To Your Health

It's January, which means the ads on TV are all about weight loss and physical fitness.  Many of them are selling some new plan or some miracle diet -- eat the way we tell you, and you'll look and feel the way you've always wanted.  Or, even more excitingly, pop this pill and the fat will melt away.

I'm very skeptical of short cuts.  The reason we have health and obesity issues in this country is because, in our culture, being and staying healthy is very difficult for many people; if the solution was easy, the problem wouldn't be persistent.

But just because something isn't easy doesn't mean it isn't simple.  Any good weight loss plan is built around burning more calories than you consume.  What's the best way to accomplish this?

The Hungerford Games thinks that running can be a HUGE part of your path toward a healthy life.  We don't promise that it's easy -- but it is simple.  Put on your shoes, get out the door (in that order), and put in the miles -- and you'll see the results.

I've been following a couple of great health-related running stories on some other blogs.  Check out Sweet Victory to read up on the adventures of an ultramarathon runner who's overcoming diabetes.  Or, read Katie's story of losing 125 pounds, in large part by running and exercising more, at Runs for Cookies.

Why is running (or, more generally, exercise) so important to weight loss and health?  I think in large part it's because it's always always easier to will yourself to say yes than to say no.  When you're struggling to say yes, time is on your side.  This morning, the alarm went off at 6:20.  It's my last day of Christmas vacation, and I decided NOT to get up and go for a run.  I wrestled with that idea for a while, but made the same decision at 6:21, and 6:22, and 6:23, until finally, at 6:29, I made the right choice.  I was about of bed and getting dressed.  I said "no" nine times and "yes" once -- and here I am writing about it, just before getting out on the roads.  All it took was one good decision.

If I had a plate of cupcakes in front of me, and I made nine bad decisions and one good one, I'd eat nine cupcakes and have a terrible stomach ache.  It's the same with anything you're trying to consistently resist; it only takes one indiscretion and you suffer the negative consequences.  When you're trying to do something right, it very often requires crossing just one Rubicon, and then you can reap the benefits.

So, if living a healthier life is on your agenda, set your mind on getting started.  In September, we hope to see you on the Starting Line!