Where Is the Battle?

My son and I and a conversation today about the necessary changes my husband and I are making in our lifestyle so that we can continue to be health in the coming years. We were discussing exercise as well as eating a healthy diet.

He made a statement that made me think. He said, "The real battle is in the kitchen." He meant that eating a healthy diet is more critical to being healthy than consistent exercise. I have thought about this statement quite a while this afternoon, and I agree with him. If a person consistently exercises, but has no dietary control, heart disease could still be a real problem.

However, I think that a person (like me) who has a problem controlling what and how much they eat, exercise is beneficial. Once I have given my very best effort to a Tae Bo session, the last thing I want to do is "ruin" it by eating a cheeseburger.




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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Whether I Want To Or Not

We got in from vacation yesterday evening, tired and happy. This morning i told my husband that after breakfast I was going to do Tae Bo "whether I want to or not". There I said it.

Yes. Deciding that I will do what is best for myself, "whether I want to or not", is a difficult but necessary decision that must be made on a daily basis. In order to maintain a consistent exercise program, my personal 'wants' have no place.

I have heard it said that a person's desires to be be healthy and slender must be greater than their desire to eat five slices of pizza. I understand and somewhat agree with that statement. However, there are days (yes, you know about those days), or perhaps minutes when that pizza just looks and smells so good that all desires to be slender just go into hiding, only to come out again in the form of guilt and self condemnation.

My preference is to decide that my wants and desires are not a factor in my commitment to do what is best for my health and well being.


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Tae Bo on Vacation

Yep. This morning, before breakfast, I did Tae Bo. I used my husband's dvd player, connecting it to the tv in our hotel room. There was just enough floor space to punch and kick my way through another workout. Oh, I didn't want to, but I knew I would be glad when I finished. And I was!

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Roundhouse Kicks and Uppercuts

Building the habit of regular exercise has always been a challenge for me. It has always been one of those things that I will start with semi enthusiasm, and then let it go the minute something else appeared to get in the way. Then once again this exercising attempt would be added to my list of unfinished projects.

With the coming of the events of the last few weeks, I have decided to make more than an attempt at regular exercise. This season of my life requires more in order to continue to be able to do the things I want to do.

In days gone by (at least a decade), I purchased and even used a video of Tae Bo, by Billy Blanks. I enjoyed learning and tried to keep up with those young, strong, 20 somethings on the video

Well, in this age of high definition, that old VHS just would not do. So I purchased a new Tae Bo DVD. Even though the guys and gals on the video have a thirty year or more advantage on me, I am enjoying the workouts. And with each workout I am a little stronger, have more endurance, and my techniques is less bad than the time before!


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My Husband's Story

Rick's story began two days after I had the cyst surgically removed. He began to have chest pains. A trip to the emergency room, an angiogram, and a stent brought him face to face with a serious need to begin to do things that were good for himself.

These were life changing moments for us. We were forced to pivot and immediately begin eating a "heart health" diet and begin a consistent exercise program.


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Yoohoo! I'm Still Here!!

Yes, it has been a long time. I have spent the last two years, just eating and eating and lying to myself. The scales continued to climb, and my clothes continued to get tighter and tighter.

Well, I'm back now, because health issues have lifted the 'rose colored veil' and give me a crystal clear view of what I need to do to enjoy the rest of my life with good health. I have a story to share, well two stories. One about me and one about my husband.

My story began about May 1st. I noticed a large bump on the back of my neck. It came up quickly within just a few days and was the color of a bruise, black, red, blue. Every day the bump was a little bigger and more sore than the day before. I went to the doctor on May 6. She said I had an infected sebaceous cyst and prescribed Bactrim, an antibiotic I had taken various times in my life. I took my first dose that night.

Making a long story, well, not as long, I developed a severe reaction to the antibiotic, called Stevens Johnson Syndrome. a life threatening rash. Thanks to an excellent dermatologist, the rash was 'stopped in its tracks', and I recovered within a few days.

In order stop the rash, the doctor prescribed hefty doses of prednisone, a steroid which sends blood sugar of diabetics 'through the roof'. For the first time in a very long time, I began to test my blood sugar. I had no choice.

Once I began testing my blood on a regular basis and once again paying attention to what I was eating, I slowly realized that it was time for me to seriously begin doing some things that were good for me. Yep. It was time to begin a new project --getting healthy.

Tomorrow, my husband's story.