The year 2015 was a watershed for me. It saw my body at its highest weight ever (somewhere around 213 ugly pounds--pure lard). Then it saw me on my way to my lowest weight in years--and still motivated and losing, after an epiphany of sorts on May 1.
Yes, I can pinpoint the date.
I am a sugar addict and as a consequence had allowed my diabetes and my weight gain to get out of control. I couldn’t seem to get a grip on either the weight gain or blood-sugar levels that were out of sight. Obviously action was not only necessary but vital (as in “if you don’t change, your life and/or well-being will be in jeopardy.”) I had no energy and got little, if any exercise. I engaged in a battle with myself over how to get a grip on the problem.
The first of a series of synchronicities occurred on May 1, when acquaintance Carla came into the Visitors Bureau with a load of candies from one of our local business partners. She offered it to me, and I made a motion to push it away, half kidding. “I really have to get a handle on my weight,” I told her, mentioning the blood sugar issue.
Carla has never looked heavy to me, but she replied, “I just lost 45 pounds with a low-carb diet. I have the book I used in the car; let me show you.”
Somehow that little act, that little push, got me where I needed to go. I downloaded the book from Amazon that very day and changed my life.
Synchronicity No. 1. Getting rid of lard
From that day forward I have been focused, driven, determined. And I have lost, nearly 65 pounds to date.
The very next month I found myself with a health condition that required a minor surgical procedure, which mandated a heart stress test. The hospital’s EKG apparently showed an anomaly, so a full-blown stress test was ordered. For some reason I rocked it--especially the treadmill. That gave me an idea. Why not invest in an inexpensive treadmill for home where I could “walk” daily, especially in winter when it’s cold and dark.
Synchronicity No. 2. Building Muscle
After doing some research I found what I was looking for at Amazon.com (of course). The treadmill arrived on June 29. After some initial swearing and sweating from both myself and friend Susan who muscled the thing together and in position, I was set. From that day on, I have missed 4 days of using it a minimum of a half hour. Those days were three at Christmas when I was sick and the day after I arrived back from Fairbanks. It literally (sorry, Pat C.) jumpstarted my return to health.
Synchronicity No. 3 occurred when Maureen and I went to a campfire program at Wawona Campground this summer, in Yosemite. Arriving early, we each went our separate ways to walk and meditate a bit. Cruising along comfortably, I walked the entire three loops of the campground and discovered that I could.do it comfortably without getting out of breath or hurting anywhere. I could hike again!
From there on, I started venturing out on gradually longer trails--the Wawona Meadow Loop,the Swinging Bridge, Nelder Grove’s Shadow of the Giants trail. Martha and I even struggled up the .8 mile trail from Yosemite Valley’s Happy Isles up to the Vernal Fall bridge. None of these are major, but they are accomplishments for someone who hadn’t done any walking to speak of in years.
Synchronicity No. 4 & 5 - Further Health Benefits
Many of my friends are into fitness, health and hiking, and they all have seen the weight loss I’ve achieved. Often they’ll offer suggestions on what’s worked for them.
Carol and Michaela have something in common with me. They both suffer from gout, and they both discovered Hyaluronic Acid capsules at the same time. After hearing them discuss it, I added that supplement to my diet. Mentioning to Betsy that I often felt exhausted after even a shorter hike of three miles or so, she mentioned that she uses electrolytes in her water to boost her energy when it flags. I added that, too.
My energy is at an all-time high. It likely is a combination of all the lifestyle changes, but I attribute it to the addition of those supplements as much as anything.
What the hell does this all have to do with buckets, you ask.
Stay tuned.
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