It's Time For A Change - Leaving SparkPeople

I've been an active Spark People user for nearly three years, and it's been an amazing experience. I have connected with a powerful and supportive community, made real changes in my life, and become a happier, healthier person. But, for reasons personal and private, I have decided that my time here has come to an end.

I will always have a special place in my heart for my time here. The tools and lessons learned here have truly changed my life, and I am grateful to SparkGuy for helping me become the person I always knew I could be.

I don't know exactly where I am going from here. There are many different health and fitness sites, and I'm not sure which one is the best match for me at this point in my journey. But the one thing that will remain the same is that I will continue to blog here.

I've changed a lot in three years. I have gone from this overweight, unhappy guy to a man open to all the adventures life has in store for me.

And there's still a world of fun just waiting for me!

So, thanks to all my Spark Friends for your amazing support. Hopefully, I'll see you around on my blog, on Facebook, or wherever I land next!

Action 116 - Be Overwhelmed.

I write. I blog. I post. And people respond. And I appreciate it. I like know to that something that meant enough to me to write also meant enough to someone else to take the time to give me feedback. Sometimes, though, what I write resonates with many different people, and their responses are unbelievably passionate and heartfelt.

Action 116 - Be Overwhelmed. Today, I am. Completely. I posted a blog called "Give It Time" yesterday, and I talked about my dark hours, how they had passed, and my faith that no single dark time is more powerful than I am. And people responded.

On SparkPeople.com, my health and fitness site, the responses are literally pouring in. As of this writing, there are more than 100, and they just keep coming. And the responses are so powerful, so personal, they bring me to tears. One person wrote, "I wish my son would have lived to read this."

I cannot say this enough, to myself and to everyone else who needs to hear it. You matter. You are important. And you are loved by family and friends and complete strangers that are destined to meet you later in your life. For yourself, for them, hang on. Fight back. Dig deep and find the strength to go on. Because your life is so much greater than any single bad thing or tough moment you will go through.

I know. I was there. And I am proof that life is worth living. And when you look back on your own life, you will see that you are proof, too.

Action 016 - Learn From The Best.

It's a long way from couch potato to marathon runner. And along the way, there are so many things to learn. How to eat, when to train, where to run, ways to work out... it can be overwhelming. All that information can cause analysis paralysis, where I get stuck over-thinking and never actually start doing.

Thus, Action 016 - Learn From The Best. Why should I try to reinvent the wheel? I just need to look around and follow the lead of the successful people I know. With access to SparkPeople.com, I have every bit of information I could possibly need to improve my physical health. And many of my Spark Buddies each provide amazing examples of specific, focused training and routines. Whether it's weight training or intervals or distance running, experts and experienced athletes are right there to assist me.

You might ask, "SparkPeople? Really? These are the best?" And to that, I say, absolutely. These people may not be elite world athletes, but they are the best when it comes to providing real-world information that I can use. They know what it's like to start where I have started, to dream big, and to work day-by-day to get there. That is why they are truly the best for me.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFVnVuTcz9I&w=420&h=315]

(And what to learn from the sad passing of Whitney Houston? That no amount of fame or fortune can save someone who won't work to save herself. I refuse to be that person. I will fight with every breath I have for myself and my own health, because I truly believe I am worth it.)

Struggling with the blues?

I was just now reading another Spark member's blog entry about a funk she was in, and I thought I would post a quick reply to encourage her. Instead, my quick reply became a rather long-winded post of its own. So, I'm posting an edited version of it here on my own SP blog. It's as much a reminder to me as it is advice for someone else. 


So you're in a bad mood. You know, the sort of mood where everything makes you mad. When it seems as if everyone in the world is going out of their way to make sure your day is as bad as it can possibly be. And yes, you are in such a funk that you feel as if a dark cloud is following you and the sun may never shine again. 

When I hit that sort of funk, there is one thing I can always do to snap me right out of it. I take a few minutes to sit down and write something positive and encouraging to someone in my life that I know is struggling. Maybe it's something serious, like an illness, or maybe it's something minor, like a quarrel with another friend or a bad day at work. Whatever they are going through, I find that my writing a note to help lift them up helps me put my own problems into perspective. 

There is no shortage of sorrow and struggle out there. So many people I know are going through a rough time of one kind or another. And if my little note is a bright spot in their day, and writing it helps me adjust my own attitude, then we both come out winners. 

So go ahead, let that bad mood find you. And you can even wallow in it for a bit if you think that's what you need to do. But before you let it swallow you up, take a look around you. Odds are, you have friends or family that are struggling just as much, if not more. And it's completely within your power to give them a bright spot in their otherwise painful day. 

So, what's going to be? Burn another hour of your day with a pity party or make a difference for someone else? It's your decision. 

How could I forget to mention...

... the incredible support from Spark People? It's an amazing and integral part of my motivation. Thanks, LightAfternoon, for reminding me with your immediate comment that there are so many wonderful people here just waiting to encourage and support me. 

If you aren't a member of a Spark Team, find one. Find two. Find a dozen. The more people you connect with here, the more you will find yourself motivated and inspired to continue on your journey. 

And remember, this isn't about a quick diet and some lost pounds. This is about becoming the whole person you always wanted to be (but perhaps, were afraid to wish for). 

Two Weeks In

I've been working my program for two weeks now and I've already managed to drop seven pounds (but my goal is only one pound per week). More than that, I'm so much more aware of what I am eating. Heck, that alone makes a huge difference. Instead of a fast food lunch and dinner, I'm enjoying a healthy lunch (Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc), fresh fruit through the day, a delicious and still healthy dinner plus a serving of fat-free yogurt in the evening if I have a sweet tooth. 

And I'm moving my body, too. I'm at the gym 4-5 mornings before work, which means I have far more energy and "zip" throughout the day. 

I'm just beginning. But I'm already feeling better. And really, what other motivation to continue could I ask for? 

SDJ 

The Voice Rises

My tasks are simple. 

• Get to the gym. 
• Eat healthy. 
• Repeat. 

It isn't complex and it certainly isn't something I can't do. I mean, it's an hour of cardio, not an Iron Man. The physical is not the struggle. 

It's mental. It's the old tapes that play in my head telling me I'm a quitter. It's the years of self-doubt and the voices of criticism and the sometimes overwhelming feeling of inadequacy that threaten my success. 

But slowly, defiantly, a new voice calls to me over the din of negativity. It's my own voice telling me that I can do this. And each day that I choose healthier eating over junk food, the voice rises. And each day that I get myself up before dawn and go the gym, the voice rises. And now, in moments of introspection, when I look at myself and my life objectively and realize that I am strong and I am determined and I am in charge of my own life, the voice rises. 

I'll stumble. I'll struggle. And I may even fall. But I will not stay down. Like the voice that encourages me, I will rise. 

A new year, a new me.

I'm 43 years old as of yesterday. I am blessed with a great life, a wonderful husband, and fantastic friends. So why am I not doing everything I can to extend that life? 

Small steps. Consistent choices. Patience. Those are my tools right now. 

I can do this.