A few weeks back I was watching a Mets' game on FOX, and their in-game guest was LaTroy Hawkins, a journeyman reliever whose managed to stay healthy most of his career.
One question the announcers posed was "How have you stayed in such great shape all of these years?" Hawkins compared his body to a car, saying that you wouldn't put the wrong type of gas in a car if it's not designed for it. The difference between a car and a body, he said, was that cars can be replaced.
You only get one body.
That really stuck with me. During this health quest I am on, the biggest hurdles have come with food choices. I figure, if eating healthy was easy, there would be no obesity in the world. But it's not. Even when I lost 90 pounds, every day was tough.
An example? I've been doing well for the past few days, but my sister's baby shower is looming on Saturday. What does that mean? There will be catered food, and plenty of options that will be tough to say no to.
What am I going to do? My plan is set. Choose wisely, and get one plate. Don't go back for seconds. Lay off the soda, and drink water, and make sure to do something active earlier in the day. That won't be difficult, seeing as we'll be moving furniture for my sister's new house in the morning.
In terms of food, eating healthy is expensive, but I think utilizing spices keeps things fresh. The worst thing for me is bored eating, because when I am sick of something, it tempts me more to head back to a bad choice.
My friends at Xceleration in Deer Park confirmed to me that the food choice is the biggest part. Sure, you can work out and build strength, but a healthy diet goes a long way in achieving long-term goals.
Bottom line? Thanks to LaTroy Hawkins for the tip, as I will remember that forever.
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