You may have noticed that I've taken a break from writing in my blog and that I'm just getting back at it. You may have been wondering what has been keeping me so busy this year--but most likely you didn't even notice my absence. It's okay. I know how you feel. Your life is busy enough without me.
Still, some people have asked. I haven't published a book, cured cancer, gotten my degree or anything terribly noteworthy that would logically keep me from writing on occasion. Actually, I have been on a journey of self-discovery--yep, code word for being selfish. I was staring my 40th birthday in the mirror and couldn't see it because my thighs were hiding it. I vowed that I was NOT going to turn 40 and still be overweight and out of shape. Then, a year rolled around and I knew I wouldn't see my 41st birthday because it was upstairs and climbing stairs exhausted me. That was it. I needed a change. I stopped writing and started exercising. Guess I thought that I couldn't do them both.
When the pounds started to drop and I no longer needed an oxygen mask to get up to my bedroom, my friends started asking what it was that I was doing and why wasn't I telling them how to do it. I should have been blogging about it--I know that. It would have been very reassuring if I had been reading about someone else that was trying to re-introduce exercise into their lives after giving it the boot in college. But I wasn't thinking that way. I was thinking about how I had to get to bed by 9:30 because the 5:30am alarm was jolting me out of bed no matter what. I'm sorry that I didn't share it with you. It would have been nice to know that just one other person was taking the journey with me.
What I did was this. After watching dozens of exercise infomercials I chose Tony Horton's P90X and ordered it online with the express shipping. For the next year I got up every weekday morning and did whatever Tony asked me to do (except for the diet part--I can only take so much torture.) A year later I had dropped 25 pounds and went from a size 12 jean to a size 4. In the process I discovered that I was stronger than I thought and I had more willpower than I ever knew I could possess.
It's been a great journey so far. I can jump and kick like a teenager with only a slightly bad knee. My heart and lungs kick the tar out of the treadmill and my resting heartbeat could lull a baby to sleep. Best of all, I was able to take a "strenuous" (that's what it said on the map) hike through Bryce Canyon with my son without having to stop, lean over and wish to heaven that someone would airlift me out of there.
I've been at it a solid year and a half now and feel pretty confident that I can write and exercise--though not at the same time. Since I set goals on my birthday, rather than new years, and my birthday is tomorrow, I have a new goal that I'm actually going to share. I'm becoming a Vegan and I've given myself a year to do it. This time, I'm going to share the journey. So stay tuned. Oh, and let me know if you're going to do it with me. I love having friends along for the ride.
2 comments:
I hope at 40 I have the will power to kick my butt. I can say with truth that this last 3 years with out a doubt have kicked my emotional butt so maybe the next three I can get my big sisters help to kick it physically. I love you and have missed your writting, can't wait to see what 42 brings you since I still see you as 16 and always my fun beautiful wonderful special sister that loves me always.
You can do it. If I can do it, then you can do it. I can't run a 5-K so you're already ahead
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