Dreaded Exercise!

OK. Had company last night. Had Chocolate Silk Cream pie and apple pie. I ate both. In fact I ate a couple pieces of both. Therefore I did not face the scales this morning.

I woke up about 6, did everything I could then I realized that I need to .... exercise. I nearly talked myself out of it. Would have been very simple. Then I mentally kicked myself in the butt and told myself to just go out for a "walk". It is a beautiful morning! Far nicer than we have a right to hope for in April.

Could not find my walking shoes, another chance to forget it. Put on the old nasty shoes, some very dusty exercise clothes and out the door I went. I walked, not even fast. It really felt nice. It felt so nice that I sped up a bit. There was a couple that look 10-20 years older than me walking ahead of me. They were walking much faster than I was, so even my "faster" was not that fast.  Then pretty soon I started jogging. NOW my body and mind really went into shock! Wow, I did still know how to jog! (Not like I have ever "jogged", just that it was so slow it would be illegal to call it running) I went quite a bit further than I would have guessed I could go (thought was 5 steps). Then I just walked faster and would jog a short distance then walk again. Then slowed down and cooled off just before home.

Now understand the entire event took less than 30 minutes and was just a mile. And in my long ago past, a good brisk walk broke more of a sweat than this did this morning. The point is, I started. I enjoyed it. It was not a chore, torture, horrible. In fact, I enjoyed it! I know, shocked me too.

I promise you this would not have been the case at 255 or 230 and so forth. But it is the case now. Also, I did not go out and walk/run 5 miles. I walked one mile.

In 1989, at about 200 pounds, I got an incredible break. I got a job driving bus at the INEL. It paid more money than I ever thought I could earn at that time in my life. It also required that you wear a uniform... with a belt... and shirt tucked into pants......  I had 90 days of probation to not look like a chunky flabby apple with a belt.  I started eating just salads, even got to liking them. I started walking around the river 5 days a week,  2.3 miles I think.  I did not own a scale, but over those 90 days I went from about a size 20 pants (uniform size) to a 14 and got to about 170 pounds would be my guess. I did not look too bad! Over the next several months, I lost about another 10 pounds and was wearing a size 12 of those wool, very expensive uniform pants. I was 31 years old. And the sizes were smaller and those uniform pants ran small, that would be about an 8 now. (Not sure, but let me have my fantasy) I looked pretty darn healthy. And I felt really good.

Had I continued, I would be a very healthy weight today, not the case.

The biggest point is that it was a combination of things that got me there. First eating right. Without that, I could not have exercised and even with just exercise, I would not have lost what I lost or felt how I felt. Second, eating right. Going on some stupid fad would not have had me feeling good or being healthy. And third, exercise. That toned my body, increased muscle, helped me feel good. And a HUGE thing was this: If I work this hard, no way am I going to mess it up with a Chocolate Silk Cream pie! Just like a 3 legged stool, each of the 3 was needed and each of the three supported each other.

Three? Bet you think I can't count! Nope, that is how important eating right is. And really there are two parts to the eating right. One, the right "things". And two, the right amount.

Eating right? Tons of books, theories, studies and so forth and I am not an expert.  I do know that it only makes sense that you eat a variety of food that includes a larger portion of veggies and fruit. You need protein and grains and other stuff. It seems logical to me to avoid sugar and processed stuff. Way too many chemicals, fats and other stuff you don't need, or don't need that much of.

Past that, past being reasonable, you need to do what will work for you. I also strongly believe that what is healthy for one, may not be for another. If for no other reasons, allergies.

I think you know you. What makes you feel healthy. Not comfort food. Not the stuff I curl up with a glass of milk and blankie and pout on the couch with. But what makes you feel good the rest of the day? What gives you the "real" energy to live your life? Not caffeine or other junk like that (says the cola addict).

Do some thinking, figure it out!