I always have a lot of irons in the fire, involved in relentless projects of unknown duration or return on investment. It’s one of my tenets that I live by: keep busy so your mind doesn’t have time to fail.
The result of my efforts often produces conflicting results. Challenges, while stimulating, can also produce stress. Take my blogs for example. I don’t experience stress while writing them. If anything, they help me reduce stress by getting my thoughts out instead of keeping them locked up inside. Finding time to write the blogs, on the other hand, can at times become stressful. I try to get a blog out every other day or so, but I don’t always meet that goal.
The one thing I’ve learned in life is that you will make time for the things that are important to you and these blogs are important to me. Not only do they help me personally, but they also help others and that’s a very worthwhile goal. I’ll continue to find time to write these blogs because I find them important.
One area for which I’ve been failing to make time is my well-being. I’ve not been exercising as much as I should, blaming it on being too busy or being limited by Myasthenia Gravis, which is a bunch of baloney because there are plenty of exercises I can still do. On top of that, I’ve put on a few more pounds. I’ve always said change will never occur unless a person becomes unhappy with their current situation. As long as they are willing to tolerate a situation, they will have no reason to change it and they will continue with the status quo.
Recently, my pants have become a little tight around the waist. Okay, not a little tight, suck it in or you can’t get them zipped tight. The scale showed me a number that is higher than it has ever shown me before. I look in the mirror and I wonder who this chunky fellow is wearing my glasses. Now I’m uncomfortable. I’ve reached a point where I need to make exercising and losing some weight a priority. I’m uncomfortable with the person I see in the mirror and I am ready to move the situation to the status of: Important.
I have all kinds of reasons why I feel I need to eat big meals and snack exorbitantly. I deserve it. I work hard. I deserve some satisfaction in life. That lifestyle is now taking a toll. If I’m not careful, it will lead to other problems and compound the problems I already have. I have Myasthenia Gravis and some heart problems now, I don’t need to be adding diabetes or any of the other host of problems that comes with being overweight.
For that reason, beginning today, I’m going to start on a challenge. I want to lose 20 pounds by the end of the year. That’s a doable goal. No crash diets. No becoming a gym rat with excessive workouts. I will just gradually increase my amount of exercise and decrease my calorie intake.
I tell myself I try to eat healthy meals, but I negate my efforts with unhealthy snacks. I love planned desserts, so maybe those need to become once a week instead of once a night. I know better than to just cut stuff out completely, because I will become fed up and give up on my goal. It’s much better for me to reduce rather than eliminate entirely. Eat healthier meals, supplement with only healthy snacks, and eat because I’m hungry, not because I’m bored.
This will be a change for me, but a much needed change. To help me on this challenge, I will report back on my blog at least weekly on how I’m doing. That will help hold me accountable.
Wish me luck and if anyone cares to join me, let me know. We can encourage each other. You can email me at [email protected].