Living a Better Life

A Healthier Lifestyle

If you want to see how the average American takes care of his/her very own body, just go to a shopping mall or a fast food restaurant and you will see that the majority of people in today’s world are overweight and I don’t mean slightly, I mean a lot.

What causes this in a land where people are trying to save money to pay the bills during one of the worse recessions in history? We spoil our own bodies more than we spoil our children. We shouldn’t want the same condition for our children as we offer ourselves. Once you spoil your body by giving it an excess or wrong kind of food and often at the wrong time, it (your subconscious) begins to expect it and ask for more under the same desirable conditions. It is as simple as that. I say desirable with the meaning of subconsciously satisfying and not necessarily being a healthy choice. We are spoiling our subconscious with this excess and it will demand it more and more. Just like the child that can get his way by foot stomping, crying, or throwing a tantrum, your inner person will get to you one way or the other.

What can we do about it? Is it too late to make amends? What is best for a long, healthy and active life? You have to make some decisions, do some research and begin today to regain control over your inner being that is taking you down the path of destruction.

Diets in general don’t work, fad diets certainly don’t, and simply losing weight, if you are that lucky, isn’t enough. You must change your lifestyle of what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat and in addition, you must add to your new lifestyle some vibrant and regular exercise. Have you ever seen an overweight iron-worker, or a marathon runner, or for that matter, a race horse or a jockey? OK, maybe a few, but not many.

This is all free advice, but I know, you want it to be easy, quick and lasting for as little effort as possible. Well my friend, I am here to tell you it is not going to be that way. If you want a healthier life, full of energy and an opportunity to live longer in better fashion, you will have to work for it. You will have to make some changes and it won’t be easy. You won’t get it in a can with a fancy label, power bar, or from any other pay as you go activity. You will only get it by drastic changes, hard work and a “stick to it for a lifetime” attitude. Good luck to most of you, because you won’t make it. You are spoiled and I might add, it is not completely your fault. You can blame TV commercials, food specials, an easy life and many other things that you will have to think about it you are going to make a change. I must restate, most of you won’t be able to do it. You just don’t have the will power and mental conditioning to last it out. So admit it, haven’t you spoiled yourself? You want to change, but know you can’t and the effort isn’t worth it, right? I will let you answer all these questions for yourself. I am not writing this to give you more couch comfort and satisfaction, I am trying to open your eyes, stir you into the fight of your life. I would love to be able to go to the shopping mall or the fast food place land see, sharp, tight, strong and healthy looking bodies all over the place. These harsh words won’t make me well liked by many, but those people who sit up, take notice and actually begin to put bodies back in shape will thank me someday. I hope that might be you.

I can tell you what is wrong, but I can’t tell you how to overcome your eating habits, beyond telling you that you need a change. Each person is different and with different needs, consequently, each person will have to work hard at finding a solution that works. Yes, I know, you are giving this message a push off, but this is serious business not only for you, but for our entire country, I know if you have read this far, you will take a look at those you work with, you walk with and eat with in your daily life and think about this message. You will also know that I am right.

When do you start? The answer is right now! How do you start? You start by finding out what a good healthy diet for you is. How long should you follow your new plan? The rest of your life.

Changes will be allowed along the way. As we get older, our activity level is lessened and our needs as well. Don’t be afraid to monitor your food needs and make the necessary changes, but do it with your overall health in mind. The daily routine of standing before a full length mirror and turning from side to side will tell you a lot about why you need this change and what you can accomplish. Keep in mind, you didn’t spoil this body overnight thus you won’t see drastic changes overnight. You put this weight on an ounce or half an ounce at a time and you can take it off at that rate, but your effort must be constant, continuous and with a positive attitude. I say attitude, because if you begrudge doing this, it may not work and it will certainly be more difficult, every strong effort must be accompanied with fervor and faith.

Do your friends a favor, pass this on to them and let them learn from your knowledge. You too can become an American Ambassador for good health and a better America.

In my book, In Search Of Paradise (1979 edition), I use Bruce Jenner as an example of good eating and good exercise, he became one of the greatest athletes of all times and also without the use of steroids. Also, in my book, I quote the fact that more Americans have been killed by overeating, lack of exercise and too much watching television during all the world wars since our country was founded. People are dying every minute of the day from this disease I am calling overeating, but include the wrong foods, etc. This overeating gives us a huge increase in diseases as we get older and there is no good reason for it to continue like this.

In my book, A Beckoning From Paradise (2008), I use a software engineer who was well educated, and had an easy desk job as an example of an overweight, flabby and out of shape man who left his job and began a transformation of which anyone would be proud. It all starts with walking. You don’t have to stress yourself out the first day, but you can begin by walking and move up from there. Don’t tell me you are not healthy enough for exercise because my grandson is in a wheelchair and he exercises regularly and is in perfect physical shape except his paralysis which is due to a car accident and not overeating.

I think I should say good luck at this point and let you make up your own mind. You can do it if you want to. As I said, a good way to begin is to look at yourself, look around and think about how you are going to improve your life and begin this effort right now and make it continuous throughout your life. What you do for yourself today will reverberate around the world and your example will be a guiding light for many more.

Dr Robert E McGinnis  (published author of fiction and motivation for over forty years)