I got a very interesting mail from a reader recently who has taken the first step of weight loss. A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Imelda’s single significant step is to make the decision to lose weight so that she could be healthy for her children. I have convinced Imelda to chart her journey on this blog for everyone to follow.

Here is Imelda’s first Posting.

I often think – It’s certainly not a lack of information that is the reason behind the escalating levels of obesity, mostly in developing countries. It also certainly isn’t due to the lack of facilities and resources targeted at helping people lose weight – from fitness centres to special classes to exercising equipments, slimming boutiques, detox solutions, and the list really does go on.

It has occurred to me that its not even ignorance or denial that holds one back from taking the plunge or the challenge. Most of us, some of us, are pretty ‘gifted with the vision’ to see what is reflected back to us!

The simple truth, and I emphasize simple because the truth is indeed not all that complex – the truth usually is rather simple.  Except for the occasional nag and whining about not being able to look as good (physically I mean) as we actually can if we took the extra effort, the rest of our lives, is actually quite fulfilling.

So, it’s the self limiting prophecy that’s working against us.

Is that good? Why not? At a time when humans are longing for contentment and satisfaction, there are those of us who find this slightly longer than momentary flashes. I think Oprah has this same dilemma as well – her life has been so fulfilling to her and the world around us, that the adequacy has led her to procrastinate consistently on her weight loss goals.

Is this bad? I guess… errr… I think so.. perhaps because we could be healthier, fitter, and look forward to more years with and for our loved ones. Heard this one before a million times over! Now, I must agree, I see the full rationale of this.. but somehow still doesn’t compel me enough to make the move. I wonder why? Maybe, its because, I know life is a transient journey, temporal and fleeting, and I could be in the best of health or work towards it, and yet at the end of the day, my journey could end in a snap of a finger due to a host of other  circumstances – no need to be descriptively morbid here I’m sure – you get the point?

All that said, I’m getting on the Metablitz program in a week’s time, yes you heard right! And when I think about what has finally made me go this path after all that philosophy and internalizing contemplation, I think the reason is as simple as this – to prove to my 8 year old precious daughter and just recently turned 1 year old prince of a son, that I am doing what I can within my limited power to be by their sides for as long as I possibly can, so at least when I hear them say “mum, you promised you’ll always be with me’, I know and they’ll know, that at the least I tried. Ok, a lit too deep? Ya!

To drive home the point while we’re at it – A few weeks ago, I asked my ‘too wise 8 year old baby girl why she didn’t want to attend a school camp for 2 nights away from home, and she said “because I can never leave you mum”. I know of course, that one day she will grow up  and do exactly that, but I think what she meant is that she will always be a part of me, no matter what. That’s reason enough for me to do this.

So there, we must find that reason.. and that reason needs to be only relevant to us, and we owe no one else an explanation.

Check on my comments, a month from now .. I’m hoping to build more muscles than wisdom by then,  too!