If you do the right things.....

I have been saying for a long time that if you do the right things long enough, right things will happen. For me, there are three "right things" I must do.


1. I must have my Shakeology at least once every day. This product is the secret to controlling my addiction to garbage foods built up over years of indulgence. I am so surprised I haven't gotten a letter from Wendy's or from McDonalds begging me to come back.... surely they realize what an important part of their food chain I occupied this last 20 years or so! I have learned that when we are hungry, our body is telling us it is missing something and it wants us to feed it what it's missing. But I am sorry - vanilla frosties, sea salt encrusted french fries and a triple cheeseburger isn't what my body was asking for!!!! When I am drinking Shakeology every day, everything my body is needing (almost) is provided.

2. Eat "lean and green". For me, this mostly means chicken and salads. I love chicken, no matter how it is cooked, and I love salads! Many days, my day of eating will consist of Shakeology in the morning, salad with chicken strips for lunch, and a chicken breast or two with green vegetables for dinner. I am fortunate in that I do not require a huge variety of foods to be happy. I am happy with a piece of meat and a salad. Instead of chicken, I will sometimes have a chopped steak (hamburger patty, with no bun, to be technical) or a small real steak.... and a salad.

3. Exercise HARD - at LEAST three times a week... five times is preferable. Currently I use ChaLean Xtreme three days a week, and will do Cardio in between the heavy lifting days. Sometimes I will do ChaLean's cardio, sometimes I will do Tabata drills on the off days instead. I don't lift every day, because I am lifting heavy  to failure each time I lift weights, and my body needs time to recover. I am in no hurry to become the next Ahhhhnold. I just want to be stronger, more limber and more fit. I am not training for an event. I am training for life.

Hmmm.... I just looked at what I just wrote, and I can hear a certain friend of mine telling me "that's so restrictive!". But I wish I could communicate exactly how liberating it is when I feel as good as I am feeling right now. I wish I could explain that I am learning the pure joy of how to eat to live and not "live to eat". I wish I could explain how incredible it feels to push so hard during a workout that you are almost in tears, and the rush I feel when I finish. My body is tightening up, I am discovering that behind the pony keg that used to be my waist is a six pack waiting to emerge.
         But I can't explain it to someone who is not ready to listen. That morning when my son, almost in tears himself, took a chance to tell me to my face that he was afraid for me. And afraid that his son, my grandson, might one day have to experience grief earlier than he should have to because his Boppa (me) would not take charge of his health when he (me) had the chance. In the face of such a risk-taking moment of honesty, I had to listen. And I did.

     The part of the transformation that is taking place in me right now that has surprised me the most is that I began this journey for the sake of my wife, my kids and my grandchildren. But somewhere along the way, I started doing it for myself. I enjoy feeling good. I enjoy waking up refreshed. I enjoy seeing God in so many different ways because I am so much more cheerful and de-stressed. I am in a good place right now. I am on a journey, and I do not see the end of it. But that's ok. Right now, I think in the case of my health, the journey's the thing. The end of the journey? No biggee. God and I have worked that out.

Join me in my journey!
Paige