My Worst Enemy
"The face of the enemy frightens me only when I see how much it resembles me" – AnonymousIt’s the cliché – and I am living it. Something I am not pleased about:
I AM my own worst enemy.
Weight is something I’ve struggled with for the better part of 12 years now. If you need a quick lesson in nutrition or metabolism as it relates to you then go off to college, quit all athletic activity and subsist off of Hot Pockets, Coca-Cola and Snickers bars. Then you’ll see where things take you…roughly, 20 lbs heavier than high school.
Now the real challenge? Pregnancy.
How many times did I say pre-pregnancy that when I find out I am going to put myself on a strict diet – Salads, fruit, veggies, the works. Did I say it to you? Or you? Probably. I spouted how I would take care of my blood pressure and only gain the recommended 25 lbs – I would succeed.
Turns out I’m eating (no pun intended) those words. At 27 weeks, I have already exceeded the 25lb mark, by how much, I’ll keep to myself thank you very much. My blood pressure over the past 6 weeks has fluctuated but finally stabilized courtesy of an increase in medication. Not something I’m thrilled with either. And now, for the latest…
My glucose levels are a bit elevated. Fantastic. That’s all I need. But who’s to blame? Myself of course. There is no one else. I control everything that goes into this body and I have essentially failed myself.
And the best part about? I’m now going to have to exercise extreme will power during the holidays. Oh Joy!
Next week I am supposed to go take my 3-hour glucose test to determine if I have gestational diabetes (what a horrible word and one I NEVER associated with myself). Regardless of what the results are, the answer is very clear: Get your diet under control! No more baking, no more dessert every day (yes, every day), no more excuses not to exercise (you still have two feet and the ability to walk).
It’s time to get inside of my own head. I’m not trying to lose weight at this point – I merely want to sustain this current weight is possible and/or prevent an extreme gain.
The reasons are clear:
- Obviously, for K.T. and her health, the number one reason!
- I don’t want a huge baby. Diabetic babies can easily come out 10lbs or more – no thank you!
- For my own health – and helping shed the pounds post pregnancy
Looks like I’ll be browsing through Diabetic/Healthy Living Cookbooks over my Thanksgiving holiday. Joy….
2 Comments:
You can do this, Colleen!
Keep up the fight! Healthy living is a challenging lifestyle to attain and maintain, with temptations at every turn - especially during the holidays!
Healthy eating and exercise is no secret, but I can say I'm one of those who always has the intention of slimming up, then never doing it.
However, the greatest success I ever had was on a bet. My boss and coworkers bet me I couldn't go vegan for 30 days. I took that bet, and I won it - along with about 10lbs of excess weight off my body.
It is the one and only "diet" that I've been able to, honestly, maintain for more than a few days.
Eating vegan is strict enough, but simple enough, to take away the stress of having to choose between lesser evils. You don't have to read labels, check calorie counts, or anything like that. You can eat as much as you want - fruits, nuts, veggies, grains, etc. But it's healthy enough (read: not deep-fried and covered in chocolate) that you don't feel the need to overstuff.
There are plenty of online resources, but I like http://www.tryveg.com/. Once you learn a bit about the animal cruelty involved in producing non-vegan products, and the way your body reacts to non-vegan foods, it makes the process much easier.
I just had Fuddruckers for dinner, so I'm certainly not a stickler or a heckler, but I can't deny that vegan was the best and only diet that ever worked for me.
Good luck in your efforts! Realize it's something you truly want for yourself and your future, and you'll be able to rock it with style. :-)
Post a Comment
<< Home