What have I gotten myself into? It's a question that bears repeating, but hopefully has one absolute answer, and truth: a better lifestyle. On a whim, I agreed to run in our local mini marathon next May. My thought process was, 'I'm not a runner; a lot of people aren't. It's probably a once in a life's time thing, so why not?' Then reality set in. If I'm committed to this, truly committed, it's not going to happen in this current place in my life. Change is a must; to survive, if nothing else. Then I stumbled across the 24 Day Challenge.
AdvoCare is something I'd heard about in passing, but never really given much thought. Then, I noticed friends promoting the product and benefits, more celebrity endorsements, and prominent ads. I started paying a little closer attention, and when a friend of my wife's approached us and asked about the challenge, the timing was perfect to say, or ask again, 'Why not?' If nothing else, it's 3 1/2 weeks and I can bail at the end, creating some new Swiss ailment to befall me, and gracefully bow out of the race. But that didn't happen. Not yet, anyway.
I'm in day three of my 24 day challenge, and I'm losing weight; and feeling better. It's not easy by any stretch. In fact, it sucks. I'm learning an entirely new way to care for my body, or, to simply care for my body, and it's h-a-r-d. Foods I'm "forced" to eat are healthy and smaller in portions, the drinks vary widely in degrees of tolerance, and volume. The last time I even saw water was in the shower, and that's been days ago. I mean, I haven't drank this much since, well...it's been a long time. Talk about a total body makeover. I can literally feel the changes in my body as they are happening. My synapses are popping and my body is screaming, 'What are you going to do with me now?'
I have two short term goals for success in this program, with accompanying, concise mottos: a) to earn the $100 prize at the end for greatest percentage of weight loss, or "$4.17 a day", and b) to use this as a viable stepping stone for the race, or "13.1". More importantly than those trivial pursuits, is a long range goal of the utmost importance: to be here for my family for a very long time, with the most sincere apologies to my wife.
My plan is to update the journey, in journal form, at seven days, two weeks and at the end. These seem to be the most significant milestones to me, and good indicators of where I'm headed, going forward. It's going to be a struggle, but one in which I am firmly entrenched. Once I set my mind to a project, especially a life altering project, I'm all in. These physical changes will be the launch of what I anticipate being meaningful changes personally, socially and professionally, as well. I will stop dangerously short of declaring a resolution, but what I can tell you, definitively, is that 2014 will be a positive turning point for me and my family.
$4.17 a day, 13.1,
Scott
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