I tend to get very reflective this time of year with my thoughts. Something about the end of the year does that to me. I'm a deep thinker, always have been. So as I sit here eating my morning meal (pictured above), I am consuming the last piece of bread I have in my house. It's organic, of course, but flour will be leaving my diet come January 1. I will be posting the article I am writing about that nutritional plan in the next day or so.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother to care so much about other people's well-being, as it seems most people don't give proper attention to their own health, as it is reflected by what they eat that tells me that. I have an extensive background in nutrition and exercise, some 30 years. I've had some more formal training with certifications and diploma, but I have logged countless hours of self-study during that period. For years I went back and forth with my eating habits and my exercise, never being consistent and sticking with it. By the time I was 38 in 2000, and my dad died, I was at my heaviest weight in my life...200 pounds! I'm only 5'5-1/2"! The stress of my dad's illness turned me to comforting myself with the wrong foods, and the pounds packed on.
Fast forward to 2009, even though I had experienced a good weight loss several years previous, I still wasn't where I needed to be, and now health issues were creeping in. Frantic to get it under control, I turned to Western medicine for an answer. It didn't help, in fact it intensified the problem. I started using some herbs and was able to get the situation under control, albeit, I would find just temporarily. Eastern medicine to the rescue! The last 6 years though have been tough ones, as the issue didn't completely go away, and I found out in 2014, I was literally feeding the problem. Months before that when I made a big change in my diet and exercise, it was as if the flood gates of Hell had opened. Once again I found myself struggling to get through a health crisis.
In 2011, I embarked upon certification as a personal trainer. I was doing pretty good that year, consistently working out at the gym, and improving my eating habits, knowing this is what I needed to do. At the end of the year, I took a pretty bad fall....and that knocked me off the wagon. 2012 and 2013 were bad years. I went back to old habits and by the beginning of 2014, I was in poor shape. I had packed on the pounds and was back up to just over 162. Also, my health issue had resurfaced, and serious anemia had set in. By April, I knew I had to get a handle on this once and for all. I just simply could not continue to go on this way. I was close to being hospitalized.
The diet was the first thing to be addressed, and over night I went cold turkey...no more refined white flour or refined white sugar, no red meat (was causing inflammation issues in my thumb where I had developed arthritis), no junk food, no fast food, no deep fried food. Fortunately, I had given up soda pop many years before. And no alcohol. I wasn't big on drinking to begin with. Occasional red wine when I did. Back to the gym to get the weight off. By the end of 2014, I was 34 pounds lighter, and was the smallest I'd been since I was in high school. The health issue is now under control, I have maintained my weight loss within 4 pounds, and I've never felt better!
So, all this said to get to my point. I have experienced seeing many friends deal with serious health issues this year, and unfortunately have lost two young friends in 2015. I have long been fascinated with how the human body works, and amazed, yet sad at how much abuse it can take. We do so many things that are bad for us, and seemingly we get away with it...in our 20's...our 30's....our 40's. But then late 40's early 50's arrive and we start seeing we are reaping what we sow. I have blogged about this before. We are each responsible for what we eat, that being said, it is our own fault when things go awry because of it. I have had a lot to deal with, and took the necessary measures to regain my health. I can only hope I have not done irreversible damage.
I hear it all....the 'reasons', which are just excuses really. Moderation is a word that comes up. I totally get it. People are way sensitive about their eating habits, especially when they have poor ones. Nobody wants to give up the bad stuff, it tastes so good, any hey, I 'deserve' it! I've been there, done that, and I can tell you from personal experience, it is not worth the repercussion. I consistently tell my friends I am here to help, that I care. Sadly, it seems to fall on deaf ears. When I do hear from someone, it is because something unfortunate has transpired, and now they realize the need to change. It's ok. I'm still here for you even after the fact. I would like very much to stress prevention however, not damage control. Either way, I'm here to assist you in dealing with it. We can work through it, but understand it will take patience and consistency...and yes, those poor eating habits will have to go, there is no way around it!
It may seem that eating right isn't any fun. Well, let me tell you, being sick and unhealthy is not any fun. Being overweight and unhealthy is hard...losing weight is hard, but is worth the effort to ensure improved health. You've got to stick with this...everyday. It's not a fad, it's a lifestyle. The foods I prepare and eat taste good. It takes preplanning, effort and time. Convenience foods are over processed, fast food is cheap...don't jip yourself, you're worth more than that. I truly don't miss what I've left behind. Once you start reaping the benefit of feeling better, you will realize you didn't know you could feel so good! That's a big payoff! You don't have to wait for the new calendar year to roll over, start today! Change your bad habits....your life depends on it!
