First Steps

There comes a point in a person’s life in which they realize that changes need to be made, and that they are the only person that is going to make them. That point for me was June 4, 2012.  For some time I had been telling myself that I would go to the gym, that I would get in shape, that I would get healthier. I kept telling myself that I would stop eating entire boxes of cookies, that I would eat more fruits and vegetables. I felt my shirts and suits fitting more snugly, I noticed my belly protruding more than usual. Tomorrow I kept telling myself. Tomorrow I’ll do it.

Then I saw a Nike billboard with a very timely message:

YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW

It hit me. Hard. It was true. I had said tomorrow for enough yesterdays to fill several years. The last straw was when I saw one of my college classmates, Laurelle Martineau, on Facebook. She’s a professional bodybuilder. She’s doing it. Why can’t I? I thought to myself. Why can’t I?

Then I realized that I can. I just need to do it.

For the past week I’ve refrained from eating cookies (and pretty much all sweets). I’ve been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables than before, and cutting bad fat while seeking out good fat. I’ve started taking Zumba and yoga classes. I joined a basketball small group at my church, and we’ve played the past two weekends. I’ve also started going to the gym more regularly, but instead of just going to the gym, I’ve become more productive at the gym. I’m exercising to get results, not just to say I went to the gym.

My goal is to reach my physical peak. I want to be in the best shape possible. I want to be playing sports until I’m elderly, and I want to stay in shape until God decides to take me from this Earth.

There must be other people out there with a similar story, or who have similar goals. So many of us say tomorrow, but so few of us act today. I plan to share my experiences in the hope that someone else will realize that tomorrow is today.