The Process of Becoming Healthy - (By: John D Zelem, MD)
I
am a General Surgeon with a passion for Health and Wellness. The number one
New Years Resolution has to do with Health, Exercise, and Diet. We all feel
that it is the best time to start for the first time or again. The percentage
of people that make it through the whole year is disappointingly small and
here is why I believe it happens. As I watch what is going on in the media
I am beginning to believe that we are becoming a “credit card”
society. What I mean by that is we get what we want now and are willing to
pay for it later, immediate gratification. That does not work with our health.
The media also suggests to us that we can lose large amounts of weight or
get a “six-pack” abdomen in a six-eight week time frame. That is
impossible in all but extreme situations. We take these kinds of external
influences into consideration when it comes to our health and look for those
“immediate” results. Becoming “Healthy” is not an overnight
miracle; It is a process just like learning how to walk is a process. You
could not cheat that process or find any shortcuts. You cannot take a seed
and grow it to harvest in three days. You cannot change or cheat the
“Process” of nature.
As you read this article you are either becoming healthy or unhealthy. You cannot stand still. It is just like if you were standing on a staircase; you either go up or down, but cannot stand on the same step forever. The question becomes “Do you want to get Healthy?” You, first of all, need to know your reasons for getting healthy. Some of us just need to look at our medical history and there are a plethora of reasons there. We, as a nation, are beginning to lead the world in obesity and diabetes. Becoming healthy can reverse many of these trends. Once you know your reasons, you need to make some commitments to your cause. We, as human beings, are good at making commitments, but, for the majority, do very poorly in carrying them out. Just look at “New Years Resolutions.” We also tend to react to crisis faster than the subtle hints that we get everyday. We decide to improve our health after the heart attack instead of doing things to help prevent it.
There are two phrases to keep in mind as you consider the content of this Letter. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing everyday expecting different results.” We all are guilty of that in all aspects of our lives, not just our health. We feel that we can change our results with our old habits and actions but if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. The other phrase is: “If you want to make some changes in your life, you have to make some changes in your life.” Change is often uncomfortable because we are so secure in our comfort zones, but change is good. It is part of the “process”. We will not make these changes that we need to make to improve our health and lives if the reasons for doing so are not important enough.
So with
all of this as background, how does one get started? Stated very simply,
take the first step: make the decision to start the journey. Every journey
begins with the first step. Make some commitments; develop new habits. You
do that every day of your life for your job or profession because you want
the result at the end of the week, a paycheck. What about another result?
Your good health.
One caution: Don’t do it alone. Find yourself a mentor, someone who has done what you want to do and is very successful at it. In the area of health it may be your doctor, a personal trainer, a nutritionist, etc. Find someone with the fruit on the tree and follow their direction and advice. You will pay a golf pro to improve your game. Find a pro in your health. Finally, set some goals and go after them. Let your mentor guide you in the process initially.
Remember this: Becoming healthy is a process, which must be an ongoing journey. Learn to enjoy the journey for, believe it or not, the success of achieving these goals is not in attaining them, it is the “process” of becoming who or what you need to become while you are doing it.
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