Fit for Life: Sad State of Affairs

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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I was at the cemetery this week visiting my brother’s grave, who would have turned 50 years old on Wednesday. He passed on January 1st, 2020, at the age of 49.

I was looking at my family’s plot and it reminded me that my uncle passed away over 20 years ago at age 39.

So, I have a brother, and an uncle that never lived to see 50.

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Part of me was looking at it and feeling sad that they missed a big part of their lives, and part of me was grateful because I’ve made it to 53.

I then looked at my grandmother’s dates on the stone and realized she lived to be 88 years old!! She was my mother’s mother. My dad’s mother is still alive at 98 and is still full of fire, and both of my grandfathers lived deep into their 80’s. Wow, that’s some good genes in my family.

As far as my uncle and brother, their deaths were contributed to poor lifestyle choices. I miss both of them dearly, and both of their deaths took a significant toll on me and my family, but the bottom line is that their untimely demise was their own doing, and the lifestyle path they chose.

My uncle was massively overweight and sedentary, and my brother had diabetes. Other factors contributed to their demise, but bottom line, it was the lifestyles they lived.

I’m not writing this so you know my family history, but to make you aware that when you do things that are detrimental to your health, it not only affects you, but affects the ones you leave behind, and in many instances, can be avoided.

I also had two other friends that passed before their time. One was playing basketball, and one was at home with his family when they were suddenly stricken. I am not 100% sure, but if I remember correctly, they both had heart attacks.

One I was in contact on a regular basis, and he would always say “I’m going to come see you and get on a program, I need to lose this” he would say as he rubbed his belly. However, that day never came.

The other guy was my best friend in high school, and we lost contact for a few years. We crossed paths in a mall years after and made a tentative plan to get together, have a few beers and catch up. That day never happened either.

 

Am I lucky to still be here?

Maybe, but I work hard at taking care of myself.

Do I have vices? Yes, however, most of my focus in life is to keep myself fit and healthy, and spread my knowledge and expertise to others, so they can do the same.

The thing we tend to overlook is that once we reach a certain point, it’s tougher to overcome being unhealthy and get the ship sailing in the right direction again. Sometimes folks get so deep into the storm, they reach the point of no return, and disaster strikes. Other times, it takes a wake-up call from the doctor or hospital to get back on track before it’s too late.

I was just talking to a guy earlier that had a minor heart attack. He had lost over 100lbs in the past, yet let it slowly creep back on. “This opened my eyes. Time to get serious again” he said.

Not to add more sadness to this story, but my aunt’s husband (another uncle) recently passed away at home at a young age too. He was over 400 lbs, diabetic and sedentary. Basically, a ticking time bomb.

I am telling you all this because it doesn’t have to be this way.

 

It’s a simple process, not an easy one, but simple.

It takes discipline, drive, and the desire to achieve good health. Once you nail those three down, it’s like putting pieces of a puzzle together.

But first, you need to have the want and desire to do it.

Not only for yourself, but the people in your life that care about you and want you around. If you are content being unhealthy and you scoff and mock folks that choose to take care of themselves, then you will never make the changes necessary to live a vital lifestyle. You will most likely become a statistic or live in pain and misery forever.

You are the one that needs to have the drive to take the first steps.

I can’t make that decision for you, and I have found over the years that you can’t help someone that doesn’t want to help themselves. It’s frustrating when you show up with the best intentions to help someone, yet they don’t make the effort to help themselves. No one can do it for you, so it’s up to you to be self-aware, make the first move, and seek a solution for your health issues.

The discipline needs to be there for long-term results. You can’t do it for a short period of time, do it sporadically, or half-assed and expect long-term results. It needs to become a lifestyle that you live every day.

Once you have the desire to change, the drive to take the first step, you need to install the discipline to make it life changing, otherwise, you will be riding a roller coaster the rest of your life. A roller coaster on an unstable track that could crash and burn at any moment.

Let me be clear. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you need to live like a social outcast and give up everything you enjoy, you just need to make modifications. Eating healthy doesn’t require any more work than eating like crap. You just need to be aware and educated.

You can still have a few drinks, just not every night. You can still enjoy some sweets, and indulge in your favorite foods on the weekend, you just need to make a few adjustments and modifications.

Eat clean, drink enough water, work out, and sleep is the formula for success. As I said, it’s simple but not easy. You will face obstacles, distractions, and life will get in the way, but if you exercise discipline now, you will avoid regret later.

It’s a decision we need to make every day, and there is a list of sacrifices we need to endure to be successful. Everything is a choice we need to make. Am I guaranteed a long life? No. Is it possible I could get sick? Absolutely.

Do fit and healthy people die unexpectedly. Yes.

Nothing is certain in life, however, there is a lot we can do to increase our chances and put the odds in our favor.

Personally, I enjoy feeling & looking like I did when I was 25, even though I am in my fifties.

 

Committed to your success,

Coach Matt

 

P.S. If you need help and guidance to put you on the path of health and happiness, shoot me an email to [email protected] and my team and I will point you in the right direction and guarantee you results.

 

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