Jon Stanton

As you know if you read yesterday's post, I was in Saginaw last night with Joy Bauer at an event sponsored by Covenant Healthcare. I knew the event focused on "heart health," but other than that, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Saginaw can be a scary place, so I was relieved that the conference center was on the "good side of the tracks," so to speak, and what a beautiful event it was! There were several organizations exhibiting information about health, wellness, fitness, etc., and Joy was signing copies of her LIFE Diet book, which is where I met up with her when I arrived.

Joy was scheduled to give a presentation at 7pm, so we looked through the bag I had brought of my former clothing (if you need a temporary tent sometime, let me know...) and then I went and took a seat in the front row next to two cardiologists that were on hand for the event also.

Joy is an amazing speaker, and her presentation was enlightening, enjoyable, and inspirational. She shared several "stories" of the various people she has worked with in combatting obesity, and ended by sharing my story and then having me come up front to unfurl my old pair of pants. It's such a great feeling to know that my choice to change my lifestyle can help inspire others to do the same.

Afterwards, several people came and talked to me. I was especially struck by one lady I spoke with in the lobby who, with tears running down her face, told me of her lifelong battle against obesity and the havoc it had wreaked on her life. I nearly started crying myself, said a quick prayer, and then looked her squarely in the eye and said, "so what are you going to do now to get your head in the game?" Now, that may sound a bit harsh, but it was one of Joy's main points in her presentation, and I COULD NOT POSSIBLY AGREE MORE! You can attend all the health fairs in the world, buy every diet book and program on the planet, but if you don't "get your head in the game" and commit 100%, you will most likely not be successful.

So what will it take for you to get your head in the game? For me, it was my doctor telling me I was going to die. For my friend Jodi Davis (visit her at www.walkytalk.com), it was the death of a close relative who was also morbidly obese. Do you really want to wait for something like that to happen, though? Get your head in the game now, and realize you can be successful at losing weight. If I did it, I know you can too!