No, this isn't about an infomercial.
I was watching this special on the food network:
And there's this guy, John, the guy in the last picture. He's just a guy, you know? Balding, heavy set. Not some "former athlete" who's gone to seed or some other guy with some big story about how he beat cancer or something. He's just a guy with high blood pressure who enjoys food.
But he starts doing it. He starts walking to work from the subway instead of taking a cab. One day he's late, and has to take a cab, so he walks a little longer during his break to make up for it. He and his kids start dividing up snacks into little baggies for him to take to work during the week.
He's not climbing mountains like the folks on Biggest Loser or doing any big, dramatic things. He's just eating less and working out more.
And the clincher, for me, comes when he's standing in this deli. This deli where he likes to eat all the time, and he's looking over the menu for something healthy, and all he's seeing are all the things he loves to eat, all the things that got him where he is. He's just got these big puppy dog eyes as he looks at all that food, and you know he wants it so bad.
But he finally pulls his eyes away from the menu and asks the guy behind the counter if they've got any turkey burgers.
It wasn't dramatic. It certainly wasn't a big deal. But that was the point. Most days, this isn't a big deal. It's just doing it, simple, non-dramatic things, day after day.
John, you didn't move your body weight in sand bags or lose 15 pounds in a week. But in that deli, you were as much an inspiration to me as anybody ever has been.
Thank you.
