Strive for Greatness!

Eating healthy AND staying healthy is very important. I have been blessed with a high metabolism and never had problems with gaining too much weight. Right now I am the heaviest I have ever been, but that's still pretty skinny (just a little bit more around the tummy).

But, there are many who cannot help control their weight, cannot help the way they look. You CAN however, help the way you feel about yourself. Love you for who you are, and that confidence will be reflected outwards. If you feel comfortable with yourself, others will also see you as a confident and beautiful individual.

Child obesity is at its highest right now, with around 43 million children in preschool classified as overweight or obese globally in 2010. Research conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that this has increased by a staggering 60% in the last 20 years. It has been estimated that by the year 2020, 9% of all preschoolers, around 60 million children will be overweight or obese.
Those are just statistics for preschoolers - children under the age of 5, it does not take into account children of older age groups.

As our diets change and the world around us keeps getting more and more hectic, the time we have to prepare healthy homemade food gets cut short. We live a much faster paced lifestyle than we did just a decade or two ago. Our diets change to keep up with this new fast paced life, resulting in frozen foods and fast foods that contribute to our ever-increasing waistlines.

We need to take responsibility and control of our health, and adults in turn for their children's. Obesity does not only affect the physical health of a child, but it can also affect their mental health. How many of us know or have been the kid who was bullied in school or at the playground just because he/she was fat? Was that the kid's fault? Does a child know how to control or develop good eating habits? No! It needs to begin at home, with parents helping out their children and teaching them healthy habits.

It is harder for some, born with the wrong kind of genes, or with gland problems that cannot be easily resolved. But for most just basic good, healthy eating habits and little bit more outdoor activities a day (it doesn't have to be in the form of exercise) is all it takes. A little bit can go a long way.

Below is an article that ran in the KLBC Buzz, January 2013. The story was written by Sarah Hoffman, a contributing writer and edited by me. I thought this article would be perfect for today's post. I have re-edited/re-written the article from its original format.

The article is about a boy, Mason Harvey, who's just an astounding, driven individual and this is his story.

Strive for 85: Mason Harvey's journey to weight loss.

Raise your hand if you were "that fat kid" in school. Still painful to carry that label, isn't it? And, unfortunately, recent statistics show even more children fall into this category each year. Recent decades have seen an unfortunate and drastic increase in childhood obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control’s website, 7 percent of children aged 6-11 were obese in 1980.  In 2008, that statistic shot to 20 percent. As for adolescents, the website stated that the percentage of obese children aged 12-18 increased from five percent in 1980 to 18 percent in 2008.

In light of these dismal numbers, it is comforting to know that at least a small portion of children are fighting back. Stories are beginning to circulate of adolescents becoming “fed up” so to speak, with being overweight.

One of these children is non other than Mason Harvey tells a very similar story. A resident of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Harvey struggled with being overweight throughout his childhood. At age 11 and a weight of 206 pounds, he decided he had had enough.
“I was sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Harvey said.

When Harvey began his football season in sixth grade, he noticed that he needed to make some changes.
“I had a prescribed asthma inhaler, but no asthma. I knew I was slower than the other kids, and I knew I wasn’t healthy. It was at that point I felt I had to do something.”

Harvey’s bad habits that led to his weight gain sound very familiar for many of us, mirroring the habits and lifestyles of an increasing number of overweight children and their families

“A lot of my bad habits consisted of unhealthy eating, playing too many video games, watching too much TV, sitting on the couch too much, sleeping too much, and not exercising at all,” Harvey said. “Not to mention all the fast food nights during sports when we would grab something quick and easy, then go straight home to bed.”

The results of Harvey’s lifestyle were devastating not only to his health, but to his social life as well.
“I was tired all the time, and I had a hard time breathing,” Harvey said. “I had been picked on because of my weight, and I didn’t have very high self-esteem. I had friends all along, but not nearly as many as I do now that I’m more outgoing.”

