Encouragement from Surprising Places

I never thought that I'd be encouraged in my journey towards fitness and health by the U.S. Army, but I was!  Not directly, of course.  I am not in the Army, and I have no desire to be.  I have tremendous respect for the men and women who are serving in all branches of the military, but I must admit that the Army is the LAST organization that I would choose to join voluntarily.  Guess it's a good thing I'm about to become too old to be drafted...

So how did the Army encourage me?  I read an article in last Monday's The Blade newspaper (reprinting an article that originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) about how the Army is promoting healthy choices in the chow line.  They're using a simple color code over the foods to indicate their healthiness.  Red = bad, don't eat much of this.  Yellow = slightly better, can eat more.  Green = good, eat lots of this.  Green foods are highest in protein and fiber and lowest in calories and fat.

Why is the Army working to change their soldiers' eating habits?  Because it costs too much to deal with the injuries that poor nutrition and heavy exercise can create.  For example, the number of hip stress fractures at Fort Jackson, an Army base in South Carolina, in 2000 was 30.  In 2009, the number had jumped to 135.  Those injuries cost taxpayers (you and me) plenty.  "The army spends roughly $65,000 to train a soldier.  But a soldier who gets injured costs a lot more.  Hip stress fractures might cost $300,000 to rehabilitate and might mean that the person will never serve."

I'm encouraged by these changes in the Army for two reasons:  1) I'm excited to see that the same food choices that I'm learning to make are being offered in a place that I'd never suspected would even try.  I hope this means that as a society in general, we are starting to turn a corner on the overwhelming number of bad food choices vs. good food choices whenever we eat somewhere other than home.  2) I am glad to know that the healthcare dollars that mount up  because of poor food choices are starting to sink into our collective consciences, and somebody decided to do something about it.  I'd much rather see our tax dollars invested in the kinds of things that improve health rather than debilitate it.

Maybe more people will begin to think like Private Esparza:  "I don't eat bread anymore.  I try to eat a salad with every meal." 

Sounds like good advice to me!

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Just in case you haven't noticed ... I'm posting my weekly weigh-in results in a table to the right.  And I am excited to report that today I broke the 230 barrier, coming in at 229!!  I went "shopping" last night in my basement, pulling out the clothes from my "230 Bucket" that had been put away just in case I ever got back below that weight.  I couldn't believe all the shirts and pants that I can now wear again!  The waist measurements on the pants are "38" and they fit!!  Whoo-hoo, I'm excited!!  Took all the old "42's" out of the closet and folded them to go to Goodwill.  However, I will keep one pair of pants - the ones that were starting to get tight before I began this plan and I thought I was about to become a "44" just so I can have a comparison reference to re-encourage me when I start to feel things slowing down.

I'm amazed that I've been able to drop about three pounds per week for the last two months.  Praise God for working on me and in me - all the credit goes to grace.  Nehemiah Leadership Institute friends, you may not recognize me when you see me next week!!