off to the doctors we went.  After some blood work and a check up, we were sent immediately to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for further testing.  I asked her pediatrician what he thought it could be and he told me that the bruising is a very common 'symptom' of leukemia. Wow!  I can't even write this without tears developing in my eyes.  

The next day, we drove to Atlanta to see a specialist.  As a Mom, waiting to hear what was wrong, I promise you, my world had stopped.  NOTHING else mattered at that moment.  When the doctor came in, I was at the edge of my seat, waiting to hear what the future had in store for my beautiful baby.  "You're daughter has ITP.  If your daughter has to have a blood disorder, this is the one you want."  I'm not going to bore you with all the details of ITP, but it's a blood disorder that often times goes away in kids.  After months of guarding her from head injuries and cuts, it just went away.  

And then Charlie came along.  The kid is a happy little thing, with little being the key word.  After a series of blood tests, stool tests, and an intestinal biopsy, we finally figured out why he is such a shrimp.  At 18 months, he had never even made it on the growth chart.  The other problem was his poop.  You've never smelled smelly poo poo until you've had a child with Celiac Disease.  As a Mom, I've dealt with my fair share of stinky things, but this stuff chased me out of the room.  OK, seriously though, Charlie has Celiac Disease. In a nutshell, he can't eat gluten or lick Play-doh or eat Chap-stick.  The gluten gives him a bad belly ache and without a change in diet can lead to all sorts of bad things, including Cancer.

So, why am I telling you about blood disorders and Celiac disease?  Because these things are out of our control.  I have no idea why Alice got ITP or why Charlie ended up with Celiac disease. Those things are out of our hands, so we accommodate his diet by shopping the outer rim of the grocery store and pray that the ITP never resurfaces.  There are many diseases and disorders that are out of our control.  People have to fight them with medications and treatments.

Being overweight is not out of our control.  There are few cases where it may not be your fault, but those only cover a small percentage of overweight and obese people.  Most of us become overweight because we make poor choices over a long period of time.  However, the problems associated with being obese are very real.  Heart disease and stroke.   High blood pressure.  Diabetes.  Cancer.

Gallbladder disease and gallstones.  Osteoarthritis.  Gout.  No fun.  Studies show that losing weight has a significant positive impact of all of these problems.

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.  ~English Proverb

  

Please hear me when I tell you, do it right the first time.  Eat well and give your body the exercise it needs.  I have so much weight to lose and now I'm in back track mode.  Had I not overindulged in unhealthy foods for so long, I would be so much healthier.  I wouldn't be fighting my bad habits and feeling uncomfortable in my own skin.   I would not be embarrassed every time I walk by a mirror. I would enjoy shopping for clothes.   I know what I need to do and yet I find it incredibly hard to change my ways....even knowing the damage I'm doing.  

I cannot tell you how many times I wished I had just not gained the weight to begin with. There were so many times over the years when I knew I was using poor judgement with my habits, but ignored my head and fed my mouth.  I regret every overweight pound on my body.  I know that losing it would build my confidence and make me feel a million times better, but I don't do it.  Losing weight has been one of my biggest battles.  Please don't get fat.  Stay healthy.  

There are NO benefits to being fat.  There are a TON of benefits with being healthy. ~ Me.