If you’ve been keeping track wit my posts, you might think I’m ready to report I have found a new advisor.  Yeah, I wish!  But what I have to share is for me still a major accomplishment.

Like many people, I’ve been struggling with weight loss.  I spend way too much time sitting in front of screens.  In an effort to move more and contribute to my weight loss efforts, I’ve been establishing the habit of walking in the morning before breakfast.  I started with 10 minutes.  Then when that became easy, I added an extra 30 seconds.  When that became easy, I went to 11 minutes.  And thus I went.  I haven’t walked every day, though that was my intention.  But after missing a day (or two or three) I always came back around and picked up where I left off.

Well, today I walked for a full 30 minutes.  This is a major milestone for me, because the next step is not walking for 30 minutes and 30 seconds.  The next step is replacing 30 seconds of the walking with running.  The step after that is replacing another 30 seconds of walking with running.  And thus is goes until I am running for the full 30 minutes.  What I did this morning is reach the transition point between walking and running.

I’m not sure when the running will start.  My body was aching as I reached that half hour mark, and I’m not certain how long I’ll need to work through it.  I’m debating introducing a longer rest period between walks so that my body can recover better, because trying to exercise when you haven’t completely recovered is just not smart.  You’re wearing your body down while it’s still partially worn down.  Then again, I’m not trying to build muscle with my walking.  I’m trying to improve circulation as well as secure the other benefits of cardio exercise.

Plus I remember when I used to run and how much I loved it.  I want to get back to that, and I want to do more than I ever thought I could do before.  My walking is a transition from where I am to where I want to be.  Doing just a little more each time and picking myself back up every time I fell down has brought me to this milestone, and I’m confident that doing just a little bit more in each of the days ahead will bring me to even more milestones ahead!

At the start of this year I decided to simplify my approach to living by making only one goal — to live my best life.  The idea was that if I just focus on doing my best and maximizing my experience with everything I do, then all the small stuff will take care of itself.

What I am learning is that some things won’t take care of themselves unless you give them the proper attention.  Fitness is a case in point.  After my engagement to be married fell apart last summer, I ended up gaining about 20-25 pounds and weighing more than I have ever weighed in my entire life.  I actually get out of breath bending over the tie my shoes every morning.  I also find myself having difficulty standing up out of a seated position and maintaining my balance for the first few steps of walking after I get up.

Well, enough of that.  After all, I used to run 5k races!  I need to get back to where I was and go even further into healthy living territory.  How can I live my best life if I’m not physically fit and active?

To that end, I’ve started stretching in the morning when I get up.  I don’t want to do too much too soon because that just opens the door to injury.  It was very obvious the first day how stiff I was, but each day I can feel myself getting more and more loose.

I’ve also started making some changes in my diet to include more protein.  A large portion of my weight gain came from poor dietary choices, especially after last summer.  When my engagement fell apart, I threw myself into my work as a means of coping with my crisis.  It gave me a feeling of accomplishment that I needed at that time.

But I spent so much time working that I didn’t spend enough time taking care of myself.  Some advance planning and preparation of meals at home could have helped me avoid some of the extra weight I now carry with me.  Instead, I simply grabbed whatever was more convenient, and what was most convenient wasn’t always what was most nutritious.

Now I’ve made out some weekly menus with home-prepared meals that focus on consuming extra protein first, healthy fats second, and carbs mostly from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables last.  I’ll let everyone know how well that works for me.  But already I feel as though I am on the brink of starting a new direction that will work out well for me.  Here’s to better health!