Jon Stanton

I received a disturbing email from friends at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan last week. According to the most recent analysis of data, Michigan is the SEVENTH most obese state in the country. More than one-third of our residents are obese and an even higher percentage of those above age 65 are obese.

Interestingly, Michigan is at the top of the list for our "area" (the Midwest). The other states that are more obese are all in the South. Mississippi leads the pack. I suspect fried chicken and okra with biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast may be culprits there, but what about here?

Well, certainly we have our "weather" challenges, especially this time of year. Michigan's historical role as an industrial state may play a role also. While physically taxing, assembly-line work doesn't often involve a lot of movement that gets your heart rate up and burns calories. I suspect that a more recent phenomenon that is impacting our obesity rates is lack of movement - especially with our children. Let's face it, Playstation is a lot more popular than playground.

So what can we do to get Michigan to move? Well, there are all sorts of options, of course. First, we are bountifully blessed with a beautiful state. Michigan has some of the best parks and trails in the nation and I think sometimes we forget to take advantage of them because we just take them for granted. Kids may be bored "going for a walk" but if you tell them you're "going for a hike" and include fun activities like looking for certain animals, or mushrooms, or birds, or whatever as you walk through the woods, they'll be moving and getting exercise and enjoying it all at the same time.

What about now, though? Yes, I know, some folks just cannot handle the thought of walking in the snow. Don't misunderstand me, I am NOT a cold-weather afficianado by any means, and winter presents a unique set of challenges for me too. I try to walk outdoors every day because believe it or not, winter walking actually burns more calories because your body has to work harder to keep you warm and "warm" the air you are breathing. I also use a treadmill if it's brutally cold or dangerously icy. And...another great option...

WALK AT THE MALL (or inside any "big box" store). We are so fortunate to have the Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge running in our area currently. You can join hundreds of other walkers at the Lansing Mall on Saturdays from 9am to 10am, enter contests, win prizes, and log miles to help your community win a grant prize from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. If that doesn't work for you, join a Winter Warm-Up Satellite group - they are forming all over the place! Even more exciting is that you can continue walking throughout the week and log all your miles for your community's team! The more you walk, the more chances you have to win great prizes, and the more chances your community has to win the grand prize - $2,500 from Blue Cross Blue Shield for a health/fitness project in your hometown.

So, let's get moving, Lansing! Let's be a model for the rest of our state and do our part to get Michigan from the top of the obesity list to the bottom. All of us will benefit! Visit www.cphlansing.com for more information about the Winter Warm-Up program.

So earlier today I wrote about "challenges" (see the entry below). Tonight, I caved, and in the spirit of full disclosure and the hope that by being transparent I can continue to overcome challenges, I'm choosing to share my failure with my blog readers.

Lately, "sweets" (my biggest vice by far) have been getting the better of me. However, I'm more convinced that the underlying issue currently is psychologically, not physically driven. You see, I'm a food addict, and just like alcoholics, we sometimes binge.

Tonight, I binged. After a week of relatively decent eating habits, I found myself wandering the streets of Lansing on my way home from my girlfriend's looking for a QD. God tried to intervene, because the first QD I went to (corner of Harrison and Michigan), the parking lot was completely full and there was nowhere to park or even get my car in the lot. I should have taken the clue. Instead, I headed west for the next QD, located just west of 127.

At this QD, I promptly filled a bag with 4 donuts. QD donuts are my current enemy #1. Those 4 donuts (these are big, cream-filled donuts, not puny cake donuts) are probably easily 2,000+ calories. God tried to intervene again, as they were having problems with their credit card machine which meant I was stuck in line for at least 15 minutes. I still didn't get the clue.

I wolfed down those 4 donuts and headed to the QD on the corner of Lake Lansing and Larch. Yes, I still hadn't had enough to squelch whatever was driving this behavior. This time, I bought 2 more donuts (for a total of 6) and 3 butterscotch chip cookies (another vice). All told, I'm sure I consumed 4,000+ calories in the scope of about half an hour.

What the hell is wrong with me? I have no idea, but I will tell you this. This is an illness and a disease, not a lack of willpower or discipline. I'm not making excuses for my behavior. More importantly, I know it can be overcome because there's no way I could have lost 230 pounds without conquering these demons. However, it's yet another clear indicator to me that this has been and always will be a lifetime battle. Sometimes I grow weary of the fight, but I refuse to give up. I will NOT go back to living my life how I did before! Tomorrow is a new day, and God's mercies are new every morning.

Bottom line - what's done is done. I don't understand it, don't like it, and hope and pray with all my heart that it won't happen again. I am weak, but He is strong. God is my refuge and my strength - my ever present help in times of danger. Yes, I find it somewhat humorous that I'm referring to a visit to QD as "dangerous," but for me, it is - it's dangerous to my health and dangerous to my psychological well-being. Don't ever give up - face your challenges head on and determine to do better. God will help you.

