I began getting healthy for the first time in my life really, in December.
I stopped eating sugar, cleaned up and simplified my diet, and added a couple hard workouts to my week.
I got a great Burner workout partner (thanks Andrea!) and an amazing Burner Trainer ( Michael Antonopolous) and a burly Burner massage therapist (Barry). They needed a furry coat, I needed them-- kismet!
Why would I start such a thing? Everyone talks about it, but why do so few actually belly up to the bar and take action? Well, my Dad died an uncomfortable death from a lifetime of eating badly; that's enough to look in the mirror right there. And my body was suffering, and could take it no more. That's the enlightened reason. I had some body systems completely breakdown, and a scary afternoon of chest pains. That was my wake-up call, and for all the "trying" i did in the past decades, it took suffering and a big scare to light a fire under my ass-- and I ain't looking back!
In just 2 months I've surpassed all my initial goals, and not by being a zealot, either. It was a gentle but firm shift in eating, physical activity, and goals. Dare I say, it's been easy. The mental game gets easy as you start feeling better and better. You don't even want the bad stuff after a while. Its like magic.
And the benefits are huge. The biggest one is my daily quality of life has heightened. I no longer care how much weight I lose, I just feel so damn good all the time! I no longer crave junk food or ice cream-- that was a jolt for me, as those were my passions as I wallowed in bad moods. It shows how if you can break the habit, then tasty goodies can be just that instead of a daily food group.
"Well goody for you," you might be thinking. Hey, I was there for years, and for some, it really isn't a good time to deal with feeling better. But I am sharing this this morning because if I can do this at 44, this is possible for all the folks that are suffering out there like I was. And it really WAS just a little shift that made it happen.
So.... I am going to look hot at Burning Man this year, my first goal-- but the real payoff is my life will be filled with vitality, great moods, and breakthroughs in every part of my life until I get there!
I hope reading this will kindle a spark under a few suffering patooties out there...