How to eat an elephant?

A strange title, I know, but very appropriate for a couple of different reasons.  The first of which pertains to this blog and my limited knowledge and experience in communicating in this social environment.  The thought of creating a blog had never occurred to me until about a week ago. 


I didn't have any desire what-so-ever to put the thoughts that take up space in my head on a web page for the world (probably more like a few close friends and family) to see, but here I am and wow am I overwhelmed.  The amount of information I have learned is almost too much to handle, which is where the elephant comes in.  I decided to attack this adventure the same as I would if I was to eat an elephant; one bite at a time.


So this is where you find me now, about halfway up the leg of an elephant with my fork and knife still working like crazy.


The second reference with which I am applying the elephant question deals with our country's new found infatuation of eating way too much and moving far too little.  How do you change the collective social culture of an entire nation of overweight people?  The same answer applies; one bite at a time or in this case, one person at a time.


  Being, as some would call lucky, I have always been a relatively fit and healthy person.  I enjoy sports, I like vegetables, and I don't really eat candy.  Not a whole lot of luck involved if you ask me. 
None the less, I was and still am very curious as to why people end up in the predicament of being overweight and full of disease.  I understand the how; Too many calories in and not enough calories out.  I just can't figure out the why.


I have heard excuses, some of which are legit, but many of which are self esteem issues that seem to almost force a person into self destruction.  The one statement that always confuses me is this,


"I don't know how I got here.  When I look in the mirror I see some fat person, not me".


But as I really look at this statement I can begin to see both sides.  Weight loss or weight gain is a very slow, very gradual process, but the habits that contribute to both events are easily recognizable.  If I ate two pizzas a day, I wouldn't be overweight tomorrow, but if I continued to do this and made it a habit, I most certainly would be overweight at some point. 


I now begin to understand the slippery slope of becoming overweight.  Life gets in the way and habits have a way of hiding in the shadows of everything else; still there, but no longer a conscious concern.  Ultimately, this leads to the inevitable day when a person says,


"What the hell have I done to myself?"


A shocking revelation I am sure.  OK, so now a person has gotten him or herself into this predicament, what to do now?  Here is the root of why I am writing this blog.  I want to help people, be it you who is reading this or someone else you know, understand that your habits are controlling the outcome.  I want to show you how changing habits will change the way you live.   


If you can make the decisions that allowed yourself to get where you are today, then you can make different decisions and form new habits that can lead you to the person you want to be tomorrow; to a long and healthy life.  A life you can enjoy and a body you can be proud of.


I hope that you will take this journey with me and see where it takes us.


It begins with a decision....