I’ve never been a fan of over simplifying things. In fact, it has always bothered me how much network news and even some classes are watered down to make them easier to understand. Some things are complicated and cannot be distilled into sound bites or catch phrases. Albert Einstein once said to “[m]ake everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” But then there are other things that are simple, but people like to complicate because it makes them feel better.

I realized this “complication” phenomenon when Mark and I started to plan our exercise sessions. Mark is a bit of a health crazy (at least compared to me), so we decided to enter into an arrangement. For these summer months, Mark and I are going to meet and he is going to try to make me at least a little athletic. I’m optimistic, especially if I don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.

If you search for “weight loss” on Amazon, you get 59,111 books alone! The hundreds of methods that purportedly help you get in the “best shape of your life” are really all saying the same thing. They will complicate it with color coded charts and fun recipes. It seems the key to getting into shape is much simpler than these books would have you believe. There are only two ways to get in shape:

1. Eat less
2. Exercise more

Oddly, it was in a sermon a few years ago that I first heard the two simple steps. While guests during the third hour of The Today Show and “experts” have other methods, every method can be distilled down to these two steps. Of course, discovering the essentials doesn’t make executing them any easier.

I hope I can follow my own advice.