Who will you choose to be in the above photo?

Lifting weights is hard…Being unable to get off your toilet or pick up your grandchildren is harder.

Being in a calorie deficit is hard…Morbid obesity and developing diabetes is harder.

Finding time to go for a walk or exercise your heart and lungs is hard…Developing heart disease and increasing your risk for stroke is harder.

Budgeting your food intake is hard…Watching your weight go up 5+ lbs per year is harder.

Not drinking Is hard…Increasing your risk of dementia, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and the effects of disruptive sleep are harder.

Saying no, when you want to say, yes, is hard…Your future decades with a weakened  immune system, weakened skeletal system, metabolic syndrome, and obesity is harder.

You may say “oh that’s not me, yet” to the above, but the operative word there is “yet.” 

How likely is it going to be you? How well have you prepared for your next 10 years and do you want to spend them in and out of the hospital?

Forget trying to have a bikini ready body for  a minute. Embrace all shapes and practice body positivity. Go ahead and Practice “yolo” culture if that’s your choice, but at least be honest about what’s really happening when you do those things.  What health markers don’t and WON’T go away no matter how much “fun” we’re committed to having while ignoring increasing fatigue, feeling crappy, and poor health?

The truth is, you can ignore all of the above and do whatever you want in the moment, but what will your future self look like? Medicine continues to advance in such a way that you will likely survive all of these things for years but what will your life look like? What quality will be there? What decisions will your children have to make for you? Every decision you make today impacts your future self. What habits are you creating that will benefit them?

The above are very real scenarios that I deal with daily in my professional life and whether we want to accept it or not, what we are not changing, we are choosing. Make choices that are harder now. It will not only benefit your future self, but it will benefit your present self in ways you can’t imagine both mentally and physically. Shoot that arrow straight up as hard as you can for as long as you can. Your future self, and your family, will thank you.