Conscious and Accountable

Sixteen days have had a tremendous impact on my health and well-being.  I have lost 6.5 pounds without being hungry even one time.  I have started to learn to “bank” calories against exercise. My hips don’t hurt when I sleep.  I have come back from the precipice of waddling instead of walking. Could 6.5 pounds make that much difference?  Could being conscious and accountable really change so much so quickly?

I look at what I just wrote and think back over 30 years of dieting.  I guarantee you that I wasn’t worried about my hips hurting in my sleep or whether or not I waddled when I walked. I was worried about looking good in the new outfit with the hot shoes.  Believe me, it was all about appearance.  Now, in my second half century, I am concerned with the quality my life will have as I age.  I want to be walking around when I am 100.  I want to have a strong mind and memory.  It would be great to be healthy and active until then. I’d like to travel with my family.  I’d like to see how my son shapes his future. I’d like to hike the Pacific Rim Trail with my husband (in tiny distances with lots of hotel stays -= in case you’re reading this, EvBo).  I’d really like to be an active Grandma (some day, not too soon ;-)).  So I started changing my habits now.

A couple of months ago I had the usual battery of blood tests for a physical.  ALL of them were in the healthy range.  Even my thyroid (medicated though it is) was performing well.  So, I guess there was no blaming the fat on an underactive thyroid, eh? It had to be something else and I had to make changes while I was healthy…not after something went wrong and I was back peddling to regain health.  So, right then and there, I mentally committed to changing my evil ways.  It took a bit longer to get all of me on board with the changes...but I am there now!

So here’s what I think is working this time:

·         I am doing this for health

·         I am doing this for me

·         I am actually doing this

In a future blog I’m going to talk about all of the crazy diets that worked for me…and the dismal lack of follow-up I demonstrated to keep the weight off. Should be entertaining!

Tomorrow is my son’s 20^th birthday.  We are going to San Francisco and we’ll be walking around all day.  I will be able to do that without complaining.  Yay! Losing weight is turning out to be a gift for everyone.

Here are two of my favorite reasons for EVERYTHING!