Young at Heart, Other Parts Slightly Aged

"What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny compared to what lies within us." - Emerson

About 5 minutes ago, I turned 49 years old. It doesn't even seem possible, but I double-checked the calendar, and it is so! The woman in the mirror is aging, which seems odd because the woman I really am - the woman inside - feels quite young.

The woman who lives inside is the one who plays tag on the beach with her 3 year old, who dances around the kitchen with her husband, and who follows her teenager from store to store to store looking for the perfect dress.

The woman inside is tending the garden, helping with the homework, and making sure the kids see museums as well as movies.

The woman inside can now do seven pushups! in a row!

So, who is this woman who has found her way into my mirror? I don't think I know her. It can't be me...I am young in heart, renewed each morning, as the Bible says.

Today Daughter Two was enjoying her playdough, laying out the colors and fashioning all sorts of little things with her tools. Eventually, she presented me with an "ice cream cone" that I was to "eat."

It was actually a charming piece of art, looking a bit like jellybean-speckled vanilla bean ice cream perched upon a lopsided waffle cone. Of course, being made of playdough, it would have tasted foul. But, it really did look good!

The playdough is my inverse: It looks great on the outside, but has no flavor, no real value as ice cream. I however, do not look all that yummy on the outside, but the real me is young in spirit, renewed each day, facing life with hope and joy.

Forty nine years old looks pretty good from here. Old enough to have learned some things; smart enough to know there is still much to learn, and (Lord willing) lots of time left to get something done.

Carpe Diem!

Paying Attention

Start with one cup nonfat Greek yogurt.
Stir in a squirt or two of vanilla-crème flavored Steevia.
Fold in a few fresh berries.
Sprinkle on a tablespoon of chopped walnuts.
Enjoy!

I have been changing how I look at food, and it is changing how I look at life. I have lost enough weight that people are beginning to notice. The most often-asked question is, “What diet are you on?”

My diet plan is “Pay Attention.” I am paying attention to what I eat. I am reading labels carefully so that I know what I am eating. I am measuring and weighing food so I know how much I am eating. (And when I make foolish food choices – a common event - I pay attention to what I have consumed; ignorance is NOT bliss.) I also pay attention to how much and what kind of exercise I am getting. I am even paying attention to how much I weigh – something I avoided for years.

Thirty pounds down from where I started, I have begun to pay attention to my clothes in a way that I haven’t enjoyed in years. I am also paying attention to what my body can do – I am moving about in ways that, six months ago, I could not. This celebration of life is fueling my motivation to embrace health.

So, when craving something to eat, I try to pay attention to what I REALLY want. I am often surprised to discover that a huge bowl of ice cream doesn’t actually sound that good…I generally prefer something more “real,” such as my yogurt-based treat.

And I pay attention to every creamy, crunchy, sweet, sharp bite. yum.