Day 3

I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and love. I’m overwhelmed, folks. Thank you so much! I’ve gotten so much great advice, suggestions, and alternatives. New recipes, exercise suggestions for people with bad backs, thing to ask my doctor about, and lots of other great ideas. Thank you all so much!

To give you a quick update on things, this is the third day on the new meds. I know it’ll take time for them to have full effect, but I have noticed a few things already. It’s been good on appetite suppression, I’m not as hungry. My blood pressure has been good, so that’s awesome. I’ve also started making changes in my diet. At the moment, it’s just been portion control. We’re still working on changing the foods, themselves. We’ve got a lot of groceries that we can’t just toss out. We love pasta in our house and I make a killer homemade spaghetti sauce. Everyone who has tried it, loves it. So, I’m researching low carb alternatives. So, we’ve got a lot of new options to try until we find one we like.

Last night, I made homemade chicken pot pie for the family. All the ingredients were fresh and I think it was a much healthier alternative to the store bought ones. Now, having said that, I’m sure there were things I could have done to make it lower carb. I’m still learning this. What I did do that I’m proud of is portion control. I like to eat and that’s the core of the problem. I always ate until I was so full I couldn’t eat anymore. Yeah, I know. That’s bad. But, I fought that urge and only had one moderate sized bowl. Yes, I still felt like I could eat more, but on the other side, I didn’t feel hungry anymore without that “oh God, why did I eat that much” feeling. Portion control is the first step I’m taking and will bring lower carb foods in as we progress. I was reminded by a friend, this isn’t a sprint… it’s a marathon. There’s an old saying I like. It says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I love that expression. I’ve been trying to make that my mantra in everything I do. Not everything has to be done “right now.”

Now, I’ve also started changing personal habits in my daily life. Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m a night owl. I spent years working graveyard shifts and just kind of adjusted to that. I’m changing that, to a degree. I decided to start getting up earlier and doing things that I normally did late at night. I’ve found that I’m more clear-headed when I’m writing and that I’m hitting writing goals easier. Granted, I’ve only been doing it for a few days, but I think this is something I’m going to stick with. As the weight comes off and my back continues to feel better, I’m going to get back out to the woods. Do some walking around. Shoot some video for the channel. Build back up to where I was before my back decided it was done putting up with my crap. Again, taking steps a little at a time. I’m getting there.

I didn’t weigh myself today because I doubt seriously that there’s been any significant change. I’ll try to post weigh ins every week. I think that would be better. I’m also thinking about taking full body shot pictures of myself to gauge my progress. I might just do that for myself until the end, then do a “before and after” kind of thing. Why inundate you all with a bunch of pics? Well, pics of me. If I get some good shots out in the woods, I’ll definitely be sharing them. Likely on the blog and on FaceSpace.

With this new curveball that life has sent my way has come something I didn’t really expect. Clarity of thought. Yeah, when I first got the news, I was taken aback. I wasn’t sure what to do. But, I’ve gotten some great advice and had time to adjust to the new reality that is my life. With that clarity, I’ve found that hitting my writing goals for the day have been easier. I’m writing two books at the same time and it’s going really well. I’m adding serious word count to each book without any real problems keeping the writing flowing. That’s huge. There have been times when I’ve struggled with writing for one reason or another. I like this new approach and I hope it continues to yield these results. I guess time will tell, but I’m certainly enjoying this benefit to my writing.

Now, the mental part. How I feel. Honestly, right now I feel good. I know as the weight and blood sugar continue to come down, I’ll feel even better. Mentally, I feel focused and confident that this is something I can overcome. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m too stubborn to quit. Not to mention, I have an amazing support system of family and friends. That includes all of you. I know you’ve all got my back on this journey and with your help, I’ll stay the path. Thank you all for that. You’re awesome!

So, for now, I’ll do three things. Watch my portions, stay hydrated, and stay focused. Each day I’ll find changes to make to diet, exercise, writing and mental focus. Those wise words come back to me… “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” I think I might have that printed on a poster and hang it over my computer. It’s a good daily affirmation and mantra to help keep me sharp.

A wise friend once told something. It’s an old quote. “Who must do the hard things? He who can?”

I know this won’t be easy, but together we’ll take this journey. Thank you all for the love and support.

• DA