Balance

Saturday October 2^nd

GBE2 Blog On:  Week #20     Balance

It’s all about balance; physiological and physical.  It’s all about balance; diet and exercise.  It’s all about balance; joy and tears.  It’s all about balance; the good with the bad.  It’s all about balance….balance this!

Throughout our lives we reach specific milestones.  Often these milestones are turning points in how we live our lives.  Some of the turning points pan out to be good changes and other are not so good.  However, they are all learning experiences meant to “balance” your life. 

I’m about over balance.  I have been without a job for nearly a year.  I am terrified…what’s the balance for that?  I have never been without employment of some sort, sometimes it was self employment but it was still employment, for more than two months. This scares me.  Sometimes I fret enough I cannot accomplish anything.  I cannot write, I cannot clean, I cannot pay attention enough to watch television.  I am worried about the future.  I do not feel I can honestly say, on line, how I feel politically…stymied….gotta suck up by omission! 

However, my ability to think has not diminished, contrary to what political pundits espouse.  Therefore, my epiphany regarding my recent weight gain took me by surprise.  I cannot believe it took me nearly twenty  pounds to realize what I was doing to myself! I hate that when I think someone is following really close to me, only to realize it’s my butt!

I like to eat.  Ok, I really like to eat.  And, for the most part, I’m not very picky about the meal I am consuming.  I got spoiled as a UPS delivery driver.  Back then, if I wanted to drop five pounds, I skipped lunch one day.  Not so much anymore….Once I hit fifty, the backside started to backslide! 

Early this spring, Bob and I started walking.  Yes, I complained about living in a mountainous region. Ok, Grand Rapids is as flat as a mesa top…but it sure seemed to be uphill all the way.  We even extended our walks.  We are up to about 1.5 miles…yes, that’s way up for us.  When we started it was all we could do to walk half a mile.  Wheezing, complaining, sore, limping….we really needed that cup of coffee and a smoke when we got back home!  I extended my workout even further.

I also ride a stationary bike.  I ride for as long as my chubby thighs will let me, about ten minutes. I try to stay around 21 mph and travel roughly 4 miles, all while watching the news.  I like it!  No bugs in my teeth!  And even with all this movement, I was gaining weight.

I whined about my weight gain to my brother, Scott.  Scott told me the average person gains about five pounds per year once they reach 50.  Well, I thought, I guess gaining my twenty pounds isn’t so bad since I’m 55…but all in one summer, come on. 

Along with the wrinkles, gray hair, and weight gain, just to balance everything out, I started having hot flashes about ten months ago.  The hot flashes sure complicate life!  I am one of the lucky ones, with black cohosh and raspberry tea, I have toned down my daily strip act to twice a day.  The ferocity of those two are a little frightening.  Sometimes I think if I could peel my skin off, I would!

Reviewing my diet balanced against my exercise, my emotional well being against my physical well being, my dietary intake against my physical need….my epiphany!  Eureka!  I know why my butt needs its own sofa to watch tv!  Jo Heroux, a friend of ours, had made some wonderful sweet tea at a party she threw.  I had been making my raspberry tea sweet!  Woo Hoo!!  Get rid of the sugar ‘cause Big Mama is sweet enough! 

It’s been a week.  My raspberry tea has been altered add green tea to my daily intake.  My clothes are not getting tighter.  I think I may have this licked.  Well, not licked but at least under arrest!  It was a big problem caused by such a little stumbling block.  Or, at least it seems small now since I have the solution at hand.  I guess that’s what balance really is isn’t it?

Balance isn't actually the two apposing sides of a coin. Balance is the ability to see the cause of a stumbling block in your life and the ability to take action to change it. 

Leigh