Is Today the Day?

I am a school teacher and yesterday I got back those dreaded school pictures back from the photographers.  I pulled that package of pictures out of my mailbox and I hate who I saw. I saw an unhealthy woman who relies on food to make herself feel better.  I could see that my sedentary lifestyle has taken over my body and my life.

It was 10 years ago that I had my youngest child.  Two weeks after having my child, I had enrolled into an activity college course titled “Walking”  It was during this class that I started a new period in my life.  I was required to walk.  I had class twice a week and was required to walk for nearly the entire class period.  This jump started a weight loss period in my life.

I eventually lost 50 lbs in a matter of 8 months.  I couldn’t fit into my “fat” clothes anymore and had to buy new clothes.  It was amazing to me at that time that I was eating so unhealthy.  I started limiting my calorie intake and made sure that I never ate anything after 6:00 in the evening.  This was a big part of my weight loss.  I also never ate anything unless it was meal time. No snacks at all.  All of this on top of my walking several times a week, led me to that 50 lb. loss.

Shortly after I experienced my major weight loss, I started experiencing anxiety attacks.  I didn’t really know what was happening to me.  There were times that I thought I was dying.  I had never experienced these feelings before.  I suddenly became a recluse that was almost confined to my house.  It was the only place that I could relax and feel safe.   I would try to go to town to go shopping for groceries and I literally couldn’t handle the crowds. I would need to leave.  The best way for me to describe the feelings was that my blood was boiling.  I couldn’t calm myself on the inside.

It got to where I couldn’t keep weight on.  I lost another 20 lbs.  This was almost too much of a weight loss.  I wasn’t looking healthy or feeling healthy anymore.  I can remember just thinking to myself that I would rather be overweight and “normal” than skinny and “miserable.”

I’m not sure where it turned around.  I did go to the doctor. I did started taking medicine.  I learned that there are many people out there in the world that suffer from anxiety, but it is such a taboo topic.  I think people are afraid of appearing weak or even crazy.  However, It started to turn things around.  Within about 2 years, I started to gain weight again and feeling better.

Today, I’m on the other side of spectrum.  I feel good in regards to my anxiety, but my weight is out of control.  I don’t feel healthy and I don’t want to continue down this road. I am almost 40 years old and I need to take control. I need to make some changes. The older I get, the harder it will be to get my weight off.

Right now, I’m ready to make changes and live a healthier lifestyle. But, tomorrow, I will get hungry and food tastes good. I am constantly thinking about my next meal and how every event leads to a celebration of food. I have very little willpower. What can I do? How will I be strong enough to fight the temptations?

Early Detection is Best

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  This month is dedicated to increasing awareness of the disease and the steps necessary to protect yourself. Early detection is key to survival.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause to death in women, but is the most common type of cancer found in women.

If you have a family history of breast cancer then that increases your risk factors in developing the disease yourself. This risk cannot be changed or altered. However, there are some risk factors that can be changed. This means that you need to live a healthy lifestyle.  This includes being active and eating healthy.  Alcohol consumption can increase your risk, too.

Women should be taking precautions to make sure that there is early detection.  This means doing breast self-exams once a month.  A mammogram should also be performed on a regular basis starting at the age of 40.  This is usually on a yearly basis or as directed by your doctor.

I have a personal connection to breast cancer.  I have a family history of this disease.  My maternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have mastectomy. Then, about 10 years later they found a tumor in the other breast and had to have another mastectomy. I worry about how this can increase my risk factor.

Please love yourself and loved ones enough to take care of your health.  Perform those self-exams and follow up with a doctor if you are ever concerned about anything.