Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been about a week since my last blog post.

The Bruins have won tonight, after another impressive Sox win earlier today, so now I can focus on my thoughts for a bit! There have been a few things on my mind since last week:

1) My family is amazing! We drove to Delaware Friday night for my Tante Margot's 80th birthday. And, despite my fears about surprising an 80 year old lady, everything turned out great! Of the 8 first cousins on that side of my family, 5 of us were there, and they all are fantastic people! I was lucky enough to see most everyone at one point or another last summer, but since that time, I have probably dropped another 60 lbs. or so. So I was prepared for the barrage of comments about how I look, and boy did they ever come! But surprisingly, I really didn't mind. There was such a gentle and caring feel about the comments. For example, my aunt (the birthday girl) actually had tears in her eyes and touched my face, telling me that for the first time, she could see how strongly I resembled my grandfather (her father), who was killed in Russia during World War 2. I can't tell you how many heartfelt and private conversations I had with different cousins, aunts and uncles, all saying how worried they were for me, and how thrilled they are for me! Considering that these people have known me for all of my life, I know how lucky I am! Many extended families are not so supportive. I am surrounded by so many wonderful and caring people. We have a week-long family reunion planned for this summer- I can't wait!

 

2) As we were driving back from Delaware yesterday, I noticed a billboard advertisement in Bridgeport, CT, that was paid for by the Catholic Church. It invited people to come back to church and go to confession. I have also noticed the Catholic Church's recent TV ad blitz inviting people to go back to church. While the purpose of this post is not to criticize the Catholic Church (although I did make a point to remind my wife that when she drops our family's money into the collection plate, it pays for those ads, among other unsavory things), I couldn't help but think of the power of an advertisement, especially where it relates to obesity in America.




Now, I am a believer in the right of freedom for companies to advertise in general. However, as the advertisements are becoming more sophisticated and targeted, there seems to be a line where the government needs to step in for the protection of people, especially children. Please know that when I say that, I am not abdicating my responsibilities as a parent. Quite the opposite, in fact. I take the time daily to educate my kids on ways to live a healthy life. I am certainly not perfect, but I believe in living by example. My kids have seen that I have lost over 170 lbs, and eat a very different diet. My family will now often choose Greek yogurt with berries and granola as a snack. My family will often choose to come exercise with me at the track. Not that they always do- they don't have to. But at least they know the difference between what is healthy and unhealthy.

Not all kids have it so easy. My sixth grade students come from such a huge disparity of backgrounds, and many of them come from homes that believe that a Big Mac is health food because there is lettuce on it. Seriously. What chance does a kid coming from that background have for a healthy life? Sure, I would love to teach those things at school, but we have neither the time nor funding for appropriate health education. The focus the past several years is on literacy and math skills, with all else taking a back seat. But if the schools don't educate the kids, and the parents don't educate the kids, where will they learn? You guessed it, from sources like TV and the Internet. And as we speak, sugared cereals are passing themselves off as health foods because they are made from whole grains. Ugh! And also as we speak, the obesity epidemic is spiraling health care costs through the roof, to the point where we are collapsing the system! We know better as a society, yet collectively we choose to do the wrong things... for cost, for convenience, for taste perhaps. It is just frustrating. I hope to write more on this topic soon.

3) Today was the Boston Marathon. I was in Boston, and watched these dedicated runners flow by, conquering the huge feat of 26.2 miles! Congrats to all of them!

I have been back on the track for the past couple of weeks. While I have no intentions of running a full marathon at any point in the near future (despite what my kids might tell you), I would like to give a 5K race a try in the near future. Tonight, I went 2.25 miles, and ran all but .25 miles. I hope to be running the full 3.1 miles that is involved in the 5K race within a couple of weeks! Maybe in May I can actually run my first race!

My motivation for running is mainly one of living healthier, but also I need to admit that there is a pride factor. That is the one reason that there might be a glimmer of hope with me running a marathon in the next few years. It would go down as one of those unbelievable events, that a guy who was my size just a year ago, could transform his life to the extent that he can now run a marathon... probably won't actually happen, but the thought of running through Kenmore Square entering the last mile of the race does give me goose bumps.

For now, I just want to keep moving whenever I get the chance. I get to check in with Janet, a wonderful exercise physiologist with the Weight Center at UMass, once a month. I have been meeting with Janet periodically for almost 2 years now, and she has taught me so many positive habits about exercise. I have regularly found her to be one of the most important factors as to why I am successful with my weight loss, and more importantly, why I will remain successful! I owe her more than I could ever express in words here- she is amazing!

My wife Kathleen and my friend Meri have also been huge supports for me with the exercise component to my weight loss. I appreciate all the encouragement I have received. However, in the end, when I am on the track alone, and nobody is watching, it all comes down to me. It all comes down to my willingness to go that extra lap when nobody else is watching. It all comes down to my commitment to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. It all comes down to being a more active participant in the lives of my family members!