174.6 Getting Ready to Get Away

We are getting ready to get away again. This time we are staying fairly close to home rather than heading to Boston or Memphis where are kids are. We are driving up to the Four Corners area where the states of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado come together. There are some very interesting Indian ruins to visit including Canyon de Chelly (pronounced Canyon de Shay). We've wanted to do this ever since we moved here about six and a half years ago and are really looking forward to it. I'll be checking out the Indian jewelry, as well as the artifacts in the area. And, we'll be spending some time in Sedona on our way home which is always wonderful.

It feels like we are heading into vacation time with this trip and trips to Arkansas and Boston already planned. I love to go, but I have to keep my wits about me when we travel because of so many food options. Just yesterday Jeff reminded me that we needed to buy a lot of apples so we could take them with us. From experience I've learned, and I guess he has also, that being prepared with good healthy food keeps us both out of the trap of eating too much "impulse" food. I just made that up but it does describe that trip through CVS or a fast food place to help get rid of the hunger pains with unhealthy quick fixes.

This morning on the radio I heard that new research shows that cutting calories is the best way to reduce arthritis pain. Why didn't they just ask me instead of spending $$$$$ on research? I still get a little stiff when I sit too long, but I am in a pain free zone now compared to when I was lugging all of that extra weight around.

170.4 Being Chased!

Yes, the weight is staying down and life is good. Today I went over to our community center pool to do my workout. There were a few people there so I couldn't sing out like I like to, but it was fine. I wear a swim jacket which keeps me warm enough and I really do look forward to it. This is being written by someone who hated to exercise three years ago!

Anyway, when I first get in the water I jog in place for about 10 minutes to fast songs on my little gismo I attach to my sunglasses. Today while I was jogging to the theme from Mamma Mia and then Voulez-vous, I started thinking about why I do this and why it seems so effortless. And then I got it. I am running as if I am being chased by new symptoms of arthritis in my back, and old age! And I am! And, I intend to keep running in the water so that I win! If I stop moving I know the arthritis will get me, and then old age won't be far behind. Since there was a time when just getting into the pool caused a lot of pain, this is heaven to me.

185.0 Focusing on Exercise

I've really been focusing on the exercise element of this program because I know it's extremely important for me to keep moving both for burning calories and for keeping my arthritis from crippling me. Doctors have discovered that the best way to treat arthritis is to move, not sit around. And, I really love it.

I love the Wii Fit Plus, I love the feeling of accomplishment when I do the elliptical, and I love my water workout. I'm not a big fan of lifting weights, but thanks to my recent physical therapy I can do 3 reps of 15 lifting 4 pound weights. I know that's not very much, but when I started, two pound weights were hard for me to do. My short term goal is to move up to 5 pound weights.

So, I think it's time to drop another pound. I'm ready.

194.2 How Do You Know, Part 2

I've been thinking a lot about what I wrote yesterday regarding the question about how do you know if it is worth it to lose weight if you are older. I was 66 when I decided I had to get rid of the large amount of weight I was asking my body to drag around. I think I knew that I had reached a now or never place in my life... that I was either going to get with the program and lose the weight or I was just going to get bigger and heavier. And, the stenosis and arthritis in my spine had already made it painful to walk and I was just getting more and more disabled and dependent. But just because I had reached the decision point doesn't mean it's been easy. It hasn't been easy. I loved Kathleen's comment about the cookie that she made on yesterday's post. She wrote, ..."You have to want it more than you want the cookie. All the time. Even when the cookie is right there in front of you." She is so right, and that cookie is always going to be in front of me even when I reach my goal weight. My challenge then will be to figure out how often I can have that cookie without regaining any weight. (But that's another blog:), the one I may write as I am dealing with maintaining my weight.)

Having had time to think about this question a little more, I do think as we get older there are some subtle physical changes that are at work in our bodies that we can be unaware of that can really cause problems as we age, if we are carrying too much weight. As I've written, my issue certainly was my back. All the joints suffer as we age and so even if we think we look okay and feel okay, that doesn't mean that we aren't putting ourselves at risk.

Maybe the answer to this question, how do we know when weight loss is worth the effort, is easy. Maybe the answer is that it's always worth the effort because the weight is never doing any of us any favors. From my own experience, I can say that it is a wonderful kick to be able to get out of a chair, through a small space, or to walk quickly without giving it a second thought, or any thought. Now I just do it because I know I can. And that's a lot more gratifying than eating that cookie.

199.0 Are You Sabotaging Yourself?

Things are not looking up. I still feel horrible even though I am now taking Azithromycin. I know, I know, I'm a bit impatient. I took my first dose at about 2 pm. I tried a new doctor today because I just haven't connected with the one that I usually see. Jeff highly recommended the doc he sees at this same practice. "It must be me", is what I said when I returned home. There was no connection and I don't think that I, as the sick party, should have to do all the work to get the feeling that any doctor really cares about what is going on with me.

While I was at Walgreen's waiting for my prescription, I saw that they were selling a magazine called Arthritis Today. Now I know that most of you don't have arthritis, but the magazine is full of great nutrition tips, exercises for agility, and good health information. I get the magazine delivered to me at home because I support the Arthritis Foundation. There's no surprise there, since my sister Priscilla and I have osteoarthritis and my sister Barbara has rheumatoid arthritis. Why I am writing about this? Well, there is a wonderful article on page 31 entitled "Are You Sabotaging Yourself?" I know I have done that a lot over the years. The article isn't just about weight loss. It's also about getting a new job, and/or, a new love interest. So check it out and see if some of it doesn't ring true for you. Self knowledge is crucial to changing behavior.