I’m back from my trip to Israel, the SC legislative session is in full swing and our Internet shop is starting to get swamped again. Before the craziness of 2013 begins, I want to continue my Man Project summary (http://www.wesleydonehue.com/2012/12/13/the-man-project/).

Last week (http://www.wesleydonehue.com/2012/12/31/concentrate-on-your-mind/), I stressed the importance of concentrating on your mind to keep it in good shape. Today, I’m going to focus on the importance of taking care of your body. You only get one body and your habits will define your health, essentially, for the rest of your life. If you consistently feed your body junk, it is not going to perform the way you want it to and you will find that you will no longer have the mental or physical energy to do what you want.

Exercise is Critical

It’s not hard to see that exercise has taken a back seat for most people. Sure, we are busy and life is demanding, but there is always time to add a little bit of exercise in. This year, I was able to shed 20 pounds and as a result, I am in the best shape of my life. If you’re wondering how I did it, I exercise six days a week, 45 minutes a day.

I started with the Insanity program by Beachbody, which is an extremely intense workout, but it is worth every bit of sweat. The program is eight weeks along and promises to get you in the best shape of your life. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete the program as I suffered a serious back injury in the seventh week of the program and had to switch to a kettleball workout. I planned to start back this week, but jetlag and the flu has me down. Monday is my go day. It’s on like Donkey Kong.

Diet is Just as Important, If not More

Exercise is important, indeed, but so is your diet, perhaps even more so. Elizabeth switched to a vegan diet about eight months ago, I’m not quite there yet, but I do eat vegan or vegetarian at least 80% of the time. One thing I do not do – I do not eat junk food, no soda or any type of fast food except occasionally on my cheat day. These products are laced with not only calories, but also preservatives and high levels of sodium, which are no good for you. The ONLY time I drink soda is when I mix Bacardi and Diet Coke, a concoction said to have 0 calories.

Each day I drink at least three liters of water to continuously flush out the toxins. I make it a point to eat 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up to jump start my energy. I’ve also reduced the amount of alcohol that I consume which has become increasingly important during election seasons and legislative session.

Of course, this is not to say that you can’t cheat, you should always allow yourself one day to cheat each week – a guilty pleasure, if you will.

Here’s the most important thing I’ve learned about staying in shape – if you don’t buy junk food, you won’t eat junk food. I’m a snacker. If there is a bbq potato chip in front of me, you best believe that I’m inhaling it as fast I can. That’s why Elizabeth and I NEVER purchase junk food and keep a full stock of almonds, fruits and cut up veggies in the kitchen.

The diet and exercise that I do helps me stay in shape, but it also keeps me healthy, which allows me to continue living the way I do.

- Wesley Donehue

Day 243 – I hate black people, Mexicans and Arabs. Gays too. And women.

No, I don’t hate women. I just hate giving them choices. Also, anyone who doesn’t worship Jesus Christ.

Obviously none of that is true.

The only kind of people I dislike are the people who hate, the ones who are too closed-minded to see differences, hear arguments and experience the world.

But that is the stereotype we Republicans face. We were all born rich and raised in country clubs, thus the reason of our hatred for the poor. We hate handouts because we don’t want the poor to catch up. We enjoy running the world. Entitlements threaten our superiority.

Many say that stereotypes exist because they’re true. And I guess there are some rich Republicans who hate the poor and racists who hate pretty much everyone. But I’ve seen those people in both parties and among many races. Hatred, like morality, isn’t monopolized by any one classification of people.

Yet, that stereotype still exists.

Last week I was stereotyped as a country club Republican and by now you know that’s not true. I am a Republican because I was born poor. I’ve seen how government should work and how it shouldn’t.

Government killed my father. Not literally and placing the blame on anyone but himself is even against my personal beliefs of self-responsibility. Still, I know that he could have worked. He should have worked. He didn’t.

Instead he sat his lazy ass on the couch all day, soaking up every bit of government welfare he could get his hands on. He popped pills, he smoked crack and he did exactly what one does when they have nothing else to do because government gives them the opportunity to do nothing.

Eventually my father became an utterly dependent slave of government entitlements. He died so broke that I had to personally pay for his funeral. Not only did my father not leave anything to me, but he actually cost me, even in death.

Accept for one thing. He left me with an unending desire to be more than him. While in college at the University of South Carolina, I found that most students were running toward something. They ran toward money, being a lawyer, being a doctor, being a fraternity boy, parties, whatever. I wasn’t running toward anything. I was running away from something, as fast as I possibly could.

Then you look toward my mother who used government as it should be used. She took government handouts and raised two children until she could get back on her feet. Welfare was temporary. It was a safety net. It was used for people who could not help themselves at the moment, providing an opportunity for them to help themselves.

Yes, there is a place for government. Yes, government should help people. Government should help people learn to fish for themselves. Because as my father proved, when you give a man a fish, he’s going to ask for another and another and another, until that day he becomes so dependent on your fish that he cannot possibly fish for himself.

Today I write from San Francisco, California, one of the most liberal cities in America. I love this city. I love its freedom, its diversity, its energy and its creativity. I don’t hate its homosexuals, its atheists or its Chinese. I just hate the idea that man cannot help himself. That’s why I’m a Republican.

- Wesley Donehue