We have never taken part in a healthy living competition during such unsure times. And perhaps never have we as a community worried more about our health as we face the possibility of us or loved ones getting Covid.
It was a coincidence that for me personally a strong vow to focus more effort on my health at the beginning to the year was well under way as our Covid worries began. Over the past year I had slowly let way too much weight creep up on me and had been having a lot of knee pain. I finally went to the doctor and was totally SHOCKED to have him tell me that I had bone on bone on my right knee and increased inflammation in my other knee. I went in thinking he was going to tell me to stretch more and came out heartbroken that he advised total knee replacement in my right knee.
While the doctor said "your weight is fine" I knew it was not. I went home and looked up my "ideal body weight" on the various charts and knew I had 40 pounds to lose to get to that magical weight. It seemed to me that if I lost the weight the pain might subside enough to not need surgery. But even if I still needed surgery the surgery would be safer and the recovery would be easier without the extra weight.
So January 1, 2020 I gave up sugar. Abstinence has always been easier for me than moderation so I just gave it up. My plan was to abstain from sugar until my birthday (May 31) but it went so well I continued until my son's birthday (August 12) when I enjoyed my favorite dessert- home made Pavlova with berries picked that morning.
OVER THOSE MONTHS I LOST 38 POUNDS AND AM 4 POUNDS FROM MY "IDEAL BODY WEIGHT"!
Now it wasn't just the sugar of course. Somehow forgoing sugar made it easier to keep focused overall, enter all of my food on myfitnespal.com and make healthier choices in all areas.
I don't share this story to try to talk you into giving up sugar for several months (in fact it would bless your health more to learn to MODERATE those foods that tempt you to overindulge rather than abstain) but I share this story to invite you to think about your ONE THING.
What one thing could you do that would best bless your health? We will have more specific challenges during the other weeks of this competition but I want you to really ponder today what one thing that you may have been putting off and choose that for this week's Bonus Challenge.
It might be:
1. Schedule a mammogram, colonoscopy or yearly physical.
2. Stop drinking soda or cut down to using it as an occasional treat
3. Eat greens daily
4. Go to bed earlier
5. Meditate daily
6. Pack a home made lunch the night before
7. Take your daily supplements every day (Vitamin D seems to ward off Covid)
8. Start weighing and measuring all of your foods to help with moderation
9. Measure your drinking water and insure you get enough water daily
10. Stretch daily
So our Bonus challenge for this week is to make a big effort toward the one thing that would most bless your health. If it is a one time event like purchasing a piece of home work-out equipment or scheduling a doctor's appointment you earn the 35 points as you complete that one thing. If it is a daily thing like meditating or drinking water you earn 5 bonus points for each day you complete the task you choose. I hope that you will continue to work on this one thing for the rest of 2020!
Of course I realize that what you choose for your personal 1 thing might be repeated later as a group weekly bonus challenge. That's just fine- we can help you continue the habit. But I just want you to own your personal stewardship over your body this week and ponder (and even pray) about what one thing would most bless your health and then DO IT!
I'm still not sure about knee surgery. My knees hurt much much less and I'm able to do at least as much as my friends that have had the surgery. But every time I am walking upstairs or long distances carrying my 30 pound grand daughter I can't believe I ever carried that weight on my poor knees every minute of every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment