I won’t lie, I’ve got a belly, a pouch, some extra dough above my belt. I know. Nobody ever mentioned it, but I know. I can feel it. I drag a bit when I’m walking (forget about running at this point), I make a sound when I bend at the waist to pick something up, I am at least 30 pounds heavier than when I came to this country.
Now, people, if you read this blog regularly, you should know by now that I am not someone passive and ready to accept a situation I don’t like.
So, first thing first: I don’t drink alcohol anymore. Those days are more and more in the distant future. I might have a beer every other month, but just one, I don’t binge drink, I don’t feel the need to. It has been what? about two and a half years now since I squeezed that tap almost dry, and I’ve noticed some changes. My face regaining some angles, my jaws getting back to a sharper line. It’s not what it used to be, of course, compared to my twenties but still, it’s better than before, I’m progressing.
I’ve change my diet too. Less red meat, for example, much less. I still eat cheese and eggs, but the meat, the red one, the so-good-it’s-a-sin meat is much less predominant. Fat has followed the same course. It’s not yet gone, but it’s not what it used to be. I have a much more tense and watchful relationship with fat.
And, do I need to mention it, there is exercise. I walk now, almost every day. It takes a truly wet, gloomy, stormy day to keep me inside. Otherwise, I’m out there every morning, marching my 5.5 miles in about an hour. I am going, let me tell you. The goal is to be out of breath. I use a super power to force myself to sustain a good pace for a long time: Music. I listen to different things while I huff and puff. It’s good for my stamina, it’s good for my heart, it’s good for my brain. The headphones help keep the sweat in check. Since I haven’t exercise at all most of my life, I am discovering the powerful pull music has on my motion. If the beat is good and the tempo just right, I can get lost in the moment. All of the sudden, there is no pain, no struggle, no effort, I am gliding on an air cushion at great speed with a smile on my face.
I know that this is an old trick, that every one we see at the gym listens to some music. So what?! I am talking about something that helps me stay motivated and exercise regularly. Even if it’s common, my experience is very personal. And that’s my point, as a matter of fact: every one experience to lose weight and feel better is deeply personal because we are working to change more than our appearance, we’re trying to change our lifestyle.
Oh, and by the way, I’ve been watching my food intake for 3 months now and exercising on and off for about three years. I went from 1 hole on the belt to three today, as I get a bit thinner. The goal is 5 holes. I don’t know when I’ll get there, but I know it’ll be fun to achieve that goal.