Once this ambitious young man set his mind to getting fit, it seems he never looked back. He put together a diet and exercise program that was both practical and organized.
“I started by joining a strength training course at our local gym and exercising,” Harvey said.
“Secondly, I sat down with my parents, and we made weekly menus and grocery lists to incorporate healthy foods into our meals. Next, I made a commitment to cut back on pop, chips, candy and other junk foods. I started drinking more water and Gatorade and ate more fruits and vegetables. I watched my portion sizes and most importantly, I got off the couch and started getting active.”

Harvey is fortunate to have a loving and supportive family. He is the middle child of Julie and Mike Harvey, who are his biggest fans. His older brother Brennan and younger brother Casey were always by his side on his weight loss journey

“My family is a loving, supportive family, “Harvey said. “My parents like to play and have fun with us and like to watch us kids play sports. My brothers played a big part in helping get me outside to play, ride bikes, jump on the trampoline, and whatever else to stay active. Now my family helps participate in some of my missions when I do runs or stair climbs. We all like to laugh and experience new things together.”

Once Harvey had shed an impressive 85 pounds, he entered the seventh grade weighing 120 pounds. He now maintains his weight around 125 pounds. Feeling great, he decided that losing the weight wasn’t the end of his goal. He wanted to take it a step further and help others.
“I felt awesome,” Harvey said. “And I thought, 'If I can do it, anyone can.'"

During his strive to lose 85 pounds, Harvey had read a story that the mayor of Oklahoma City had challenged the city to lose one million collective pounds. Harvey wanted to participate but he was 12 and the minimum age for participants was 14. Soon after, Harvey read in the newspaper that the city had reached the weight loss goal. He decided to share his success story.
“I contacted the mayor and asked him to tell the city congratulations and shared my story,” Harvey recalled. “The mayor invited me to the State of the City Address on January 19, 2012. 1400 people and I was the only kid there."

The mayor shared Harvey’s pictures and his story with the people gathered there. Many people offered their congratulations and told Harvey that he inspired them. This moment was very moving for Harvey.
“I thought if I inspire adults, imagine what I could do for kids,” Harvey said.

It was at this point that his strive for 85 philosophy was born. Harvey began to make his goals in 85s.
“It hit me that I lost 85 pounds and 85 was my magic number,” Harvey recalled.
Amazingly, Harvey has already met the majority of his goals in less than a year and is working on new ones.

One of his goals was to meet 85 important and influential people to help spread his message about childhood obesity.
“My number one person was Michelle Obama, whom I had the pleasure to meet in April at the White House Easter Egg Roll,” Harvey said. “She is amazing! I have also completed 85 missions/events this year since I started in January.”

When he is not attending his seventh grade classes at Guthrie Junior High School or participating in activities such as National Junior Honor Society, the FCCLA club, art class, football, basketball and baseball, Harvey is always hard at work on his most passionate goal.
“I would say the one goal that is most important is to inspire 85 kids to get active and healthy," Harvey stated. "I would like to think that I’ve reached that goal because I’ve met so many kids already that tell me what a good job I’ve done and how amazing my story is. That’s what it’s all about—me wanting to be a spokeskid and reach out to others.”

In addition to completing his many impressive “85” goals, Harvey is spreading his message by giving motivational speeches at schools to inspire other children to lose weight. He always shares his life motto.
“Small steps plus smart choices equals big changes,” Harvey said. “If I can do it, anyone can.”

You can read more about Mason Harvey and his continuing achievements on his website at www.strivefor85.com. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or check out his videos on YouTube.

Mission 85 - On Dec. 1, 2012, Mason Harvey reached his goal. He attend the Little Willies Triple Dog Dare (for more information about this event go to littlewilliestripledogdare.com). The event consisted of three buildings and 69 flights of stairs. Before the event Harvey was quoted saying, "I WILL climb the 3rd 16 story building twice to complete 85 flights of stairs in under 85 minutes for my 85th mission."

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

― Mahatma Gandhi