The Disconnect

It's always a challenge to do the things we know we need to do, and there is often a real disconnect between the two.  It doesn't matter who we are or what we do - the challenge is there.  I read an article on the internet yesterday that brought this truth home once again, only this time the person with the disconnect was our President.

"Just two days after his doctor warned him about watching his diet due to borderline cholesterol levels, President Obama chowed down at a local restaurant in Savannah, Georgia where he piled his plate with fried chicken and mashed potatoes.  He jokingly warned the reporters, "Don't tell Michelle."

Yep, even the President struggles to eat the way he knows he should!  I thought it was interesting that his concern, albeit it joking, was that nobody told his wife.  Apparently he was more concerned with her reaction than with the fact that he was making choices that were contrary to the advice of his physician, choices that, if continued, would not move him in the direction he needs to go.

So why do we do this?  Why do we do exactly the opposite of what we know we need to do?  I think it's because what we do today really doesn't matter today.  If we make healthy choices today, those choices won't necessarily be reflected on the scale tomorrow.  If we make less-than-healthy choices today, the consequences may not show up for months or even years.  We are wired to expect immediate results and when we don't, when the results (or consequences) take time, it's easy to revert to following our impulses.

Because the consequences don't happen immediately, it's easy to think "I'll do better tomorrow."  I think that's why we eat mashed potatoes and fried chicken when we've been warned to change our diet - we figure that "just once" won't hurt.

The problem, of course, is that one day leads to another and before we know it months and years of unhealthy eating finally catch up with us.  Some of you made the decision to start on this program because of a health crisis in your own life, or because you are fearful that you are teetering on the edge of a health crisis.  Others are on the program because you are determined to turn things around before your health suffers. 

The choices we make today matter, and every day that we make the choices we need to make is another day closer to getting what we really want - a healthier us. 

Choose wisely :-)