Finding Me Again

For the past 8 years or so, I've struggled with my weight. Varying between 30 and 50 pounds overweight. 3 years ago, a friend who is only a few years older than myself had a massive heart attack. Which in the next two years was followed by 2 more minor heart attacks. From the beginning, his heart health was like a wake up call. Now is the time to change my lifestyle, change my eating habits and turn my health around. I've made a series of small attempts, a month on Atkins, diet pills, total diet makeovers. Unfortunately, none of them lasted very long. My intention to renew my health was always genuine, but my resolve was less than stellar.

I can't say why I allowed myself to slide back into old and unhealthy habits, except that it was easy. My attempts to change my lifestyle went largely unsupported and unaided, and I've never handled the temptation of a big juicy steak or a luscious sweet treat very well. It's too challenging, and perhaps I wasn't properly motivated. Now I have the support I want and the motivation I need.

Recent events in my life have shown me just how important my family is. I have a young son, whom I intend to see married and producing grandchildren. Something I cannot achieve if my bad lifestyle and unhealthy habits remove me from the picture too soon. There's also a chance that I will soon be rendered a single mother. While my son is my number one priority, dating and overweight rarely go hand in hand. If and when I choose to pursue a new relationship, being in good physical shape will improve my chances of success.

Since this potential change in my life came to my attention, I have reassessed and reevaluated my priorities. For my son and my personal happiness, my health must be as good as it can be. So I signed on to Sparkpeople.com and input my details and goals. I've changed my eating habits, using their nutrition tracker to count my daily intake calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates. I use the fitness tracker to log my daily exercise activity, everything from light aerobics to daily walks to calisthenics. The site has aided me in making better food choices, and making sure that I don't "overdo it" at dinnertime.