What Are You Waiting For?

What are you waiting for?  That question has been burning in my heart for the past several days.  A friend of mine told me a story a few days ago and this question has been rattling around in my brain ever since.

She has an obese, diabetic friend who she's talked to several times about the Take Shape for Life program.  She knows the program well and explained to him the difference it would make for his diabetes.  She didn't press him to start because she understood that everyone has to be ready, and he wasn't ready.  She shared with him how, after her own heart attack and stroke, she went on this program and not only lost weight but also improved her health to the point that she's no longer on any medications.  But he wasn't ready.  Just three months ago, in April, she ran into her friend and he told her that he thought he was thinking more about maybe starting the program, but wasn't quite ready.  Unfortunately, just a few weeks later he went into a diabetic coma and died - at age 56.

I didn't know this individual and I have no idea why he wasn't ready to start the program, but I'm going to speculate, because I'm guessing one or more of his reasons are the same reasons I hear over and over again:  too busy right now, or social event/vacation is around the corner, or I feel OK so I must be OK, or it's summer and I want to eat fruit, or I can't give up my {fill in the blank}, or or or or ???? 

I know that many of you reading this have made the decision to get healthy and you are refusing to allow anything to get in your way - good for you!  Today's blog is lovingly for - and I do mean "lovingly" - those who think that "today's just not a good day to do this" and who assume that there will always be a more convenient tomorrow.  So did this gentleman.  He died WAY too early, and the tragic reality is that his death was 100% avoidable.

Why do we allow so many other things, so many less important things, keep us from doing something as important as taking care of ourselves?  I've known individuals who desperately needed to lose weight who decided not to continue on the program because they eat out all the time and didn't want to limit their menu selections to lean and green options.  Others who hesitate to start because they are convinced that their family "wouldn't like it" if they prepared lean and green meals instead of the family favorites.  So many people want to lose weight, but they want to do it on their own terms, in their own way.  The problem is that our way flat-out doesn't work - if it did, we wouldn't be here :-).

The reality is that tomorrow won't be more convenient.  Tomorrow will have it's own list of excuses why we "can't" do this.  Gambling on our health is high-stakes gambling - why risk it?

If you aren't on plan today, what are you waiting for?  What on earth is more important in today's schedule than taking care of yourself?  The choices we make today are important - to us and the people we love.  Choose wisely :-)