I am pleased to announce that the new regime has met with very little resistance, and that was quickly silenced by a look at the scale. Changes are being implemented, goals are being set, and accountability is being established. I even have an exercise ball!
Humor aside, I am taking this very seriously. This is tough for me; even as a kid I wasn't someone who enjoyed a lot of physical activity, so exercise isn't high on my list of "things I want to do today". (My mom used to send me outside in the summer and lock the door so I'd play instead of reading in my room all day. My solution to that was to sneak a book out under my shirt and go sit behind the garage where she couldn't see me.) I cannot even begin to understand how people find exercise "fun". To me, those two words don't even belong in the same sentence. So I'm trying to find ways to move my carcass that don't make me think "Exercise! NOOOOOOoooooo!" One simple thing I've been doing is to walk whenever I'm on the phone, even if I just pace back and forth between the kitchen and living room. I really did get a balance ball, and I roll around on it (when I can snatch it away from my kids). Really I'm just trying to move more, however I can work it in.
As far as diet....well, that's a tough one too. I like food. I like food a lot. And unfortunately, most of my favorite foods are things that don't exactly qualify as "healthy eating". Things like fettucine alfredo, cheesecake, baked mac & cheese, Grandma's oatmeal cake....oh gosh that sounds soooooooo good right now....argh! You see? One thing I have figured out about myself is that I eat when I'm bored. Nothing particular to do? Hey, let's cram something down the ol' gullet! Watching tv in the evening? Can't do it without a snack, it's unAmerican! It has nothing to do with hunger and everything to do with laziness. Instead of finding something productive to do, I shove food down my throat. So now, if I find myself unoccupied, I grab some knitting, or clean something, or work with my beads - anything that keeps my hands busy and full of something that's not food. I'm also trying to get more water down, although I have to confess that most of my water intake is coffee- or tea-flavored. (Hey, it's still a liquid!) But I'll drink a cup of my favorite herbal tea in the evening instead of mowing down a huge bowl of ice cream, or half a box of Cheez-Its. And I'm trying to get more fruits and veggies in, and fewer carbs. (sniffle..)
So that's how I'm starting out. Hopefully little changes will add up over time to make a big difference. I did notice this morning that I'm about a pound lighter already, which was encouraging. I don't just want to be thinner to look better, though, I want to feel better and be healthier. I'd really like to be able to chase my grandkids around some day, you know?
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