Stick to Your Guns

Anyone who tries to do this will tell you they have goals that seem impossible to achieve.

It Ain’t Easy To Do

I outlined my future objectives over two years ago (see My blog, How life can get in the way, starting in July 2019!)) and managed to stick with it for some months. THEN, Covid spread throughout the world, and our government worked incredibly hard to eradicate the dreaded bug here. (That was effective up until Delta arrived, but that is a different story. Fortunately, I didn’t have to worry about having to leave the town limits established for my small town at the time because I lived close enough to the supermarket.

My favorite walks, however—and this is a big but—were no longer permitted.

Oh, we could still take walks, but only in the neighborhood streets. Because I live alone, I am in a bubble of one, so this was advantageous because it allowed me to occasionally see friends across the street and have loud conversations with them. But that was a bad thing because I quickly grew tired of communicating only via my phone and walks, which led me to gradually cut back on my walking and increase my food intake. resulting in a weight gain that was nearly equal to the amount I had lost in the preceding months.

Then, a little over a year ago, I unintentionally moved across the country, which brought me closer to my kids. Another lockdown, but this time neither I nor any of the neighborhood walkers knew anyone. However, as they say, when you hit your lowest point, there is only one direction to go: UP!

Because of the Lord (and my daughter), I had the motivation to climb back up the ladder of success. I’ve discovered new places to walk, not just around the neighborhood’s streets, but also through the nearby estuary, through the woods, and on a recently built boardwalk through the mangroves. JOY.

As a result of the research I’ve done over the past few months, I now have a goal that is more achievable, and in addition to walking, I concentrate on consuming foods that will support my efforts. I eat plenty of vegetables,

which Reduce your intake of starchy foods like bread, rice, pasta, potatoes (my favorite), and potatoes. Less meat, which, thanks to all the fantastic recipes I’ve found, I don’t miss at all.

However, I do eat a small amount of meat on a daily basis because I am aware of how highly absorbable iron is found in meat.

I am also consuming a lot more water. I typically drink three half-pint glasses per day, though I do drink more when it’s hot outside, and it’s only the first month of spring where I live.

I have now established new, healthier habits as a result, and over the past six months, I have lost weight once more—80% of the weight I had previously lost and regained. Even during the most recent lockdown, I woke up eager to go because Delta has a lot to answer for. Since coming here, I have resumed writing and have made some true friends. I am eager to visit the beach this summer now that we are once again descending the restriction levels. This year, I will have the option because my daughter and her husband live close to their neighborhood beach.

So, I truly believe, that although I wavered there for a while, as do many people in a similar situation, I am determined that this time, with help from my own refusal to give up, AND the encouragement I receive every day from my daughter, I will definitely-

‘Stick to my Guns’