Health Nut(s)

I didn't grow up as a health nut. I still wouldn't consider myself to be a health nut. However, in light of my realization of my family's history of Diabetes, I decided to make a change in my lifestyle.

Step 1 -2010
It came to my attention that I am in the minority in my family as not being affected by Diabetes. Of course, I didn't want to join the minority in this test. I decided that the first step was to get rid of something that is more common than we may realize, soda. As a New Years Resolution, I gave up soda. I still to this day haven't had one since. Although it may seem like a trivial item to get rid of, the average American consumes 600 12 ounce cans of soda per day. Almost two cans per day? Are you kidding? One single can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar.

              600 x 39 = 23,400 grams of sugar per person per year on average

Maybe not so trivial now? This is not to say that I necessarily fit the mold of your standard two soda per day drinker, but regardless still a useless thing to consume. Dropping soda entirely was one of the best decisions I have made when it comes to my health, and I strongly believe that it will aid in my goal to successfully avoid health concerns like Diabetes. Step 1, get rid of useless soda...check. Step 2...?

Step 2 - 2011
I was challenged. I was bet that I couldn't go ALL of Christian Lent without eating any sweets of any kind. You may ask what qualifies as a sweet. I set those parameters ahead of time. What I consider to be a sweet is any cookie, brownie, ice cream, candy, or otherwise unhealthy snack. I didn't make it, I crushed it. I'll be honest, after a few too many adult beverages one day, I had a piece of pie. 275 days later. I made it 275 days without a sweet and it was...easy? After the first month or so, I never even thought about it. From the outside looking in, it is truly easy to see how many sweets people really do eat. Now I know what you're thinking, everything is good in moderation. As correct of a statement as that is, it is much easier to control something if you simply never do it. Why risk letting yourself into habits that aren't favorable? I wouldn't start smoking cigarettes and smoke a few per week and expect to live by the motto "Everything is good in moderation." Yes, I know, Cigarettes kill people, that's a bad comparison. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. I'd rather not take my chances.

So what happened after my relapse? I fell into the traditional standard for a few months. A treat here, a treat there. However, I quickly noticed the results and didn't like what I saw. Step 2, drop sweets entirely for 40 days and 40 nights during Christian Lent...checkmate. Now on to Step 3.

Step 3 - 2012
I challenged myself. I knew that I made it 275 days without a sweet in 2011. My goal was to take on the first day of lent with a previously unmatched devotion to my goal. I dropped sweets again entirely. Except this time around, my goal is to make it all the way through the calendar year. However, my goal is to begin Step 4 on January 1, 2013 resulting in a continuation upon my current goal. Where do I stand? I currently sit at 176 days since I've last indulged in a sweet treat. That marks something special. That marks exactly 100 days until I break my own record and can continue into uncharted territory. Step 3 continues and progresses towards Step 4.

Friends call me crazy, Family support me, and I believe in myself. A year and a half later, here I stand. Forty pounds lighter and well on my way to a healthier lifestyle ("results atypical, weight loss ranges depending on diet and exercise...or something like that.) Now, if only I could get rid of that nasty affliction for beer. You know what they say, you can take a Wisconsinite out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of a Wisconsin. That's a debate for another day though. For this moment, I will continue my insanity and work towards the goal of becoming a more health conscious individual whose risk of Diabetes is significantly lower than it once was.

PS - NOTE
Diet and exercise plan has become more aggressive in 2012 and I have never felt better. Bye bye, College weight.