The fountain of youth, can you guess what it is?

 

I have a friend who recently sent me this picture. He jokingly told me how the long runs are making me younger. Although he was joking, I couldn't help but look at myself and think to myself how much better I feel these days. This picture was taken on Halloween about 4 years ago, and at the time I did not consider myself as an unhealthy individual. However, now I look back and think how I feel so much better since I decided to make the commitment to live a healthier lifestyle. The sad thing about this photo is the fact that I gained 40 pounds
over the next year. It is a painful memory when I look back and realize how self conscious I was about my body. I never wanted to go swimming, or participate in activities that required my body to be exposed in any way. I am not saying that those who are over weight cannot enjoy life, but being overweight will sure slow down people when they know they have a large amount of body fat on themselves. I am not talking about those who only have a couple extra pounds. I am talking about those who carry around 20 or more extra pounds of fat.

As a child I never had problems taking my shirt off to jump in the pool. I feel bad today when I see kids in elementary school who are embarrassed by their weight. It is really sad, and in some ways it is robbing them of their child hood. It is true that they shouldn’t let this stop them from having fun, but you have to be honest about the situation. It is at times easy for adults to overlook these types of things, when they themselves are just as embarrassed about their bodies as their kids are. The best thing to do is to change the cycle now. Don’t look to some stupid fad diet as your solution! Just start by taking small steps. Try to not eat fast food so much! I am now to a point that I can hardly stomach fast food without feeling sick. Start exercising, even if it is just a walk around the block or around the house for 30 minutes. As parents I think it is our responsibility to teach our children discipline when it comes to eating, but the best way to do this is by example! Good Luck!!