Do you sometimes feel like you are up against so many challenges in life you don't even know where to start?

I know the feeling. Recently, I've found myself expressing frustration at the seemingly endless number of challenges I find in front of me. The challenge to eat healthily, the challenge to keep exercising during the winter, the challenge to keep exercising when my heel hurts and my joints ache, the challenge of family issues, the challenge to accept that I am who God made me and be content with that, and the list goes on and on and ON...

Here's something I've learned (I think) about challenges. First, they totally suck. I mean, let's be honest - people can say "I enjoy a challenge" all they want, and yeah, certainly there are some challenges in life that are enjoyable. However, most of the significant "life challenges" we face, basically just suck.

However, I've also learned that challenges have a way of making us stronger when we perservere. I KNOW that it's possible to eat healthily and move my body during the winter because I've done it successfully in the past. Not only that, but I also know that I can confront challenges to the best of my ability and when they are conquered, I benefit by learning new life skills and growing stronger.

OK, enough psychological mumbo-jumbo for today. After all, this isn't "Dr. Jon's" blog. One final thought - NEVER GIVE UP! Hey, I'm a human being too, and a question I'm often asked is "how do you stay motivated" or "I'll bet staying healthy is really easy for you now, right?" Well - there are many things I do to stay motivated, some of which you can find on this website. As for it being "easy?" Think again. Overcoming addictions is never easy. It's a daily battle. Most of the time I succeed, but not always. Part of learning from my challenges is learning how to not let my failures derail my overall success. Guess what? You can do it too. I'm just a normal, everyday guy. If I can do it, I know you can too!

Today's edition of the Lansing State Journal has an article about the Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge currently underway in the greater Lansing/mid-Michigan area. I am so EXCITED to be part of this year's event and to be volunteering my time toward this cause.

My dream is to see programs like the Winter Warm-Up taking place in every Mall in Michigan, and eventually every cold-weather state in the nation. Let's get America moving!

If you live in the Lansing area, is there a reason you aren't participating? It's free, it's fun, and if you can't make it to the Lansing Mall, there are Satellite Groups forming all over the area - including one that I'm leading on Wednesday afternoons in downtown Lansing. Care to join me? Meet at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Washington Square at 12:00 noon every Wednesday.

For more information about the Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge (including how you can help your community win it's share of an $8,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan), click here.

To read the Lansing State Journal article, click here.

I'm so happy to be part of the team working on making this year's Community Partners in Health Winter Warm-Up and the 2010 Winter Warm-Up with the Blues' Community Challenge be a success! Our goal is to have as many mid-Michigan residents moving on a regular basis during the winter months and working toward health and fitness!

Our signature event kicked off last week at the Lansing Mall. The 10-week walking program takes place every Saturday morning until March 27 from 9am to 10am. I will be present to lead "Jon's Walking Buddies" - a group focused on walking to lose weight.

If you can't make it to the Lansing Mall, guess what? Join me in downtown Lansing on Wednesdays from 12:00pm to 12:30pm for a half hour Satellite Group walk. If that doesn't fit your schedule either, then find one of the dozens of Satellite Groups forming throughout our region. Some are indoors, some are outdoors, but all have one goal in mind - GET MID-MICHIGAN MOVING!

We're especially excited this year to have the support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan who has sponsored a contest with $8,000 being given in grants to 10 mid-Michigan communities! The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 for a project related to health or fitness in their community!

To find out more about these three events, or to sign up to participate in any or all of them, visit Community Partners in Health's website, www.cphlansing.com.

For any readers who live on the west side of the state, my good friend and fellow walking advocate Jodi Davis will be present at an event in Holland tomorrow. Here's part of the post from her blog about the event. Visit Jodi at www.walkytalk.com for great tips, inspiration and advice!

From Jodi's blog..."And if you happen to live on the western side of the state, I would like to invite all of you to a FREE family health event that will be taking place at the Holland Civic Center this Saturday, January 30th, 9 am – 12 pm.  This is an event to help you learn easy and affordable ways to eat better, exercise more, and have FUN!  At the Holland Health Fair, there will be giveaways, health food samples, fast-food “the healthy way,” raffles, fitness demonstrations, interactive martial arts demonstrations, healthy shopping tips, blood pressure screening… and for the children: the incredible / inflatable “Crazy Bounce!”

And bring your camera!  The former NFL and University of Michigan football star JAY RIEMERSMA will be there, signing autographs and speaking on the importance of fitness!  Don’t miss this opportunity of a lifetime!  I will also be there answering your questions about walking, weight loss, and good health… I hope to see you there!"