Sunday, January 12, 2014

Keeping Healthy

In the last 4 years I've slowly regressed to my pre college weight. For some people, this would be a really good thing. For me, it isn't.
In high school I topped out at 240 pounds. For a 6 foot tall girl, that isn't too bad, but it isn't terribly good either. For a 6 foot tall girl with chronic knee problems, history of depression, and a family history of weight related diseases such as diabetes, this weight gain is very bad.
When I left high school I moved in with grandpa, and prepared to start college. Well, I was supposed to prepare, but then I got very sick. The doctor believed it was mono. It was the sickest I have ever been. I couldn't swallow without a great deal of pain. The tonsils looked like baseballs in the back of my throat. I couldn't eat, could hardly drink, and had a fever that wouldn't go away.
After a week, the fever finally broke. Eating was still difficult for a few weeks.
Then I checked my weight. To my great surprise, I had lost ten pounds that first week. I lost another 10 the next week, and continued losing 5 pounds a week for quite a long time. Nothing fit me any more. Except my shoes. Anyone who knew me that first year of college can testify I was in baggy heaven. I got down to 175, and stayed around there for the next 8 years.
Well. Here I am. And I don't exactly want to hope for a second bout of mono. And there are other things that have also crept up into my life in the last five years that need to be weeded out. I am not the woman I want to be. Time to come clean and healthy.
First of all, I am changing my diet. I am making sure I load up on vegetables and fruits. I have two other people who are keeping track of their food intake along with me. Not exactly calorie counting. Just being accountable for what we eat. We'll be changing the dinner menu to healthier food, which will make it easier for all of us.
Second, exercise. Three days a week I will have someone with me at the gym. The other days I will be starting a running routine. I have a 10K I am preparing for in February. And I will be doing a half-marathon at some point this year. If you are interested in doing a Disney run with me, speak now. My two sources who were going to come have since dropped out for personal reasons, and I'd rather not go it alone.
Third, which should be first, spiritual and mental health. I have totally dropped off the scripture reading bandwagon. For the last three nights I have fallen asleep listening to the Book of Mormon. It's nice, because my phone turns off sometime after I fall asleep, so it doesn't wake me up. THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS SCRIPTURE READING. So. This one I am going to be accountable to myself on. We'll see how this goes. Every morning I will be reading before the gym or before taking the girls I nanny to school.
Fourth, learning Spanish. I need to grow intellectually, and this is the perfect way to do it. Every day after the workout for at least twenty minutes.
Fifth, music. I need more of it in my life. The fact I now have two music callings at church does not fulfill the need I have to grow musically. This one I am still figuring out.
There. Not exactly a New Year's resolution thing. More like fixing my lifestyle. I guess you could call it resolutions, because I am resolved.
This better stick.

2 comments:

Maryann said...

Yay Elizabeth! I too am working to be healthier this year. My cholesterol is not good and I don't want to die of a heart attack at 50. As I type this comment I am briskly walking on my treadmill. (Thanks to my handy husband who built a treadmill desk for my laptop.) My mom and some of my siblings are friends on myfitnesspal. If that is something you ever end up wanting to do, please join us.

PS I think you are amazing and beautiful and I enjoy blog-stalking you.

Jane said...

Wow. I am mighty impressed.
All I resolved to do is throw out a lot of stuff.