Day 01

The time for major shifts in my lifestyle and input has been overdue. Since my wife, Ro and I had our beautiful baby girl, Eve, I have been more overweight than ever in my life, and feeling the most unhealthy I have ever felt. In light of this and several other factors, I have decided, along with my family, to change, among other things, the food and drink I consume and how I consume it. Today was day one for us. We decided to follow a trustworthy friend's advice and start what is called "The Lifestyle."

Here is the book we are using:



Here is a short blurb about the artist:



As I said, this is only one of a group of changes and shifts I am moving to make in my life and my input. Still, it is a very big and central one, one I intend to build on, and one that I hope will help me gain momentum so that I can move forward in other very important areas. I feel strongly that this blog will be a way for me to not only keep track of my progress, but more importantly to evaluate and appraise my experiences in a more thorough and productive way.

In preparing myself for this big change, knowing it will take much discipline and focus, I have been thinking and reminding myself of what I have been telling my son Isaiah as I teach him how to grow and overcome. – When you're striving hard to grow and better yourself, and you are in the thick of it, it is often very hard to feel like you are making any progress. Your stumbles are magnified in your mind and there is constant pressure to give up and stop trying so you can stop disappointing yourself and others. Still, it takes character, maturity, balance and faith to zoom out and discern that YOU ARE INDEED MAKING PROGRESS, and then to remind yourself to be realistic, rational, and resolute in seeking your goals. It is also a given that giving up is never an option. In order to have a good and productive perspective on your own life, you MUST LEARN TO HAVE BALANCE between acknowledging and correcting your faults, and finding hope, strength and encouragement as you continue to fight through all the obstacles in your way, including yourself. If I follow my own advice, which is really only what I have learned through the grace and teaching of others, I should grow and overcome in my own walk.

With that thought I'll end this first entry. I don't really know exactly how I want to treat this blog/journal I am starting. Knowing me, it is likely to shift and include more than just one theme or topic. Still, this is the way life is – rarely fitting nicely under one theme or topic. I also expect that over time, this blog will become more than merely a journal to go along with my new eating habits. If things go the way I hope and pray they will, this blog will be but one board on the bridge that leads me back to where I need and want to be.

One thing is for sure. This is NOT just a blog for entertainment. I am attempting to do something here…attempting to move forward…to grow.

- Noah Joel