Check In

Tonight, for the heck of it, I decided to take the Great American Health Check. I took that quiz in a recent post to see whether or not I was healthy, but this one actually shows the different areas to assess your cancer risk.

To be honest, it kind of scared me.

I know I've written this before, I people generally know what it takes to be healthy. We know we should get five servings of fruits and veggies. We know we should choose whole grain wheats and pastas. We know we should get 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week.

So why don't we?

I keep asking myself - why all the excuses? One of the questions on the Health Check was what you do in your free time. I marked play on the computer. In a given day, I wouldn't be surprised if I waste a few good hours. But because I'm at a computer trying to get myself to do homework, I act like it's okay that I'm doing that instead of working out. It's a terrible thing to be doing, and yet I do it constantly.

I used to always think dieting was about will power. Yes, that's part of it. But I think a major part is accepting that you have the power to embark on a healthy lifestyles. It's not about eating healthy 24/7 and never making a mistake. Slip-ups are okay. It's what you do about them. It seems to be about your general attitude and approach to health. If my sole goal is to drop 30 pounds to fit into a cute pair of jeans, which mine has been in the past, then of course it's not going to work.

At this point in my life, it needs to be about getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's not a diet anymore. It's not about a number on the scale or a certain size of jeans. It's about my health. Think about all the things your health can impact. There's such a huge link between lifestyle choices and cancer and heart disease and diabetes and so on. I don't know why I act like it's not a big deal. It's a huge deal. But like most things, I put it off.

Right now, it's time to stop putting it off. It's time to take responsibility for my life and start making healthier food choices - even if it's opting for fruit over bacon at breakfast. The small things can add up. It's about taking it one step at a time. I can do it. You can do it. We just have to remind ourselves that we're in it for the long haul and the benefits are incredible.

We can do this.