Baby Steps

Last week, I shared how stress had created havoc in my life and on my health. Many of you resonated with my story and struggle and I appreciated the messages you sent. Thank you for connecting to my story and taking time to share yours.

This week, I thought I’d share a bit about the early days of retirement and finding the will to try again. Retiring in and of itself didn’t solve all my problems. I wish it was that simple, don’t you? Walking away from the major source of my stress was surely a big help, but not the complete answer. What that did for me was provide me with the space and time to care for myself, however, those of you who are on this journey know that space and time alone will not get it done. We have to dig deep within ourselves and actually do something. We actually have to prioritize ourselves, which for many doesn’t feel natural, especially after putting ourselves last for so long.

When I arrived at my new home post retirement, I had the desire to get on track again. I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I took a walk with my dog most days and spent time online looking for motivation and answers. Pretty shortly, I had some hip pain from the walking and was cutting back on that. I decided to lose some weight before continuing with exercise, but that just led to more sitting and reading. Not a good plan!

I decided to invest in working with a nutrition coach and began doing research on one in my area. As a new retiree, I was concerned about the money, but this was my first opportunity to put myself first. I went in for a complete physical with the doctor and was shocked at my blood work. My cholesterol was super high, especially my LDL. I’ve never really had cholesterol issues before so did not agree to medication as my solution. I asked for six months to lose weight and see if the numbers moved and the doctor agreed.

The nutrition coach I hired lived in my area and had worked with some friends who had good results. They said she focused on food choices, including shopping with you and teaching you how to read and understand food labels. We started working together in February and I made it clear that food had to be easy to manage or I wouldn’t stick with it. Based on my history, if I had to spend hours prepping food for the week, or cooking meals each night it wouldn’t happen. It was just not conducive to my lifestyle. I do not want to be spending my days cooking for hours. I want simple, clean eating that doesn’t involve tons of spices I’ll use once and never use again.

We started with small changes, working first on breakfast, a meal I generally skipped. We talked about protein and the importance of it at each meal. I was very easily able to do what was asked of me and no, it didn’t involve merely drinking shakes, though that was an option. I quickly learned that my biggest issue was two fold, I was not eating enough food each day, nor protein. Skipping breakfast also did not set me up for the day and my body would then begin craving foods starting with lunch. I understood why every day at work, I was looking to order “brunch” with colleagues which consisted of bagels, coffee, etc.

During these first few months, I focused on attainable for me 30 minute workouts which included walking and body weight exercises such as wall squats and wall push ups. I worked out every day, alternating walks and body movements each day for 30 minutes. I lost some weight and inches, slowly. I was very consistent with my eating and workouts. I continued to have some hip pain, so I changed the walking to Peleton bike classes and had relief.

By May, I had lost 15 pounds and felt ready to make more changes. I started playing pickleball and loved the social interactions and competitive nature of the games. I decided at this point to work with a functional health coach in my community. We looked again at my food choices and I started logging in the My Fitness Pal app to explore the breakdown of my nutrients across the day and week. We reworked my exercise routines to focus more on flexibility and stretching, to help me on the pickleball courts. I incorporated swimming laps and yoga classes into my weekly routines and lightened the weights I was lifting at the gym.

By September, I was up to a 35 pound weight loss in total and closing in on my goal weight. I’m still not there, but it now feels so doable. Believe me, the struggle has been real. There are days my body hurts and days I feel less motivated, especially now that the days are getting colder. I’m still taking it one step at a time and find that breaking it down into manageable chunks has been helpful. I didn’t gain the weight in one month, so expecting to lose it quick was not realistic and actually put too much pressure on me.

Next week, I’d like to discuss the personal mindset work I needed to do during these past months. I’ve learned that wellness requires 4 pillars, known as L.E.A.N. I will break that down for you and hope you’ll have a more complete picture of my reclaiming of health. Please continue to share your journey, I learn from each of you as well.