I'm up for a challenge. Heck if I don't do it now when will I? I'm sick and tired of caring the middle age spread. Yeah...the one they talk about but you ignore till it happens to you. The right of passage that I liken to the Freshmen 15 pounds that college kids gain when they go away to college and eat dorm food. I think my gain was classic with a twist of having Ryan in my late 30's, gaining pregnancy weight (normal gain) then having it pass as it did with my previous three pregnancies. I did keep an extra 5 pounds that didn't leave but I wasn't worried. Then the 40's came and over that decade I gained 10 pounds in a blink (it seemed) and then in my 50's I have added another 10 to that. Pow, Bang! 25 pounds that sits on my body as the unwelcome guest.
I've never been obese or overly heavy and I'm grateful I have an okay metabolism. I need to be more active and I won't deny it. I like to walk and I like to hike, I just don't go far enough or long enough or add to that more often per day. I have dogs who should be walked daily and I don't do it. I'm lazy? Well, lets say I use the intense hill on my driveway as a big excuse (especially on warm days) or the hilly nature of where we live (what a great workout though, right?) There are all the speeding drivers on our loop road that bug me (why do they feel they need to cut corners (blind curves) and speed at all?)
Then there was my neck that cut into my yoga practice almost 4 years ago. I've been going to a chiropractor and it has it's ups and downs. Being well (normal) to being out (pain, ache or weird), and the cycle of going to the chiropractor and what I can and can't do had me thinking there wasn't much I could do. Forget the yoga. I had issues with free weights, machines and stuck to simple stretches that I took from my previous yoga practice and added sit-ups, and any other neck friendly warm up in the morning. I added plank pose and recently even started downward facing dog. Could I do yoga again?
My niece has been a great moral booster. She too went to the same chiropractor for neck problems and one day she said enough. She has kids and going to see the doctor with kids in tow up to three times a week at times with no real improvement made her question what she was doing. Another girlfriend I found out went to the same doctor unbeknownst to me till I saw her name on the check in sheet, shared with me her frustrations of not improving. She has a different situation than mine so we can't share like to like. However what we shared was, how dependent we had become with him. The fear of travel (God forbid if our necks flared up!), what if the doctor went out of town, and his work week schedule and trying to get an appointment in his full client practice (Mon, Tue, Wed am, Thur, Fri am). Yes, we all shared this frustration. My niece went cold turkey and stopped going. My friend sought another chiropractor and has found one where she has only needed an adjustment once....once!
I stand before myself and say go, go, go to a proactive direction with your well-being for the remainder of your life! It is my body that I protect and have to keep an open eye on. Now what to do? The above mentioned niece, she did the 17 Day Diet 1 1/2 years ago. She lost 25 pounds and kept it off. Her hubby did it too and he has maintained his weight. Impressive! She has been enthusiastic about it. Profuse excitement just mentioning the 17 Day Diet. Of course she says I should do it. I bought the book and it just arrived. I've just begun reading through it. The 17 Day Diet is four periods involving 17 days of a changing diet. The first phase is where you lose the most weight and then the second is continuing while adding some carbs back in and so forth with the next phases. On the fence. I'm not a "diet" person. I just want to eat healthy and in a moderate manner. Extreme dieting seems wrong to my head and I'm sure my body would rebel. I do like the structure and planned meals and recipes that are in the book. I tried to Google anything of real life people who have done this just to read what they have said. I found many who were just starting and hadn't gone into the second phase of the diet with some keen on the diet and others having problems of staying with it. Trying to find the ones who progressed to the second or further dropped off as it appears they didn't complete the program. It's really important to stick with the whole program or the weight comes back. Many of ones I read cheated quickly. To me, if you are going to do this you have to commit. You can't say you are going to do a big change in your diet and then day 3 you slip and then slip again. Why begin? No self discipline? Why even write or youtube it then? For me, if I'm going to embark then I will commit.
Gym time. I'm ready to change. I have another friend who has gone to Koko Fit for two years and has really liked it. I have an appointment this week to give it a try. I like the idea of having a structured, guided program of exercise that is cardio and strength training personalized to me without having to pay a lot of money for a personal trainer. Check it out here.
My quest has begun. I'll keep an update of my goal for wellness. I don't want to become achy, unlimber, or fearful of moving my body in different ways. I want to keep this vessel that my soul resides in happy which in turn will keep my soul happy. It's time.
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