Lifes Struggle...41º

There are many struggles/battles in life that define ones character or "shape" ones life or maybe we just learn to deal with them and move on...Different for each individual and coped with in different ways...What I'm alluding to here is the ever expanding waist line or in my case the "hip line."...I come from a family of women who are well endowed in that area...Each family referred  to it as the "Parkin or Ashton Butt."..I think I got both!

It became apparent as I grew into a teenager and had to wear "aline skirts" instead of "pencil skirts." It wasn't a "big" problem then, but over the years with junk food added to my diet, child bearing added inches, a more sedentary lifestyle made its contribution, the problem got "bigger."

Organizations to help, began popping up in every community...First it was TOPS (take off pounds sensibly,) then Weight Watchers...In between those was the "grapefruit diet, the "fasting/liquid diet, the Atkins/low carb diet, the no fat/heart diet and a myriad of other special diets with exercise thrown in...TOPS didn't do much for me but Weight Watchers did, at least "3" times!..Some years I just counted calories and added exercise...They all worked for awhile, but in the "end," "it" always got bigger...If only I had been taller the problem wouldn't have been so BIG.

So for the past few years I said, "To Hell" with all of the eating programs and ate what I wanted, gave away the smaller size clothes and determined to live with my size...BUTT it has become more of a problem, yes I can still find clothes to fit, but my stamina is nil, my lung power is short, my heart seems to have more blips and I can't work in my gardens, as much as I want to.

For about 3 years now, people in the county have been taking a program called CHIPS (Complete Health Improvement Program.) I have jokingly called it the "Beaner Class" because in just listening to their commentary, I deduced that this program focused on BEANS...Hmmm, I just made all that chili!

To get to the point, one week ago today I went to the "startup meeting" and yes paid my money (reimbursable from insurance)  and got the "kit"...3 books, a pedometer, a water bottle and a bunch of papers to fill out...The diet/new way to eat is PLANT BASED...Think about what this means...To be continued...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Life is Good.