When your age catches up to you
Sigh, I’m getting old. I dye my hair now to cover gray instead of solely as a style choice. Interns think I’m like totally older than I am. I have wrinkles. Strangers don’t confuse me with college kids anymore. Well, I’m actually glad about that last one, damn was that annoying. Just put me in my rocking chair so I can start yelling at kids to get off my damn lawn.
Now don’t lynch me, I’m totally joking. Mostly. I know that at 32 I’m not “old”, but I’m not really “young” either. And I am quickly realizing that I can no longer rely on my youth the way I once did. Apparently, once you get over 30 you need to start being more conscientious about your health. It’s so unfair.
For most of my life, I’ve been overweight,to some degree or another, but never really unhealthy. I’ve never smoked or did drugs and I drink alcohol infrequently. And I’ve never had any chronic health problems either, just temporary. I know how lucky I am and a few years ago I realized how unlikely this was going to continue. I’m starting to see it happen too.
Even though most of my vitals like cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose levels, etc. are still good and within normal, my triglycerides are high. In fact, in a year I’ve only managed to get them DOWN to high from very high. By itself, you wouldn’t think it was a big deal but it is not a good indicator of what is bound to come. Just this one problem could mean a heart attack before I am 40. Yikes.
But to avoid that, I need to do more than just pop some pills, I need to make some major life changes around my health. And it’s not going to be fun. But there are a lot of fun and happy things I still want to do which would be greatly impeded by a heart attack.
So why blog about this? Public accountability.
For a blogger, I tend to keep a lot of personal stuff off this blog. Everyone has their own comfort level on what they choose to share over social media. But I’ve found that opening up about a problem or a goal to others is sometimes the best way to be held to overcoming that problem or goal. So here’s to a new year and some new challenges! Feel free to share any goals you have for yourself in the comments. I’ll be sure to hold you accountable if you’ll do the same for me.
December 27th, 2012 saat: 6:46 pm
Welcome to the club, its time to take it serious before you don’t have a choice. I’m in it too.
December 28th, 2012 saat: 7:13 pm
Let me make two suggestions based on a lifetime of experiences.
Be reasonable. When I turned 40, I had a physician and athlete develop a food and exercise plan that would work for me in a life situation where I travelled fifty+ percent of the time. The first thing he asked me was “What foods will you eat, even if I tell you not to?” That was easy, beer, ice cream, and cheeseburgers. “Fine,” he said, “Those are in the program. Just don’t eat too many.”
For me (your mileage may vary) fending off decay works best if I do something every day. Not three times a week. Every day. You don’t have to do a lot, but if you commit to making progress every day, you can power through the hard days by thinking, “It’s just for today.” And you know that if you miss a day, there’s no makeup.
December 30th, 2012 saat: 10:28 pm
Totally agree with Wally on this. Let me add two other thoughts:
1. Create an activity goal of some kind that is additive. Mine is to walk/run 1,000 miles in 12 months. That’s about 20 miles per week, average 3 per day. If you walk most of it, then you have to commit about an hour a day, and that has to come out of something else. Or choose a number like 500 miles.
2. Or, instead of the time coming from some other use, combine this goal with something else you want to do – like walk the dog. Don’t think just in terms of what to do differently. Tweak your habits to do more of the good things and less of the things that get in your way of success.
My accountability report: 78 miles since December 1.
December 31st, 2012 saat: 2:53 pm
Chris – Let’s kick butt and get healthier in 2013! 🙂
Wally – I think I will have to put Chocolate and Bacon on my list of “Food I shouldn’t eat but will anyways”. And I agree with the everyday policy, It’s too easy to skip otherwise.
Tim – Go you! I should start wearing a pedometer again, that kept me honest for a while.
December 31st, 2012 saat: 6:35 pm
Shauna,
Congrats on going public. You can do this!