Excuses

Oh, I've got plenty of them. 

Today, my back is so stiff and painful I can barely move. I haven't left the house. 

I can eat healthy, though. I can do some stretching and yoga. 

I have legit diagnoses - bulging discs, degenerative discs, arthritis. 

I could sit and decide to be on disability but no thanks. 

I choose alternative treatments such as essential oils. Chiropractitioner care and acupuncture. 

Determination. 

I could be diagnosed with fibro - but I won't go there. When my whole body hurts and trigger points are agony, I drink lots of water. Tea with honey. Exercise through it. 

Every day my body rebels. 

Every day I have a choice - excuses or excellence. 

I have a goal of having the best health I can. 

Some days, like today, are tougher than others. 

I'm in pain. 

I do what I can do to strengthen my core and wait to begin again tomorrow. 

Victim or victorious. 

The choice is yours. 

(Pic courtesy of Dr Henry Cloud Twitter)

e b e r

Half Birthday Motivation

YIt is my half birthday. In other words, six months from today my "big" birthday happens. 

I need another kick in the pants to get back on track. I exercise...irregularly. I eat well...mostly. 

It's time to get back on track. 

I want to be down the last 20lbs by my birthday - but the number is not as important as my goal of being fit and lean. 

One day at a time - I plan on setting realistic, daily goals. Eating clean. Loving myself into my best health!

I'm looking forward to getting my diabetes numbers better - the stories I am reading about my new diet encourage me. I'm building a support system of like minded healthy eaters. 

I've already got my Fitbit family - it's such a motivator!  It is a great help. 

So today I set out to be the best me, by taking care of me. Thinking about how I'm nourishing myself. Doing better. 

One step at a time! 

e b e r

Type 2 Diabetes: 6 Years Later

Five years ago this month, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

I remember the day well - I cried all the way home. As a nurse, I knew my life had changed. Forever. 

And it has. 

On the plus side, I eat a LOT healthier than I used to. I also exercise - I was a couch potato, former P.E. Hater. I started walking daily, as as of today, I have run 16 half marathons, several 10k's, a 15k, and lots of 5k's. 

I'm glad for the awareness of my health. I'm grateful that being a good steward of the body I inhabit has become a priority. I'm grateful that I've lost 30lbs and kept it off. 

I just wish it didn't come with an illness.  

My initial lifestyle changes brought my diabetic numbers into normal range - from a laboratory standpoint, I had non- diabetic results. It was invigorating. 

Five years later, the disease progresses. I just had my worst lab work. 

I get discouraged sometimes. I eat things I know I shouldn't - 4 decades of emotional eating is a huge hurdle to overcome. The higher my blood sugars, the more I crave carbs. It's a wicked catch 22. 

So I make adjustments. I'm learning my body, what works best for me. 

I'm on insulin now and I hate that. I'm changing my diet and increasing my activity with hopes of less insulin use...or not having to use it at all. 

It makes me acutely aware of diabetes daily...and my type 1 friends and family who are affected by this disease. My type 2 friends who struggle. 

My word of advice? Stay healthy. Eat whole foods...avoid processed foods. Exercise. Stay in a healthy weight - obesity kills. Read labels. 

Health is a journey...and daily, I make a decision with every choice I make that affects my health - today, and in the long run. 

Choose health. 

e b e r

Motivation Killers

It's important to stay motivated on your daily journey to a healthier you. With that in mind, you need to recognize what your motivation killers are...and avoid them!!

For me, depression and discouragement are motivation deflaters. When I am in an exacerbation, it's hard to even breathe some days. So it's even more important to do something - take the dog for a walk, for instance. A 30 minute walk is like taking an antidepressant. Lower your goal if you have to - maybe you can't run 5 miles today, but do something. Yoga. A video. Do for a walk. A swim. Just do something. 

Discouragement is similar. When you feel like nothing is changing, what's the point, etc., it's even more important to do something healthy for you. 

Unhealthy food can throw you off in more than one way - eating it can make you defeated, and the crappy food will make you feel like crap, especially if you've been eating healthy.  Don't stay on the junk food train - stop! You fell off the wagon. Get back on. 

The main point is to keep moving forward. Remember where you came from, and keep in mind where you are going. A life feeling strong, healthy, and vibrant. 

Make your goal about taking care of yourself lovingly by eating healthy and exercising, not a weight or a size. 

And remember, tomorrow is a new day. 

