A Picture of Health

It was the first week in February 2005. I opened the mailbox and found a card from my sister-in-law that contained a picture of me taken at our last family Christmas get-together. She included a small note that said, “I hope you like the picture.” Well…I didn’t. It wasn't obvious at the time but I believe that picture helped me realize and accept the fact that I had to do something about my weight.

My entire adult life I kept thinking: ‘As soon as this project is complete I will have some rest.” As soon as this event is over things will calm down. "As soon as this holiday is over I’ll lose weight." Guess what I finally learned? There are always more projects…and things never calm down…unless it’s shortly before the storm. And…there are always more Holidays. Once I finally comprehended that this is where I am and I quit waiting to “arrive” I could focus on becoming equipped to make some important changes.

I am 4’10 with a small frame. My highest weight was 206 with a Body Mass Index of 44 and at my largest I wore a size 1X. When I started my weight loss program the nurse weighed me in at 190.5 and I wore a size 18. I took medication for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and acid reflux disease. Nine months later at the completion of the weight loss phase of my program I weighed 107 pounds, had dropped to a size 2 and my Body Mass Index was 22. My blood pressure averaged 104/64, my cholesterol was 120 points lower and I had no acid reflux.

Truthfully, most of us already know that we need to make a change. We just aren’t ready, willing or empowered to do it. I’ve learned that if I want to change what is happening in my life I need to change what I am doing in my life. If I want things to change, I actually need to make some changes. If I want things to change permanently I need to make permanent changes. We have to change our habits if we want to break the cycle of bad choices and habits that over a lifetime have caused us to succumb to the emotional, social and environmental challenges that reek havoc on our body, our emotions, and our relationships, and shorten our life.

No one can decide to lose weight for you. They can’t nag, embarrass, bully, trick or manipulate your decision to adopt a healthy life style. For me it took that nudge, the deciding moment when I finally understood and accepted that I had to make a change.

Here are some subtle hints that it might be time for you to address a healthier lifestyle:

• 
  You simultaneously take five prescriptions in order to control your blood pressure, cholesterol, acid reflux, persistent back and knee pain, and your bladder. And none of them really seem to work.



• 
  Your doctor uses a multitude of creative terms that mean obese when discussing your medical condition.
  



• Family members begin to ask you questions about your views on burial versus cremation, the location of your important documents, and your stance on organ donation.
  



• Before you leave the house you ask your spouse to check to see if you remembered to put your shoes on.
  



• The word exercise causes you to tremble and hallucinate.
  
  One of the most interesting phenomena’s I observed is how many people are unhappy with their weight and their health yet they are unwilling to eliminate the attitudes and behaviors that are contributing to their unhealthy lifestyle. I’ve watched people in their various programs eating food not on their plan, and they, not-so-secretly, confide to many of their team mates their eating indiscretions…that happen frequently. Each week they have a different excuse for not losing weight. They are frustrated that they’re not losing weight or moving faster towards their goal. It’s because they haven’t come to terms with the changes they need to make to succeed. They haven’t learned that if they want things to change they need to make changes… permanent changes.
  
  The first step to a healthier lifestyle is to recognize the need for change. The next is to research your options and come up with a reasonable, reliable and workable health plan and goal for weight loss and maintenance program that will work for you. Then make a commitment to do what is necessary to make the changes.
  
  Pray…seek Gods will and direction for your plan. If you can’t come up with one…ask him to direct you. His plans work. I often discover my own plans don’t turn out that well.
  
  

Where Did All My Money Go?

It amazes me that there are still so many people that don’t understand why allowing the government so much control over our lives is not a good plan. I’ve got a prime example.

Several months ago my son went to court and due to various circumstances he was awarded full custody of his children. They had been living with him full time for several months and he was not paying child support at that time. However, the mother had been collecting welfare for the children though they were not in her care. Unfortunately he did not go to court to have the child support orders changed. When he did go to court and received the new custody agreement he believed the child support order was changed…wrong. He found that out one morning when he when he went to use his ATM card and it was declined. Child support services here had impounded his funds. My son did get an emergency court hearing and within a week the money was returned to his account. Of course he had to take time off work the day the money disappeared to go to the courthouse to fill out papers to appear and then the day of court. That doesn’t help someone who is already struggling as a single parent in this economy. But at least it was resolved…he thought.

President Obama ordered a $250.00 payment for those receiving veteran’s benefits. However, though regular benefits cannot be impounded, the stimulus payments were fair game for government agencies. Instead of a check he received a notice saying that his payment went to the Child support division who promptly sent it to his children’s mother living alone in Wisconsin! Amazing right???? Not as much as the fact that he was told by the agency that he would likely not be able to get his money back. So…He went back to court. He was scheduled for a date for a compliance and visitation review anyway...one that the mother did not attend. When my son told the judge what happend with his check he was flabbergasted and kept asking the attorney representing the county. "Did your agency really do that?" The representative replied “Well, yes but let me explain...”

The judge was buying none of it and also told the very expensive attorney representing the mother that he wanted that money returned by the mother before the next court date. He told the attorney for the County…that this situation with the child support would be fixed…immediately. No excuses...

Keep in mind my son who is already struggling not only keeps getting money taken but has to take time off to fix it. He can’t afford an attorney but they keep taking money to give to someone who not only does not have the minor children but lives 2000 miles away but who has access to a very prestigious and expensive attorney here in San Diego.

Fast forward several weeks later…a money order from the children’s mother finally arrives for his $250.00. He was very grateful since his son has cerebral palsy and needed a new brace. That was two days ago. This morning he goes to pay his rent and the payment is declined because…. It’s beyond my conception of reality but at this point no one should be surprised… The county took $1200 dollars out of his account…again.

So after he called me let me know this latest debacle he’s off to court to try to see the judge so he can get his money to pay his rent. You know…for the place he pays for so his children don’t have to live on the streets. The children the welfare department is so concerned about that they keep taking money to pay for their support…from the person who is supporting them.

Anyone who does not see that the government has been allowed to manipulate and control so much of our economy…our lives…our bank accounts that it is starting to jeopardize our freedom is not paying attention to what is going on around them.

Our taxes are overwhelming…we keep less and less of our income. (Those of us who are still employed) And the government has access to our bank accounts and can take our money at their discretion. Isn’t their something wrong with that? What happened to a free nation and the government President Lincoln mentions in his address?

"that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Well first of all our legislators are denying that we are a nation under God and we are fast becoming a people directed by the government for the government with no concern for the people that they are there to serve. Instead of the people in power serving us…we are catering to them…paying their outlandish salaries and serving their special interests.

At the rate we are going it won’t be long until we are all in bread lines. And will be praying that the pittance that the government allows us to be paid from the jobs they control and allow us to keep, at their discretion shows up and is not removed for our bank accounts. Oh right…we won’t need bank accounts. They will keep it all for us and when we want something we’ll just lean forward so they can swipe our forehead. Just wait…you’ll see…it’s going to happen!