The view from off of the wagon (Guest Post from Cliff)

"This is too hard."  

"There is no way to keep this up."

fall off the wagon definition. to resume drinking after having stopped. (The wagonis presumed to be the water wagon.) : It looks to me like he wanted nothing more than to fall off the wagon.

Is getting healthy a destination or a journey?

I think for most people, they view it as a destination.  Think about all the infomercials (which I love, by the way) showing folks sleek, tanned, happy and outrageously fit after only 90 days, or 6 weeks or whatever.  They have arrived, and will never have to worry about being the fat, slovenly self they were just a few short weeks ago in their non airbrushed before pictures.   

Look at The Biggest Loser contestants.  Half of them lose weight (the other half get voted off before losing anything) and they instantly start declaring that they will never go back to their old, fat, slovenly non airbrushed selves again.  

And how many stick to it?  

Judging by the fact Biggest Loser only had one reunion/Where Are They Now show in 16 seasons, I'm guessing not many.  

Getting Healthy can only be a destination if your story ends right afterwards.  Which in real life, doesn't happen.  (Unless a funeral is involved.  And then, how healthy were you, really?)  

So, a journey then.  

And a journey can take twists and turns, ups and downs.  

Before Denise and I have seen fitness as a destination.  Or at least, as a 100% in or out equation.  

(reference our two previous blogs about getting healthy, especially the Vegan one)  

And I think this is what keeps most people from reaching their destination.  uh, their goal.  You make huge claims, big goals, major commitments.  Then you slip up, make some decisions and you eat __(insert crappy food here)_.  

That means it's time to quit, right?  Give up, because it's too hard.  No one can keep this up for ever.  

Because if you can't be 100%, why try?  

Sit back and think about that for a minute.  Is that logical?  

There are things in life that require 110% commitment.  Marriage, parenthood, college football, God. 

And surely, the Incredible Health we are seeking after does require commitment.  

But if it's a journey, then we are going to have ups and downs.   

And slip ups.  

So, yeah.  Recently I've made a bunch of less than stellar culinary choices.  

And that leads to another choice.  Whether to quit or keep going.  

Quitting leads back to more miserable food choices, gaining weight, lethargy and for me- a near future with diabetes pills.  

OK, quitting bad.  

How do we go forward?  We take a look at why we are making bad choices, figure out what we can do better next time, or what needs addressing.  

And then we do better next time.  

And, maybe, the time after that.  But the important thing is to keep going, keep learning.  

It's a journey.