The Boot Camp in AZ

It's funny how things always happen in our lives for a reason, but sometimes it is hard to see at the time exactly what that reason is. Take the recent Boot Camp 4 Life in AZ as an example. Our turnout was good but not as great as we had hoped. But, as a result, we ended up spending a lot more time together as a team and really solidifying our purpose as a group.

I was also able to spend some good quality time with Sione and Filipe. We spoke a lot about the challenges that they have faced coming home from Biggest Loser and trying to continue in the new lifestyle that they have learned. Sione expressed to me how difficult it can be to not only try to change his entire way of looking at food and nutrition but to try to get that message to the Tongan people as well. Food is so embedded in the Tongan culture that trying to completely overhaul that outlook can be almost impossible. I suggested to Sione that perhaps the best way to approach things with our Tongan brothers and sisters as well as ourselves is to try to make little changes...baby steps. For example...I now drink only water. And when I do eat some of my favorite foods, I try to eat smaller portions. These aren't huge changes, but they have made a difference for me. I am down another belt hole and have lost more weight since the last time I wrote.

I have come to realize that it has taken me a lifetime to become as heavy as I am. It may take me years to lose that weight. That is ok. As long as I am moving in the right direction...that is what counts. The same is true, brothers and sisters, in all other areas of our lives. We cannot "make everything better." All we can do is start the journey in the right direction and keep moving forward one step at a time. Don't be discouraged...whatever your journey...we can do this together.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu