Here’s the deal–I’ve discovered that I really like writing this blog! When I began back in early 2017, I divided my posts into 3 categories: Aging Gracefully, Living Healthier, & Facing Challenges. I envisioned the categories getting equal play time as I shared my love of essential oils and cooking real food, bungled my way through my first real full blown gardening experience, and navigated a huge medical center in a huge city with my husband as he received innovative cancer treatments. Unfortunately my plans didn’t turn out the way I would have liked, and the “Facing Challenges” category took over everything.
For 2019, I’m certainly NOT going to abandon the “Facing Challenges” category because those posts are what made me realize how much writing helps me, and as we all know, new trials that we must face come along all the time. However, one of my new challenges in my newish reality is to get back to some of my old favorite and healthy habits. Once upon a time during my old life, I enjoyed grocery shopping, finding new recipes, cooking and eating healthy food. I also (with my husband’s encouragement and serious nudging) spent a part of almost every day exercising. I learned to really appreciate (if not always enjoy) how it made me feel, and I relished the time we spent together running, biking, and walking. Maybe that’s part of why I stopped…..it reminds me of a life that’s gone, it’s not the same without him, and I don’t care as much (but I think I really do, and I know he would want me to!). I also didn’t have a kitchen of my own for a long time, so that came into play as well, though when I write it, it just sounds like another excuse to me!
Regardless of the reasons, I have gained around 35 pounds since moving back to my hometown. I had gained another 30 in the last year of B’s treatments, and another 10 that I blame on menopause, so that brings us to a grand total of 75 pounds that I really don’t need to carry around everyday! I KNOW intellectually that the extra weight is hurting my body, and if I wasn’t smart enough to realize it, my joints and other various body parts are screaming at me and have been for a while. It’s time for me to start listening!
It’s a new year, and I do like fresh starts. I’m tired of my own excuses as to why I don’t eat the way I know is best and do things that make me feel good. Kind of silly when you really think about it. This isn’t about a fad diet for me; it’s a lifestyle. I preach all the time about getting rid of toxins and contaminants around our homes and in our bodies. Eating real food is a huge part of that. If you pay attention at all, you know that diet can make a massive difference in one’s health. It’s not about weight; it’s about health. I don’t like the way our society judges people who are overweight. Being larger does not equal being in poor health just as being thin does not translate into being healthy. What you put in your body matters though—in a monumental way. Junk in….can’t expect anything but junk for results.
So, here’s my plan–to keep myself accountable and motivated, I’m going to blog about this new journey! My goal is to write a blog post about how I’m doing every 2-3 days. This is a HUGE writing goal for me as well!!!! All of this is part of my journey to get back to a healthy way of life both physically and mentally. I hope to incorporate components of many different “diets” and nutritional expert advice into this quest. I’m not doing Keto, or Paleo, or only eating grapefruit all day, or going completely vegetarian….but incorporating all of the things that have worked in the past as well as new ideas that I believe will make me HEALTHIER.
I get bored with the same old food and meals so trying a lot of new recipes is in the plan. In the spirit of the movie “Julie & Julia”, I am going to use a favorite blog and cookbook of mine. Cookie and Kate is a blog that I’ve followed for a while, and the cookbook “Love Real Food” by Kathryne Taylor is awesome. She uses real, as close to their source as possible ingredients, and all her recipes are vegetarian. Kate also offers gluten-free, dairy free, vegan, and nut free variations for most of her creations. The recipes are GOOD, the pictures are beautiful, and most of all, I love her spirit because she obviously likes to have fun and celebrate life. She also happens to have an awesome dog/sidekick named Cookie!
So, there you go. I hope you will continue to read as I write about my newest challenge. I promise to be honest with the ups and downs, and of course, continue to write about my feelings as I maneuver through this crazy life.
