Being Dedicated to Health

It is difficult to be dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.  At least it is for me.  I've heard that gym memberships are cyclical -- with memberships rising around the first of the year (New Years' resolutions) and at the start of summer (swimsuit season) ... and tapering off between.  So maybe it isn't just me.

Years ago, I was working at a place where there were three other men I worked with.  I'm 5'11" and I probably weighed about 170 at the time.  One of the guys I was working with weighed about 275 ... another was around 220 ... and the third was a 6'4" beanpole.  In that group, I was the little guy.

In my current position, I work regularly in a group with seven other guys.  All but one are slim and trim; the other outweighs me by a good amount.  So, in this group, I am the second heaviest.  Yes, I've gained some weight.  But whether I feel overweight, or recognize that I need to lose some weight, largely depends on who I'm being compared to ... and who I find myself surrounded by.

Yet, even as I realize I need to lose weight, it is hard to commit to the changes that will make it happen.  I spend a lot of time sitting behind a computer.  I drink a type of coffee that is flavored, and I've drank Dr. Pepper since I was in high school.  I know that just changing those three things would make a difference -- eliminating the "empty calories" and getting more exercise.

The truth is that, while I've been overweight for the past few years, I've never really tried to diet.  Yes, I have sporadically watched what I eat a little better, and I've increased my exercise at various times.  But I have never really, seriously tried to diet.   Even with what little I've done, I can attest to the fact that it's hard to do.

I recently got a book for my Kindle called "The Sugar Divorce:  Fitness Over Fifty."  According to the blurb, the book explains how sugar affects insulin ... which determines whether the body is storing fat or burning it.  And when we start looking at complex carbohydrates ... which are complex sugars ... like bread and pasta ... it only gets worse for me.  I absolutely love Italian food, and bread is one of the best things about nearly every meal.

Apparently, the book also dovetails with a 4-hour body diet plan -- which I have not yet heard about.  I'm going to give the book a read and see what I can learn.  Maybe I'll find the motivation to make some changes which will be lasting.