It was last year on Labor Day weekend when I met and made a wonderful new friend. I had my Ugly Boy Flutes booth set up at the annual "Matthews ALIVE!" arts festival and over the course of the 3-day festival got to know a fellow vendor down the way. Dave Cook. Excellent pot thrower from Rowan County, NC. Creative, too...but much more importantly, he is a good Soul.
Dave just celebrated his first year anniversary....no, not to his lovely supportive wife Beth, but to his commitment to completely overhaul his health. His story is like that of many others who battle their weight...one thing leads to another, and little by little over the long haul we shape-shift and become a physical being that is not in line with Who We Are. As that path progresses you start to battle secondary issues of self-esteem, complicated health issues, and myriad problems that come with the territory. Some let it defeat them and give up trying. But not Dave.
Being a former minister, Dave has a heart of gold and a heart the size of San Francisco, to boot. He cares genuinely about others...and a year ago he decided to care for one of the most important persons before him: himself. Here is the 'start' of his Journey...
...in Death Valley which was an appropriate place for Dave to begin his "re-Birth"......and here is the new Dave decidedly more fit and trim one year later, on his "first re-birth anniversary"...
(as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!!!)What's interesting is that he didn't accomplish this by throwing money at surgical treatments or expensive methods...he took one of THE most basic tools ANYone can use: the tool of Choice. He chose to start eating healthy. He chose to make himself exercise and walk, even if for a short distance. He chose not to give in to cravings and go back to square one. He chose to PERSEVERE. Daily. Weekly. Monthly. In short, he chose Life.
It's amazing how simple things can make a huge difference. No sweets. No bread. Load up on fresh vegetables and salads, as well we all should (and many don't). Get up off your duff and DO something instead of sit. And just tell yourself that it took- time to go on and it will take time to come off...just persevere...take baby steps if you need to, but keep on keepin' on...persevere...
Well done, Dave! Congratulations on your 'new you' and thanks for the inspiration you have given to others...including me!
Yep, I've been a moose for many moons...reached the 6'3" +200 pound barrier in 7th grade and then quit growing taller shortly thereafter...have had a bad knee problem the past 20 or so years, which significantly went downhill after this past Christmas, to the point where it's all I can do to hobble from A to B anymore. Exercise became impossible, and the weight started to add on with ease...but I took Dave's philosophy of not 'dieting' but simply 'changing' what I eat...and by golly it works! Been dropping weight even though I can't exercise, and today, I have my 3rd left knee operation which will hopefully buy me another 10 years...and I'm going into it healthier with healthier habits. LOTS of fresh veggies. Staying away from sweets. Counting my blessings every day and know that I'm going to bed each night in better shape than I was when I woke up.
Can't wait to see your 2nd anniversary picture, Dave! God bless!!!
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Here's a follow-up note from Dave himself, clarifying a few things for my fuzzy ol' brain!
Dave Cook says, "FYI...I still DO eat bread, just not lots of it. And usually sandwiches are made with the "lite" bread that has 1/2 the calories of reg. bread. However, when we go out to eat I'll still have yeast rolls, biscuits, etc. but not gobs of it. Moderation is the key. We still have to be able to enjoy some of the things . . . as long as they don't make me crave more. If it does, even if it's a sugar free sweet food like Smuckers' jams, then I don't eat it. For me, part of it is descovering what makes me crave more and then STOPPING that food dead in it's tracks. But like you said, lots of veggies and fruit, very few meats, NO sweets...and I haven't had even ONE carbonated drink since last April either."
Thanks, Dave!
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