Don't give up. 

e b e r

The Real Circle of LIFE

Four years ago I needed a way to get off the couch and get healthy. A good friend and coworker began to taok about her running - she had lost over 50lbs and had run the Disney princess half marathon. She had set and met goals - and a little older than a decade than me. It inspired me to run. Since then, I have run 16 half marathons, along with other races. 

My very athletic husband has started running after years of typical American life. He started slow and has worked up to his goals, running a sub-30 minute 5k, and now working toward a 10k this fall. Tonight, he gently encouraged a very exhausted me out the door, when I wanted to sleep after my 12hr day and  2  1/2hr commute. Mitzi my Aussie and I walked 4 miles. 

I have coworkers and friends and Fitbit friends who tell their stories of moving forward. Of health. 

Every day is a new day. My husband and friends encourage me to keep moving. To stay healthy. 

I hope I am also encouraging others. 

That is the true circle of life- this life we have been given. 

Get out there. Make healthy changes. Get active. Stay active. 

You never know who you are helping. 

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Whole Food, Plant Based Diet Starts Today

*Note: this is a personal blog. It's my journey. My thoughts should not be mistaken for medical advice. Please consult your physician before changing anything regarding your health. I'm sitting at my doctors office right now!! 

Well, I am a frustrated human. 

I have been following Atkins diet - and there are a lot of great options for me there. 

My personal problem with it is all the chemicals - sure, I can have shakes and bars and snacks that taste like candy and cookies and milkshakes. 

To put it in the words of my friend Kristy, though, those are "gateway foods" - foods that make me want more sweets. That keep my sugar craving brain active. 

I miss fruit. I miss not craving diet soda. 

So after study and much prayer and consideration, I'm going to try another path. 

Based on "Forks Over Knives", today - the first day of summer - I'm going to change over to a whole food, plant based diet. 

My personal ails - type 2 diabetes that I now am on insulin for - and genetic high cholesterol are what led me to make this change. 

I need to get away from chemicals and sweets. I want to live off food that is as close to its original form as possible. 

This will not be inexpensive.

Neither is insulin and diabetic supplies. 

I had my last Atkins shake this morning, and I would like to eliminate artificial sweeteners. 

My back is feeling better, and I begin my running training again today. 

I hope by fall I will be at least 20 pounds lighter, stronger, leaner, less bloated. 

I'll keep you posted. 

Meanwhile - it's the first day of summer. What healthy change can you make for yourself today?

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Summer Running

A disclaimer: to you blessed ones who live in the west or southwest or anyplace with temperatures that are reasonable, and the humidity is low, bless you. Wish I was there. 

I am not there. 

I have been running now for four years. I have done 16 half marathons - the last one, the Ogden Half Marathon, was an endurance trial in freezing rain and hurricane force winds. I cannot recall the last time I was that cold. 

I live deep in the south, and after the last couple of days, that cold is looking like my happy place. 

I confess, the first couple of years I ran, I just took summer off. I continued to work on my Fitbit step goals, but this was done indoors, and via rebounding on my Bellicon. 

I know I need to continue training, both for my diabetes and my running fitness.

So I have to figure out a way to make summer running a habit. 

No, I won't run on the treadmill, or dreadmill as I derisively call it. I use it only when there is no other choice. Like tropical storms. 

In the summer, humidity is the first big hurdle. I hate sweating, and within a few short minutes of going out into the near 100% humidity, I am slicked with head to toe sweat. 

So I decided that summer runs were detoxing me. Each drop of sweat was carrying out some toxin - chemical or emotional. It makes it tolerable. Never enjoyable! But doable. 

Next up - bugs. Lots of them. I ate one yesterday as I opened my mouth to speak. I've had to learn to hold my mouth in such a way it doesn't become a portal for the unexpected swarms of gnats and whatever creatures are winged. I never come home without the dead bodies of bugs on my sweaty body. 

Lovely. 

Lightning is a game changer. If there is thunder, there is no running. I live in the lightning strike capital of the world. 

This drives me out to run when the sun is coming up, or when the sun is down. I don't like running at night, but I cannot run during the heat of the day. I have invested in wicking clothing and reflective gear. My older gated community does not have much traffic, but I still must remain safety conscious. 

Summer used to be an excuse not to run. Now I have found work arounds, and  I will press through. 

My next half marathon is in October, and I want to be strong. 

Run on. 

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