My view on Good Health practices

I used to hate my scale. I used to either feel disgusting or elated on Weigh In Day, depending on what that number on the scale said.

Well, I can't quite put into words what changed, over the past few months, my mind has changed completely. I've gone from being frustrated with the scale to seeing it as a tool to help me measure my overall fitness. But it's just one tool of many. The most important tool is how I feel.

When I something healthy for my body, I generally find I have sense of well being. When I go for a work out, even though I really didn't feel like it, I know I'm doing something good for myself and I feel stronger - not just physically, but on every level - emotionally, spiritually, etc.

Every time I have a crisp delicious homemade green salad, I feel a small sense of peace and satisfaction.

Every time I get on the scale (which is still nearly daily), and it goes up or down a pound, my mood doesn't change. The result no longer rules my day. It takes 3500 calories beyond my 1200/day to gain a pound of fat in 1 day. I don't eat nearly that much on a REALLY off day, so I know I'm heading the right direction, even if it says it's up a few pounds. Water and muscles are heavy, after all. In fact, I only "count" my LOWEST weight during any given month as my weight for that month. And ya know what? It works! Even if I only lose 1 pound/month, it's a pound in the right direction!(For the record, since June I'm down from 211 to 206.) Weekly weigh-ins just don't seem to work well for me, so I found something that did.

When I break out the tape measure once a month - then I'm looking forward to the results! I see them every day in the way my clothes fit, so the tape measure has been my best tool to remind me that I'm going the right direction. Since I only do this once a month, I stay motivated to make good decisions.


Life is a journey - an adventure. The longer I make healthier decisions, the healthier I'll be and the longer I'll be around for My Sailor, my loved ones, and all the adventures to come.

To sum up, I've learned that:
1) I can't control everything that happens in my body. But I can choose to control the fuels I put in, the rest I give it, and the amount of work I make it do. Everything else, from my ability or inability to get pregnant to the high cholesterol I can't seem to find a cause for,is beyond my control - so Hakuna Matata to that. (DISCLAIMER: I also come from the school of thought of "medicine only when absolutely necessary". Working in the medical field has taught me that doctors are just people "practicing" medicine. We really don't know enough to say we're "doing" medicine yet. We probably never will.)
2) 'Perfection' isn't a number on a scale. Happiness isn't a waist size. And being lovable has nothing to do with the amount of junk in the trunk. It's all to do with what you believe. I may never be "perfect". I'll always be a work in progress, but I'm okay with that. Am I happy with myself? When I make good and healthy decisions - YES. Am I worthy of love? Completely. I believe you can't give what you don't have. Giving what you don't have is God's realm. But giving yourself the gift of care, just as you'd take care of someone you love, is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself - 'cause truly, it keeps on giving!
3) If I do the work, the results will follow. I find if I focus on the results I want, it's easy to get discouraged. If I focus on just the simple task ahead (like picking out a healthy lunch, or going for a walk one step at a time), I find myself capable of more than my mind thought I could do!

I know as long as I do the work the weight will come off - eventually.