It all started when I lost a few pounds.
I have been overweight for over 20 years. At one point I managed to diet down to a healthy weight, but the success did not last, and by the time I had lived for a year in my present location I was heavier than I had ever been. A combination of stress, back pain, and getting used to that first Michigan winter made for a deadly combination of sedentary living and over eating. I've never been a vain sort of person and didn't care that much about looks, and because I've always been pretty strong I was able to drag around the extra poundage with not too much effort.
But then I turned 50 and the effects of obesity began to wear my body out. Lower back pain from scoliosis became unrelenting, my gall bladder began to complain loudly, and I was tired all the time. My blood sugar began to rise, and the blood pressure numbers began to creep upward. Oh yes, and my knees hurt, too. The Vicious Cycle had begun: chronic pain meant no exercise, and no exercise meant more sitting. My headaches became fierce and cyclical, and I found that eating carbs gave me temporary relief. My moods became darker from pain and frustration, and my work suffered. When my doctor asked me if I wanted the stroke in five years or the heart attack in three, I knew it was time to do something. So I did.
With the help of a local clinic's weight loss program the pounds began to slide off. I was encouraged to exercise and joined a gym. I worked with a trainer and got stronger. The pain in my knees went away. My blood pressure and blood sugar dropped, and my headaches vanished. My mood improved. I gave most of my clothes away because they didn't fit and tentatively bought some new ones. I looked nice.
I won't say how many pounds I've lost, but last year I wouldn't have been able to lift it. I still have more weight to lose and the journey to health will probably never stop, but I'm OK with that, because it was on the journey that I met The Suburban Farm.
to be continued...
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