Monday, January 2 2012
Healthy Living
(Breakfast –oatmeal, dried cherries, walnuts + vitamix fruit shake)
I ended 2010 with some startling news…my cholesterol was 267. My doctor gave me an ultimatum…bring down the cholesterol or go on medication.
Being 40, I knew that I really didn’t want to go on medication for the rest of my life so I made a commitment to change my health.
I started 2011 by taking an amazing on-line class run by Jenny Doh called Crafting Fitness. Jenny’s approach was simple: there is no magic pill, be mindful of what you put in your body, be mindful of the movement of your body. We evaluated current eating and exercise habits and then made incremental changes to get results. We journaled and crafted what we ate, how we felt, and how much we moved. There were two parts of the class that changed my approach to eating and created the foundation for the healthy living path I am currently walking. First, identify and write how you feel before and after you eat…give it a number or a word (ravenous, kinda hungry, stuffed, satisfied, etc…). Mentally, I couldn’t stand writing the word stuffed in my journal. It continues to keep me from going there. Second, color code your food intake in your journal (ex. green, red, orange, yellow (good), white (neutral) brown etc…Again mentally, it became a barrier for me to have to color in a white and brown plate.
I made many changes and by the November of this year, my cholesterol was at 185 and I had lost 4 pounds (totaling 12 lbs over two years).
Last year was just a stepping stone on my health journey. Even though my cholesterol greatly improved, my good cholesterol still needs improvement and my vitamin D is dangerously low. In addition, for the second time in three years, I had several pre-cancerous colon polyps removed.
Still work to be done.
In an effort to make additional changes, I am leaning into a plant based diet. I am studying, researching, collecting and implementing a new food plan.
My health goals for 2012:
- 12 pounds in 2012 (which would put me at pre-baby weight…better late than never…8-12 years later)
- Get in the best cardiovascular shape of my adult life (working on an Irish Dance certification)
- Push the limits of my current health (Research, try new things, document changes)
- Be a health role model for my girls (include them in cooking healthy meals and exercise regularly)
- Eat a 75% plant based diet
- Be accountable to my goals.
Sounds good, my cholesterol is not that high, but I am working toward more bean plant based diet too.
Put hubby on notice, if you don’t like beans, find something that works because we need the fiber and
they help you lose weight! Good for you on the Irish Dance Certification. That will definitely amp up the weight loss and make you really fit at 40. Good for you. xox Corrine