Day Eighteen: Thankful for My Health and the Journey to Stay Healthy

                       

It's weird for me to know that the one and only reason that this blog ever got started in the first place was so that I could motivate myself to lose weight.  That was three years ago, and even though I haven't lost near as much weight as I need to.... today, I am very thankful how healthy I am despite how heavy I am.

A few years ago, I was teetering right around the 300lbs mark (top left picture).  Despite only being in my mid twenties, I often felt a lot older simply because of the limitations my body had due to it's size.  There was no running around, staying on my feet for more than a few minutes, and even a walk around a grocery store warranted a couple hours rest and relaxation after because of how tired it made me.

Since that time I've lost a substantial amount of weight (top right picture), gained a substantial amount back, and lost some again (bottom two pictures are most recent).  I went from not being able to walk for 15 minutes to running 3 miles back down to walking 3 miles with occasional jog intervals.  It's weird for me to look at those top two pictures and know that I am three years younger in the picture on the left than I am on the right.  Although, I look much older with all that added weight.

But despite gaining weight back, I never gained the sloth like demeanor back.  I refused to go back to being a person that could hardly get around.  And at 31 years old, and still very much overweight, I have held on to the ability to run around with the kiddos, stand on my feet all day long, and walk for miles and miles when I want to.

And even though I have the want to continue to lose weight, my actions have hardly been keeping up with that desire... yet, I am still very thankful that I am healthy.

I do not have diabetes or even pre-diabetes.  I have high cholesterol, but not near as high as someone my size typically has.  I have no blood pressure problems.  I have occasional, mild knee problems that stem from an old injury, but all of my other joints are fine.  And, my body has the ability to fight off most colds and viruses without the use of medications.  In fact, I don't get sick very often at all due to an over active immune system.

Being healthy is very important to me because one of my biggest fears is not being alive long enough to see my children grow up.  Just typing that sentence was enough to put a lump in my throat.  I just don't want to even imagine what life would be like for my kids without me.  Which is why I often want to kick my own behind for not committing as much as I could to losing weight and making sure that my weight isn't the cause of an early demise.

But, even after all these years of trying, I'm not anywhere near ready to throw in the towel and just "accept" that I'm overweight and will be forever.  As long as I keep the desire alive, I will continue to work at it.  And I don't think it's too bad that I've lost over 20lbs since August just by changing some of my eating habits.  As long as I get on the scale each week and see a lower number on the scale, I'm happy.  I will keep fighting until I'm in a "healthy weight class".  

It's not just my weight, though.  It's also my family history.  I count my blessings everyday that I don't have some of the ailments that have struck my close family.  There is history with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and super high cholesterol in my family.  So, I count my blessings each and every day that I have, at the moment, avoided such problems.  

Despite my weight, being healthy is very important to me.  Being healthy, in my opinion, is avoiding medication as long as I possibly can.  I am "one of those people" that hate taking any and all forms of prescription or over the counter medication.  I pretty much have to be in unbearable pain for me to put some kind of medication in my body.  

When I have a cold, I rest and drink honey tea with lemon to help break up congestion in my nose.  When I have a headache, I rest and sleep.  When I have a stomach bug, I let it run it's course while sticking to a liquid diet.  And I'm a firm believer that because I do these things, I don't get sick near as often as I should.  Or when I do get sick, it doesn't last near as long as other people or seems as bad as what other people inflicted with the same illnesses experience.  

Working in a school, I'm bound to pick up germs pretty frequently.  There is always some kind of sickness going around, and I find myself very thankful and fortunate that I'm able to avoid about 98% of it.  My track record pretty much speaks for itself.  In the middle of my second year in my current school, I haven't missed a single day from being sick.  *Knock on wood*

So, today, I am very thankful to have my health...being healthy.  Being able to run and play and get through my day without any health issues standing in my way.

Something I am thankful for everyday, and hope to be thankful for for many years to come.