Almost a year ago, I was at a convention and had to have my picture
taken for a directory, which I resisted for 6 years. It could be put
off no longer. A few of my buddies and I got in line and had a ton of
fun trying to look professional. A week or so later, the picture came
back and I was confronted with something that I had already known: I had
let myself get way too big. Jabba big. Pergill big. I should be Han
average, but it seemed that I had taken Malakili as my patron saint.
Something had to be done about it.
That day, I jumped off the couch and went for a walk. I was
incredibly pleased to be able to go an entire mile. That was the first
step in a long journey of trying to live a little better each day. Over
the past few months, I have been thinking of this as my D’Qar D’iet.
Clever, right?
We first saw D’Qar in The Force Awakens
as the base of the Resistance. This is the place that shelters our
heroes and where they planned the devastating hit on the First Order.
Finn had to survive long enough to get to D’Qar so that he could redeem
himself from his former life. Rey found what she was truly looking for
in the Resistance – camaraderie and community. So, in a manner of
speaking, D’Qar is the goal that I have set for myself. There are
nefarious forces attacking me – sugar, laziness, soda, snacking,
overindulgence.
What a bunch of lies I had fallen for. The Longing
So how did Finn and Rey reach the safe haven of the Resistance base?
On Jakku, Finn refused to engage in the destruction of Lor San Tekka’s
village. He saw the error in his ways. He boldly kept his blaster
silent. Rey, several miles away, was lonely in her struggles, keeping
her turmoil and longing tucked away in her heart. She ate alone, not
sharing a meal with family or friends. Finn and Rey’s lives change when
they connect. Now Rey can have a companion for dinner, and Finn has
something to live for. Holding her hand might be detrimental to his
health, so he has to find other ways to connect.
They
end up on Takodana. “I didn’t know this was this much green in the
whole galaxy,” Rey marveled. As for me, my lifestyle and diet had to
change. Or else my time above dirt would have been short. Greens were
one of the first steps in this process. I began to eat better. For me,
that meant tracking my food intake with an app on my phone. It turns
out I was treating myself a lot, so over a month or so I took my caloric
intake down to a responsible amount for gradual weight loss. I added
more fruits and vegetables into my diet, and found the gumption to avoid
the tempting bits – chocolate, soda and fried things. The Method
I was willing to try anything and take a chance. Finn took a chance
on honesty, and was willing to be exiled as a deckhand for Captain
Ithano and Quiggold. Could I eat less? Could I cut it down to only
three meals a day, ignoring even Elevensies? It was a mighty test of
the will, and I fell down a few times as well. The most important thing
about falling down is the forgiveness and the rising afterwards.
For
fear of the dark side, I began to run. As Rey ran through the forest
to escape Kylo Ren, I ran to escape my multitude of tasty
transgressions. At first I walked a mile. Then it was two. After a
month I could do 2 miles on the treadmill (Did I mention I was letting a
gym extort me for a few bucks each month for 2 years before my decision
to get fit?). After 3 months I took up the Couch to 5K challenge. The
first workout was to run for 90 seconds. After that, my lungs and legs
went on strike and weren’t seen for a few days. But eventually they
came back and I finished the program in 8 weeks. By the end of it, I
could indeed finish a 5K. However, this was supported by eating right
and being consistent. Last week I ran in a local road race for the
first time in 21 years. I didn’t not break any records, but I finished
the race.
While on Takodana, Chewbacca was fine tuning the Millennium Falcon.
He was fixing the technology so that he would be able to get out of
tight spots in the future. Technology has also been a great assistant
in my journey. I use an app to measure my calories, another to track my
exercise, and another to remind me to keep active throughout the day.
If you want, I would be glad to share the multitude of apps I have
tried. I have probably been through 100 to find what works for me.
When
the heroes gather back on D’Qar and become a mighty force. Finn and
Rey, Han and Poe. Everyone is now ready to take on the First Order. My
whole family has changed their lives as well. We are doing this
together. It is incredibly reassuring to know that we are all
supporting each other. Instead of hitting the ice cream store, we go
for a bike ride or a hike. These people I live with are pretty amazing,
and we can spend a lot more time talking about it when we are active
together. The Victory
As a parish priest, I have coffee or meals with parishioners and
friends multiple times a week. This is an opportunity to stuff my face
or teach myself a little bit of restraint. I approach each situation
thinking about my goals. As Han approached Maz Kanata’s Castle, he was
entering a feasting hall that offered a good time and the opportunity to
gorge on sumptuous foods. Han knew what he was sitting down for and
stuck to his plan. He didn’t hit the buffet line three times, but gave
his attention to his diminutive host. Community gatherings ought to be
about the human interactions. I give all of my attention to my
companion, and not to the menu. In any situation, there are
temptations; each one can be handled, one small step and moment at a
time.
Rebel Orange, of course.
So there you go. I am down 70 pounds and feeling terrific. There is
still a long way to go. According to the government’s charts, I am
only 7 pounds from being only overweight. Several chronic conditions
have disappeared from my life, and my blood pressure was 120/80
recently. Crazy, right? At least three of my friends have come on
board and are working hard, as well as my family at home. Together we
are all hoping to be big losers, but living to fight another day.
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