Day 26

I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about nutrition since my trip to the ER a week ago. Both the doctors and I were concerned I was having a heart episode. I always say that I’m healthier than I deserve because, let’s face the ugly truth, I’m obese (at least 70 pounds past my maximum healthy weight) and for the past few years, I’ve lived a very sedentary lifestyle. I know how to lose weight because I’ve done it before but I’m just not doing it now.  So last night, I was contemplating two things: cleaning out my fridge of all of the vegetables, the youngest of which were over a week old, and what I was going to ask Steve to pick up for dinner...as well as what I would pack for his lunch today.  Then, I had a small but significant epiphany. So I called Steve and asked him to pick up not pizza or Chinese but salad. Before he arrived, I’d salvaged from the fridge and cut and chopped: a bunch of radishes, an Italian pepper, a cucumber and from the pantry, half an onion and three tomatoes that our friend Ginny Irving had given us. When Steve arrived with the salad mix, I tossed it with other ingredients and put a portion in a glass container for Steve’s lunch. Then a sliced two already cooked chicken breasts that were in the fridge, added a third to another container with walnuts and a little bacon for Steve and the rest went into our dinner salad with additional walnuts and bacon.  To that, I added the dressing and tossed and heaped it on two plates for dinner. I didn’t miss the starch from bread or a side and this morning, my stomach feels better than it has in ages.  

True, that’s just one good meal choice but it’s a start.  I know from past experience that I need to record all of my meals (there’s a great free site for that, MyFitnessPal.com), cutback to one starch a day (did a diet created by a doctor out of Vanderbilt years ago that was very successful and it had only two rules, only one starch a day and no sugar), and get more active. I also need to remember the advice my friend, Valarie Davis Rogers gave me yesterday, baby steps.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that I expect too much out of myself at first. I’ve realized lately just how out of shape I’ve gotten so I’m really way back from my old starting line now. There are days it seems so far away that any effort seems futile but more advice from Valarie, any forward movement is progress. So that’s what I’m doing. My exercise for now is just my back stretches, squats and walking the dog a short distance. I realize that doesn’t sound like much but it’s a start and it’s moving forward.