In November of 2011, I made a big transition. I left my part time job at our local Symphony
to accept a full time job at a regional Health System, working in the marketing
department on the digital care team. I
went from being ‘fat and happy’ so to speak, working with 5 women my own age
who’s idea of a good time was meeting after work over wine and lavosh; to
working in a group of 60 people, all younger than me, who’s main concerns in
life seem to be working out and staying fit. I knew then that I could either
continue my comfortable but unhealthy lifestyle – or get fit and fit in! I also knew I wouldn’t be able to do that on
my own. For one, I’m 54 years old, and
two, I just don’t have that much discipline. That’s when I saw the article on
the employee intranet about a 13-month Healthy Living program.
Originally, it was scheduled to start on
January 1st, so I figured that would make a dandy new year’s resolution. I told everyone what I was going to do, and
of course, shared my plans here. Heck, I
even volunteered to video my progress for the Women’s section of the company website
to promote this service! I was motivated, and excited to start! And
then I waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, this week, two things happened. One – I started recovering from the
month-long sinus, respiratory, ear infection plague that had been shrouding
me. And two, appointments were set for
the three initial meetings I’ll have with the Dietician, the Counselor, and the
Physician that will direct me through this program. The actual program will start for real, this week This is where the rubber hits
the road my friends, As Leonard from the
Big Bang Theory says – “here we go.”
What has unintentionally transpired between November of last
year and now, is that I’ve basically spent three months cultivating a wicked-good
“Before” version of myself. My weight is
higher than it has ever been, my BMI is 31.8, my blood pressure and cholesterol
numbers are higher than they should be. I get winded climbing stairs, and every night
when I come home from work I convince myself that I deserve to veg in front of
the computer or TV with wine and whatever I feel like eating. Basically, I’m a mess, and I hope I don’t die
before the program starts!
My aim though, is not just to lose weight, but to reinvent myself - body, mind and spirit
- over the course of the next 13 months. I want to establish a mindset, like the people I work with, where after
a stressful day I look forward to a vigorous workout or a calming yoga session,
rather than two or three glasses of wine and non-nutritious noshing. I want to start believing that working out is
not the prison sentence it currently looks like. I’m looking forward (at least initially) to putting
together a clear concise plan of what to eat, how much, and when.
On this journey toward a healthier lifestyle, I hope to lose
at least 50 pounds. It will not be easy.
But, if weight loss was easy, obesity wouldn’t be the number one health problem
in America. Which is why I want to share
my journey, warts and all, here in print, and with occasional short
videos. I’m tired of seeing celebrities
apparently magically transformed, with the help of lighting, make up artists,
and who knows what kind of architecture under their clothes, prance around
touting this or that drug, diet or eating system. What about the REAL people? What about people who aren’t 25? What about people who don't have 3 or 4 hours to devote to exercise? Myself, I
want to see and follow along with the hard work it takes to get from Before to
After. So here’s where I start. This is me at 181 pounds …. Before.
I’m determined and confident that I WILL get to After. But I’m also afraid. Afraid that I’ll
fail. Afraid that my After won’t be very
dramatic after all. Afraid that there’s
nothing entertaining or interesting about weight loss. But I’m also hopeful. Hopeful that I can achieve lasting success if
I can take this huge mountain of an undertaking and break it down into several
small molehills.
In these posts I’ll share what I learn, as I learn it. I’ll test out recipes and work outs and let
you know what I think. I’ll talk about my experience both good and bad, and the
experiences of others I encounter on this journey. I’ll share my progress on reprogramming my
brain, breaking bad habits and changing my body image. But not just that, I’m hoping to improve peripheral
problems like insomnia, anxiety, and joint pain.
Hopefully I will learn some things you might
want to adopt for your own effort to achieve a healthier lifestyle. As I share my adventure, sweating like a pig
to shed some unhealthy pounds and habits, I hope my posts inspire you to start
or continue with your own healthy living journey.
Thanks for stopping by, and please tell your friends. I would love to hear from you about your own tips,
insights, and struggles. You can connect
with me here by leaving a comment, or on Facebook, or Twitter.
DISCLAIMER FOR READERS OF THIS SITE: The videos I record will be posted on YouTube and on the Sanford Health Women’s website, under the heading of the As Life Happens campaign. I,
of course will also post them here on my personal blog. But, due to the nature of the Healthy
Lifestyle program, in the video recordings I cannot mention the name of the
program, my involvement with it, or credit any of the professionals or
participants with what I learn or what I do (with the possible exception of a
nameless, faceless personal trainer, and maybe advice from Sanford’s dietary
professionals). It will appear in the
videos, for all intents and purposes that I have come up with, or found these
recipes, workouts and insights all on my own. The truth will have to be our secret my friends.
