Joe says:

I know just what you are talking about because I've faced similar struggles, particularly early on. I started out strong after having bypass surgery. My doctor gave me a straightforward prescription: eat better and move my body more in order to reduce future cardiac risk. So, I ate more veggies and less red meat, and took a morning jog or an after-dinner walk. But soon a cheeseburger would creep into my diet, or a favorite television show would pre-empt my walk. The prescription for healthy living was simple, so why was it so hard to embrace and sustain healthy behaviors?

One day I saw a television interview with Yogi Berra, a Hall of Fame baseball player. Yogi has a way of explaining things that mystify as well as enlighten, or what reporters call “yogi-isms.” When asked in this interview the secret to his success, he replied that “Baseball is 50% physical. The other 90% is mental.”

This didn't make sense to me at first, but after pondering it his wisdom became evident. What he was saying, of course, was that mental preparation, commitment and a positive attitude were as important – maybe more important – than the knowledge and physical tools you bring to the game. This critical thought - what I called the "Yogi Principle" - became essential to improving my lifestyle habits.

Put simply, you have to have a positive mental attitude before you can take effective action. Only then will you be successful. You can have all the data and all the techniques for diet and exercise, but if you can’t apply that information to everyday life, it will not be used and no change will be attained. It’s mental preparation that makes our actions successful.

Every day I look for motivation - a quote, a story an anecdote - that will help me to stay positive and committed to living healthy. One of my favorites is from author Max De Pree: “There are no gold metals for the 95 yard dash.”
1 | Oct. 30, 2008 at 9:04am