Back in the Saddle... Again?

Well, I got some not-so-great news from the doctor on Friday: my cholesterol is back up, way up, close to what it was 3 years ago when I decided to get healthy, lose weight, and start walking. All this despite having lost 90 pounds (and kept most of it off for 2 years) and working my way up to walking 20-25 miles per week.

The moral of the story? Diet matters. I admit it; I've been bad about my diet. I convinced myself that I could eat semi-healthy: low fat and low cholesterol some of the time; high fat stuff a lot of the time, and not just during the holidays. Not exactly practicing what I've been preaching. It's frustrating, because I feel like I worked awfully hard, and I don't have a lot to show for it. Sure, I've lost a bunch of weight, but to see the cholesterol numbers almost back to what they were in the beginning feels like a slap in the face.

So what to do? I don't know if I can go back to the life of deprivation I used to lead. But at the same time, I can't keep doing what I'm doing if I want to get - and stay - healthy. Moderation has never really worked for me (despite the fact that I tell everyone else to do it). I'm sort of an either/or kind of a person: either I'm totally disciplined and healthy in my eating, or I'm off the charts with high fat junk. I can't seem to eat just a little bit of the bad stuff once in a while but keep on track with a healthy diet the rest of the time.

It's the reality I don't want to face: I have to go back to the low fat, low cholesterol diet, and sooner rather than later. This time, though, I have to commit for the long haul, and look at this as a lifestyle change and not a temporary thing I have to endure. Somehow, I have to find a way to make this work for the rest of my life, and I'm not sure that I know yet how to do that. Meanwhile, I'll do my best to plug along, one day and sometimes one hour at a time, trying to make changes I've made before, only this time doing it for keeps. So come January, I'll be among the hordes promising to eat better and be healthy. Only for me, I'll know that it has to last more than a few days or weeks. I have to do this for real, for a lifetime, and most of all, for me.

Wish me luck!

Peggy

1000 Miles

I've had that song in my head for days: "If I could walk 500 miles, then I would walk 500 more..." It's a good song and all, but the reason I keep singing it to myself is because this week, I'll hit the 1000 miles walked threshold for the year (as of today, I'm at 999). This is the first year I started tracking all the miles I walk, and I set a goal at the beginning of the year to walk 1000 miles this year.

There's just something about the number that's appealing; it's a nice round number with lots of zeros, and it seems awfully satisfying to be reaching that goal. 1000 miles is also a long way, when they're stacked up. It's 38 marathons (or 76 halfs!). Or 7 Ironman triathlons. It's also, well, a long way from my home if I walked it straight, close to halfway across the country. But mostly, it's a great reminder to me of how far I've come. Walking this many miles would have been impossible for me just a few short years ago. Now, walking is a huge part of my efforts to life a healthy, active lifestyle.

So the only question left is this: how many miles can I walk next year? "500 more?" :-) Keep on walking, friends.

Motivation

I'm currently training to walk a half-marathon (at Walt Disney World on January 6, 2007). This will be my third half, but I'm finding that this time, I'm having a hard time staying motivated to keep up with the training. Maybe it's the weather (although where I live in North Carolina, fall is much better than the humid summers!). Or maybe it's life; too many other responsibilities getting in the way. But whatever the reason, it's often a struggle to get myself out the door and stick to the training schedule. But every time I do, I'm reminded of why I walk: I do this for my health and, ultimately, for a better life. Every step I take is a step away from my old unhealthy life and toward my new healthy one. I started walking for exercise because I was dangerously overweight (and with high cholesterol to boot). I've lost a lot of weight through exercise and diet, and mostly because I walk. Even though I sometimes struggle to get out of bed and start walking, I do it because it matters. I do it because my health matters. So I put one foot in front of the other and walk. Toward a better, healthier future.

Keep on walking!