So we are now almost half way through February. Winter is almost all over and we’re thinking about spring and the warmer weather. Many of you are thinking about going south in March. Those of you heading south are probably doing well with the healthy eating and exercise. I’m not saying you’re necessarily enjoying it, but the thought of being in a bathing suit is enough to keep you from any sugary snack. However most of you are hitting that plateau and considering giving up!

For god sakes don’t give up!! This is when it all counts. You’ve been doing so well for almost two months. Your digestive system is thrilled and your body on the inside is thanking you. If you have made good lifestyle changes, then you have had some weight loss. More importantly, that loss has come from your body fat. I’m sure you have worked some exercise into the schedule and for that you have been rewarded with some new lean muscle and a more effective metabolism. This has added a few years to your life and started to lower many of those levels your doctor told you to work on (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose etc). Your resting heart rate is now a bit lower and things are working a bit easier on the inside of that machine! All is looking amazing!

Then out of nowhere comes that damn devil on your other shoulder that starts to ask why the hell are you doing all of this? Come on you want that bag of chips, grab that can of soda! Don’t listen to that angel looking dude on your other shoulder, what does he know? Well that dude knows how your body really works! He/she knows that all of that crap that you want to eat does two things. First, it starts to break down that amazing machine that is designed to work efficiently for over 100 years and it makes a bunch of people rich!! Who, you ask? All the people in upper management at the companies that manufacture all of that crap! They don’t eat what they make because they want to live longer to enjoy the money you’re giving them!!!

Since we are on the subject of money let’s talk about that gym membership. You joined up in January and this time you said you will keep going. No matter what, you will make time in the day to get to that damn place. You will walk in the doors where there are many just like you and also regulars that can’t wait until February when most of you give up and it stops being busy!! That’s right ,many people that start in January will be done before March. Do you know how much money this makes fitness centres? Part of their budget is based on how many people will join only to give up and keep paying. They decide that they don’t need a bigger gym as 1,000’s will join and only 100’s will come regularly. What a great money maker! Each and every year they can bank on this happening, and I mean BANK on it. What if people stuck with it? What if the majority said I am not going to give up! My body is worth the work and the energy. I feel so much better after working out then sitting on my ass after work and watching Dr Oz tell me to do this.

I’ll tell you what would happen if people stuck with it. The obesity rate would drop! Childhood obesity would drop because we now teach our kids how to eat and be active. Taxes would go down because all the money going to the budget to cover medical expenses for preventative diseases would plummet. Grocery stores would carry more real food and less processed. More people eating healthy creates a demand for more farmers. This will create jobs and lower the price of healthy foods.  I think you get the idea! I love how this sounds. People living longer, and enjoying their age not giving into it. Who says you can’t look 30 at 50!! You’re only as old as you feel.

FOR GOD SAKES, THIS YEAR, DON’T GIVE UP!