Healthier Me

I've chosen a healthier lifestyle for reasons, which for the moment escapes me. I've come to the conclusion the next time someone passes over and hear the phrase, "He was so healthy", I'll have an idea what killed him.  It was the healthy lifestyle.

My quest for a healthy self being was purely by accident. I had come down with severe bronchitis. Ugly bronchitis I might add. So ugly in fact, my family thought I was dying. I thought I was dying. The thought of becoming a single parent terrified my husband. The thought of becoming any kind of parent scared him. He's the self proclaimed "good cop" in this parent union. And while I'm sure my daughter loves me, I am the bank and taxi. She experienced firsthand what it was like to have Dad as both of these. The bank was always closed and the taxi service was limited at best. To be honest, if it weren't for the two of them, I often wonder if I would still be here. My husband took me to and from doctor appointments, had prescriptions filled and actually cooked.

If you have ever had an albuteral treatment, you know having a cigarette is like having your lungs set on fire. As a result of the bout, I stopped smoking.   I'd tried before without success; mostly from fear. Fear of having a heart attack like my father did when he quit. Fear of gaining a ridiculous amount of weight...which I did. Twenty months after I "kicked" the smoking habit, I thought the so called experts where all quacks. I did not feel better. Friends and family who had quit all told me it took a year to really feel better. It didn't. I was feeling worse. It was the ridiculous amount of weight I gained. I'd added about 50 extra pounds.  And I’m no Twiggy to begin with!  Of course I knew I had to lose that weight. And lose it without picking up a cigarette again.

Then it happened. I schlepped up to my desk at work, dropped my bags and saw the flyer sitting there.

BIGGEST LOSER

$10.00 Entrance fee

First place, the growing weekly pot

Second place, your $10 entry fee

Two in last place each week pays $2.00 each

You know it's amazing what cash and public humiliation will do as a motivator. I put my ten dollar bill in the hands of a co-worker. No turning back now. I was escorted to the scales; eyes closed. I knew I was overweight but didn't want or have the need to see how overweight. I didn't want to know. The first week I lost five pounds. The second, I gained one. With that, changes really needed to be made.

Thanks to the internet, I have learned more than I would have ever if we didn't have it. I have learned the basics of shooting, fly fishing, cleaning trout, finding my family history and how to diet.

After surfing site after site and linking to link after link one thing became clear....you have to eat to lose weight! Who knew? Okay, most of you knew but who BELIEVED? It's true. I have to eat a set amount of calories each day. That leads me to my next least favorite thing, counting calories. Boring, very boring. However, because of technology, we now have smartphones. Phones which are smarter than a fifth grader! Phones with applications. More surfing, just call me Gidget.  I found the perfect app and it links to an internet site.  The best part?  It practically does everything for me.  Calories are now counted and totaled before my very eyes.

It also became evident exercise is also an important factor in this road to my lifestyle change. I'd rather have open heart surgery.  Oh, wait a minute.  I'm doing all this to avoid open heart surgery.  Let the walking begin.  The first week was a push and I was short of breath on a regular basis.  But the walks began getting longer and the shortness of breath less. My daughter has seen the slow improvement in my health; she now walks with me.  After glares which have been known to stop trains in their tracks, my husband fixed our bikes and we pedal our way through the "hood" at least once a week.  My adventures in exercise will most definitely be an upcoming blog.

So here I am, two months into my healthy lifestyle; 28 pounds lighter.  I've learned from this experience. Healthy is hard.  Healthy is time consuming.  Healthy is the support and prayers I have from friends and family.  Healthy will probably not really kill me.  And most important, if I don't win the contest jackpot?  Healthy will be me.