Where I'm At Now...The Body

Ten years. It doesn't seem that long of a time, but at one point it did for me. In 2008 I was diagnosed with NH Lymphoma and went through 4 months of Chemo. I remember thinking, I want at least another ten years. Now, of course, I want another thirty more. And for that, I know I need to work at it.

My dad died in an auto accident when I was thirteen, but one thing he always said was "your body is your temple." That has stuck with me throughout my life. And while I'm not a fanatic--I don't expect to be "model skinny" in my sixties--I do work at staying healthy. I eat healthy, including organic foods and grass-fed meat, especially since my cancer scare. But over the years I put on weight. I wanted to lose around 25 pounds.

The beginning of October, I joined Weight Watchers. This was the first time I'd ever participated in a weight loss program. And WOW, it was eye-opening regarding portion size and how eating bad, high sugar and high-fat foods was for weight management. I mean, on one level I thought I knew this, but until I actually looked at the numbers I guess I didn't understand what these foods did to my body.

I have to say, I really like Weight Watchers. I've lost 6 pounds in a month. That's not huge, but it is a quarter of my goal, and it was very doable. #weightwatchers If you're interested, visit https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/ to learn more.

The second part of my "body" health program was to increase my exercise. I have walked more and slowly began running. I'm not interested in running marathons, but I wanted to build bone strength (I have osteoporosis. Thank you chemo. Not.) and I also give my lungs a workout. I have not progressed very far yet, but I can jog almost a mile now, which thrills me. I used an app on my phone #couch25K to help me get started. Plus, Weight Watchers has exercise apps that help. I know this sort of exercise isn't for everyone, but honestly, I didn't think it was for me until I gave it a try. The hardest part was deciding and committing to making the change. I'm only 4 weeks into the 9-week program, we'll see how it goes to the finish line. You can find out more at http://www.c25k.com/ .

Anyone who is battling health issues, you have my deepest respect. It's not easy. I found a way to get where I wanted and needed to go. I hope you find yours.<3

I'll let you know when I reach my goal!