Everyone needs a "why"

Sustained healthy eating and exercise needs a “why”. What is the reason you want to make this change? To look good for summer season is not strong enough. Is your “why” strong enough to decline a piece of cake served at your own birthday? For me, yes.

It’s important to understand you have to find **your** “why”. It may not come to you immediately, but you have to find it to sustain the lifestyle.

My deeper “why” gives me all of the motivation I need.

My "why" #1: Family health

Food for the family

I do all things food in my house—source, decide, cook, serve. If it has to do with food, it’s my job.

What I fed my pregnant wife would go directly to our son. If I’m serving unhealthy foods, these are given directly to my unborn son. When my wife became pregnant, I started making more conscious decisions in the kitchen.

After my son was born, I felt a greater responsibility to create health for my family. I love this and value it. The role of managing and preparing a family's meals is invaluable in a household, and I take on this responsibility with pride.

My decisions directly influence how my family feels and operates every day. With each meal I serve, I can provide my family with sustained energy or cause a harsh glucose spike that leads to tiredness and a nap. I am in control of how my family feels every day.

I'm also responsible for how healthy my family is. If I feed the family unhealthy foods, we are unhealthy. If I feel the family healthy foods, we are healthy.

This new perspective sparked my interest in nutrition, food, and science. The more I knew, the more I would be able to provide for my family. I read books about glucose, insulin, digestion, and gut health. Now I’m a frequent reader of food nutrition related books.

Set an example

I am very strict with the family diet because it’s my responsibility to set the example. I can’t tell my family to eat healthy and then eat unhealthy good. I have to show them how to eat healthy through example.

I am the leader of our short-term and long-term health. I accept this role and see it as my core "why".

Athletic Dad

When my son grows up, I want him to have the best opportunity for athletic health.

If he plays sports, I want to be there practicing with him. If he wants to hike a mountain when he’s 20, I want to beat him to the top. I want to be physically fit to be with my son, and future children, for all activities throughout my life.

I want my son to be inspired by my athletic ability and understand that he has the ability to make the same healthy choices that I do. I hope to inspire him to be healthy in eating and exercise.

If I do not take care of myself, or do not exercise my body, I will be the Dad on the sideline with bad knees. I will not do this to myself.

Family health will always be my #1 “why”.

My “why” #2: Personal performance

I want what is best for my family, including myself. I want to be the best version of myself, which includes my health. Feeling tired, starving, or having a stomach ache are experiences from the past and they certainly don't represent the best version of myself. I felt like a stronger me just months after my lifestyle change.

Weight management and physical fitness

I’ve always been a bigger guy and never considered a skinny person. I like to think it worked to my advantage my whole life. Once I reached 25, I started gaining weight. I saw myself adding 2-3 lbs(1-1.5 kg) to my weight per year.

For the past few years I have been on that path. 2 lbs (1kg) is a small increase that is barely noticeable year-to-year. However, after 10 years I can be clinically obese, pre-diabetic, and 20-30 lbs (9-13.5 kg) heavier than I am now.

I saw where my life could go with weight gain and I made a decision to take the other path.

Avoid chronic illness

Cancer is very popular in my family. Both my Mom’s side and Dad’s side of the family had lots of experience. For the longest time I thought, "Well, I guess it will be my time when I’m between 50-70."

This is a bad way to look at it. Assuming that is the same path for me is a losing attitude. Although I may have a higher possibility of getting cancer through my genetics, that doesn’t mean I have to get cancer.

Today I’m a firm believer that I can avoid cancer entirely through the power of healthy food and exercise. I don't believe I can get cancer the way that I eat.

Overall better quality of life

Operating better every day is a powerful feeling, and this feeling has become addictive. I feel great and I love it. I want to sustain these benefits of healthy eating so my quality of life stays high:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Have more energy
• No post-meal stomach pain
• No extreme hunger
• Better brain power, more direct more focus
• Improved vision

For the full writeup of benefits, check out 🌟 My results.