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This, that and the other thing
November first. Yep, here we are rushing toward the end of 2020. You know, 2020, the year we woke up all excited about this, that and the other thing? We were barely into February we found out “the other thing” would just about the only “thing” we’d have on our minds for the rest of the year, that and “toilet paper”. But, COVID-19 aside, 2020 has been a pretty good year. To start, it’s the tenth anniversary of my decision to get fit, for real, no fads, no diets and no gimmicks. I woke up one day, in November of 2010, and decided to get myself sorted out. I had tried dozens of goofy diets, thinking if I lost weight I’d be fit. And then? Well, and then I met a person who spoke softly, carried a measuring tape, had years of experience and knowledge helping people find their healthy lifestyle.
In November of 2010, I had the great fortune of wandering into the little gym in Bloomfield. Of course, I didn’t know how fortunate I was at the time. And, to prove my point, that day I had the nerve to tell the owner I just needed to strap myself to the treadmill, four or five times a week, until I lost 40 pounds. He didn’t laugh and he didn’t tell me I was an idiot or I was too old or I should go on a diet. He did suggest there might be a smarter way to feel better and maybe he could help me redefine my goals. Of course, deep down I knew I was an idiot who, probably, needed to change her lifestyle, but all I really saw, at that time, were numbers on the scale. The numbers on the scale indicated there could possibly be more than one person on the scale—and I wasn’t happy. Earlier in the year, LOML and I had just been in a bike race with our youngest son and the photograph of the three of us together, before the race began, spoke a thousand words to me. There, in the picture, were my two handsome guys and a pudgy, well-past-middle-aged woman who smiled for the camera, but wasn’t really happy. The picture really did it. My knees hurt. My bra straps made my shoulders hurt. My too-tight jeans made my gut hurt. I no longer pretended I could purchase clothing in anything thing but sizes ending in XXs, so I stopped buying new clothes. Overeating, followed with bouts of indigestion became a daily occurrence, and I hated feeling tired all of the time. I had my doctor check my thyroid levels, convinced I was being bamboozled by my thyroid. I just figured losing weight was the answer to my lifestyle problems. Losing weight had been my mother’s answer to everything. It was what my doctor sort of hinted at, but sort of told me he wasn’t in the business of telling people what to eat. He wasn’t a nutritionist. I was depressed but played the jolly, fat lady “role” to the hilt while reminiscing about the days I wore much smaller sizes and could walk to the corner without getting winded.
Ten years have flown by since that fatefilled November. For me, it was forty pounds, out-of-breath walking, ago. Back then I thought knew so much more about myself. Today, I am very aware of how little I knew about me. This, believe it or not, it great progress, the knowing less. I learn something new about myself almost every day. I’ve learned to eat to fuel my day. I’ve also learned that a lifestyle change isn’t bland and boring. I work out at least five times a week, no matter where I happen to be. I’m not afraid of the bathroom scale but, truth be told, we no longer have a bathroom scale. However, I am not unaware, weight-wise. I have learned it wasn’t about the numbers on that dial or about the number of XXs on the label. Truth be told, I can’t even imagine living the way I did ten years ago. My lifestyle works for me. I am in the habit of taking a step back, every once in a while, to see if my “check engine light” is on. Being comfortable, with regard to my lifestyle, is a thing. These days I won’t be browbeaten into doing, eating or drinking something that doesn’t work for me. This year, 2020, hasn’t been easy for any of us, but it hasn’t changed my resolve to stay healthy and fit, any way possible. When my favourite gym was closed for a period of time earlier this year, I created what I call “My Pandemic Workout”. I’m proud of myself. I didn’t use closures as an excuse to turn my back on my lifestyle choice. Creating my lifestyle is a lesson that has been ten years in the making.Will 2021 bring more of “this, that and the other thing”? Likely, but I can do this.
Thanks Superman!
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