I used to be a track star

It's true.  Back in high school I was a track star. 

Nearly every weekend I collected a few medals or even a trophy at track and cross-country meets, some for individual accomplishments and many more for my role on a relay team.  My highlights include running a 4:23 mile (at that time the third fastest in my school history) and leading off for the 4x800 relay team, which set a school record, won the state gold medal in 1993 (my senior year), and clocked one of the fastest 4x800 relay times in the nation that year.  Most importantly, I was healthy and in shape, and looked pretty darn good in that skinny yet muscular middle-distance runner's body.

Well, let's just say that today is a different story.  I weigh in at around 230 pounds, which with my 5' 11" frame is slightly on the rotund end.  Indeed, at my height and weight I fall somewhere in between "overweight" and "obese" on WebMD's Body Mass Index scale (link opens a new tab or window).  This is not good.  I don't like being obese - not only for the harsh connotations of that word, but also for the impact it has on my health.  Cancer runs in my family and, as I've seen countless times in the hospital, healthy and fit patients fight disease much better than overweight patients.  But cancer fears aside, I can't run up the stairs or go for a long walk pushing the baby stroller without getting winded.  That's just pathetic.

I've tried working out and improving my diet.  A few years ago I did the South Beach Diet for about a month or two, and last year at this time I was running several times per week, a practice that lasted about three months.  Yet with countless Americans, I have failed to sustain my dieting or exercising habits over the long haul.  In the end, I return to the Goldfish crackers, pork roll sandwiches, and the convenience of sodium-laden prepared dinners such as Hamburger Helper.

This is not an announcement of a new diet or exercise regimen.  No.  Rather, I'm starting this thread simply to give myself a dedicated place to think and journal about my health (I'm contemplating starting a new blog on the topic).  When he was my age my uncle battled testicular cancer and, thanks to his great health, he won the fight.  But how would I fare if I was stricken with cancer tomorrow? Furthermore, as I look forward to a career notorious for it's health pitfalls - parish ministry - I want to make my health a high priority and key learning goal during my congregational internship next year.

You're welcome to walk with me - but not too quickly at first, lest I get winded - on this journey of reflection on health, and how it impacts or is impacted by my work, family and faith.