Healthy lifestyles: Beware the Creep

You know who I mean. You have been working so hard to lose weight and regain good health and you have been doing a great job. You have lost twenty, thirty maybe fifty or even more pounds and you look great. Even better is that you now feel awesome; better than you have felt in years. But then along comes that evil creep. He shows up many times in many ways but everyone has seen this creep.

You have been doing such a good job you deserve a little treat so you allow yourself one graham cracker in the evening as your personal reward. Heck one lousy little graham cracker is only 59 calories, a tiny 1.4 grams of fat, and acceptable 85 milligrams of sodium and just 10.7 grahams of carbohydrate so what heck, why not?

Okay that’s fair enough not much of a problem until that lousy creep shows up. That is when you grab that second graham cracker because the creep arrived and did his dirty deed. Now it has all doubled. Rather than a mere 59 calories it is an extra 118 calories and, of course, all of the other stuff has doubled too. But then that creep gets even more bold as you sheepishly grab a third graham cracker.

Graham crackers aren’t your thing? That’s fine because this creep is very clever and extremely persistent. Maybe you enjoy a glass of fine wine. Heck rumor has it that one glass of red wine every day is actually a health benefit. So you begin to reward yourself with that one glass of merlot every day; that is until the creep shows up and you begin to pour a second and then a third and then slowly but surely you begin to see all of those wonderful benefits that your commitment and discipline have brought you begin to vanish. Ouch! Damn creep.

So how do you protect yourself against this evil, ubiquitous and destructive monster, the creep? Well, the first step is always the same: first you must acknowledge that the creep is with you — always. Now knowing that what you must do next is build your own internal security system that works much the same way as a security system that protects your home or your car. You construct a mental fence that is extremely sensitive.

Every time the creep shows up he lights up your internal security system with flashing light and screaming sound, all totally within you, of course, but very much present nonetheless. So when you reach for the second graham cracker or that second glass of wine your internal system screeches loudly: Baap Baap Baap and bright light begins flashing in your mind.

Now fully warned you must make the right decision and calling 9-1-1 is not an option in this situation. You and only you can stop this creep. But with an early warning you can think about everything you have done to regain and maintain your great health and how much you never want to have to go through that ever again.

Armed with the warning coupled with the knowledge surely you will pull that mental trigger and the creep will be silenced, at least for now. But fear not the creep will always return, for such is life. But with just a wee bit of training and a true commitment you are now prepared to constantly repel that creep whenever he does try and play his evil deeds upon you. You win, the creep loses and life really is grand.

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Another way to make life even more enjoyable is with some visual art, so when you have a spare moment browse here. You just might see something you love.

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For those who need a little extra guidance there are many weight loss services available at a cost of hundreds even thousands of dollars. Then again for just $12.98 you can get the book Lose Live and accomplish the same thing but keeping more of your money.

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To read more of Ron’s health columns and theatre reviews, click here. And we invite you to join Ron on the Hollywood Health Hike April 30.

Photos by Ron Irwin