High School Weight? Seriously?

In the past few weeks life happened and I’ve found myself many reasons not to blog. Work, play, work…you know the excuses.  But, that’s all they are, excuses.

These weeks I've had patients who have been more emotionally draining and supposed friends who have been difficult.  Maybe it’s just a rough spot in life but emotionally and spiritually I’ve been exhausted.  I know we’re supposed to put others ahead of us, but it’s difficult to help when you’re empty.

Okay, so, total change in thought here: one thing that kept me away from writing was exercise.  Going to a gym.  Finding time to work out. I mean, everyone is getting back to their high school weight.  It sounds good, right? 

I’ve realized two things: 

• I’m not fond of gyms.
• What are these people thinking?  Go back to high school? 

          I have to admit, though, going to the gym did take me back to high school:  Dressing out Feeling inadequate in your gym clothes. Having other people stare and compare you to them. The only difference is that as adults we’ve at least developed enough tact to keep our comments to ourselves.
         The thing is, I’m not sixteen anymore.  Thank goodness for that.  I’m an older, wiser, more confident 41 years old. My blood pressure is phenomenal, my cholesterol and heart disease risk, enviable.  My hair, fabulous.  My skin, not to young, not too old.
        But I could stand to be healthier.  I could adopt a lifestyle that habitually makes better choices.  I know it's not going to happen quickly.  I'm not going to find it going to the gym and killing myself everyday.  Some may like that.  I say more power to you.
        Crash diets. Medication. Weight loss pills and diet bars. Quick fixes. They only put a Band-Aid on things.  Ideal weight and what foods are healthy are subject to change with whatever fad or scientific discovery is in vogue. These don’t change anything.
        Health is a journey, not a destination.  We don’t reach being healthy at 40 or 50 and then coast from there. It starts when we’re born and doesn’t end until we die.  We have ups and downs.  It involves more than just the physical, but also the emotional and spiritual aspects. 
       There are things we can’t change.  But there are things we can control. Ideal weight changes with age.  I’m not sixteen.  I won’t attain a 16 year old’s body.  But I can be the best 41 I can.