A couple months ago, I knew that things had to change.
You see, over years of delicious feasting and no exercise countermeasures, I’ve put on a few pounds. Enough that my BMI (body mass index) rates me as obese – and that was years ago. And I just kept going higher. Now I had reached my highest ever – about 232 pounds. It’s not as much as some – and for many, it really can’t be controlled – but the creaking in my knees and the difficulty tying my shoes around my belly made me think I needed to discover a healthier way to live.
The thing is, I refuse to compromise on taste. Every meal should be fabulous. I’m not interested in cleanses and deprivations. I’m a hedonist. I want to savor every bite. Not just of my meal, but of my life. I want to continue eating amazing food. I want to continue living through all of my senses. And, if I don’t find a healthier way to do this, I may miss out on much of the life I plan to live.
So there I was. Fairly inflexible, less agile, and I got winded walking up the stairs. I have some digestion issues – acid reflux mainly. When my dad was my age he was thinner than I. He moved better. Faster. Later in life, with steady weight gain, he contracted adult-onset diabetes. It looked like the direction I was headed and I don’t want to go down that road – I want a long, healthy, ecstatic life.
I needed a change in my health. But could I do that without sacrificing the sensual parts of living? Even better, could I find a way to more ecstatically experience life, food, sex and everything else? More than I already do?
After all, I’ve been helping people live this way for years now. It seemed like it was time to take things to the next level, for me and for them.
Since that decision, I’ve lost about 20 pounds. I’m moving better, feeling more energized. I made some changes, but I still enjoy almost every meal. I have a feeling it’s just going to get better too. Isn’t that the way of things we are truly passionate about? The deeper you go, the richer and more interesting it is.
Whether I live another 100 years or I keel over tomorrow, I want every meal, every smell, every experience, and every single moment to be delicious. The longer life, the better. Hopefully, this quest for healthful indulgence and ecstatic living can inspire you too. How about we take the ride together?
