So I’ve decided to move forward with doing the 8 Weeks to Wellness (8WW) program that I mentioned in my last post (or at least I think I did). In fact, I officially begin today…and I’m pretty psyched.
I made the decision after finding out what my end cost would be after insurance (yep, they actually kick in some coverage on this) and also weighing the importance of health to other things.
While it’s true that I want to get out of debt so badly I can taste it, I realize also that delaying my debt-free-dance by approximately 1 month is worth the sacrifice for improving my overall health & fitness. This is something I’ve been struggling with quite a bit since I started overhauling my eating habits.
One of the areas I was scrimping as much as possible (in order to pay more towards the debt payoff) was food. As a result, I was eating horribly…well, maybe not horribly, but not well either. I didn’t become a frequenter of fast food restaurants (I’ve never felt right going into one since watching “Supersize Me” and reading “Fast Food Nation“), but I was just making the cheapest food choices. Once I started eating appropriately and incorporating organic foods into my diet, my food budget has shot way way up. This is forcing me to rework my whole budget and has thrown off the system I had for the last 18 months, but I have no doubt I’ll figure it out. What it boils down to is eating healthy is NOT cheap…but I believe the rewards certainly outweigh the cost – especially in the long-term.
As for this 8WW program, let me start by giving a quick summary of what will be happening over these next 2 months:
Each week I will be going into the office approximately 3 times. 2 of those visits will comprise a chiropractic appointment followed by an hour of time with one of the personal trainers. These are not your typical Bally’s-type personal trainer, mind you. These guys are hard-core, Jillian/Bob-like trainers. I expect full ass-kickings. But when they’re done chewing me up at the end of 8 weeks, I hope to see myself back into my Alaska/UK/NYC physical shape. Can I get an amen?
The third visit of the week will be that of a 1-hour massage appointment. Yeah, baby. I also will be having more sit-downs with the dietitian I met with the last time. (She was great, by the way – really helpful and basically told me that I’m doing everything right from a nutritional standpoint.)
The program is truly holistic and looks at the spiritual as well as the physical components of health so the final piece of the pie is meditation (not to be confused with medication) which I have to do on my own time, but there’s also a class and they teach yoga if I’m interested.
So, with the overall plan, I have to commit to my weekly visits, daily meditation, eating appropriately, drinking all my required water, and doing at least 20 minutes of cardio exercise on my own each day that I’m not with the trainers.
Yeah, it’s a lot and definitely a big commitment, but I’m really excited about it. I think the hardest part for most people would probably be the eating and water, but thankfully I’ve been pretty steady since doing the detox so I’ve already been eating pretty much the way I’m supposed to for the program anyway.
The challenge for me will be making sure that all my meals “balanced” meaning they contain a protein, a carb, and a fat. I struggle with getting the protein in…well, that and leafy greens. I really wish I didn’t hate leafy greens so much… The only one I can tolerate (and even enjoy) is spinach, but spinach doesn’t carry all of the same benefits as the other leafies. So I just have to suck it up and power through arugula, Swiss chard, and the rest.
This first week is technically the hardest as you’re not allowed any carbs except for veggies. Not a huge deal for me at this point, however I am going to miss my fruits. But it’s only a week.
Tomorrow after work is my first personal training session with another on Thursday. Then on Friday comes my massage. I have a feeling I’m going to be needing the massage after Tuesday & Thursday… I doubt the pain will be as severe as what we experienced after hiking the Inca Trail, but I’m sure there will still be pain…but hey, “no pain, no gain” is a saying for a reason, right?
Turns out my 8 weeks will actually be interrupted by my annual Seattle trip which I’m taking this year from September 17-24, but we’re going to work around it. And don’t worry Jel, while I’m out with you guys, I won’t suddenly turn into some sort of crazy high-maintenance chick. And, by the way, there will be coffee…oh yes, there will be coffee.
Aside from Seattle, it would seem I’ve actually timed this beautifully. As it happens, the last Friday of my 8 weeks (and the day after I return from Seattle) is the date of the U2 concert date at Giant Stadium! What better finale could there possibly be?
Happiness Is
Things have been somewhat overwhelming recently. Work is nuts with 2 rounds of layoffs sweeping through in less than 6 months. My personal life is a mass of activities. My budget is rockin’ while my debt snowball is rollin’. My house is slowly having more things done to it which make it that much more like a home to me. And through all this madness, I’ve barely blogged except for the other day when I just felt the need to vent a little. I guess you could say it was a little verbal processing run amok.
Sidebar: I just was distracted by watching Chena bury some item of great value (at least to her) in the folds of a towel on the floor. But it’s cool, she’s a dog. It’s what she does. Still, kinda funny.
Anyway, despite my little online explosion the other day, I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m really doing pretty well – this especially for those of you who don’t see me all that often and might not know what to think when I don’t post for weeks and then suddenly come out with a message like I did on Monday.
But I’m good. I’m busy, I’m happy, I love my dog, I’m healthy, I have hardwood floors, I have a new patio door, I’m getting a new patio to go with it next week, and I’m employed. I’ve been thinking it over the past couple of days and decided that, despite any guy thing (or lack thereof) I’m not about to be bullied by happiness.
I should probably explain that last statement.
Dave Ramsey says in one of our FPU lessons (and he may have been quoting someone else, I don’t know) that if you’re not careful, happiness can become a “bully in a schoolyard”. Always drawing a line in the sand, but as soon as you step over that line – as soon as you obtain what you’re after – it moves. But happiness is not really the greener grass on the other side of the fence. Happiness is where you are right now, regardless of incidentals.
I think I started to learn this lesson somewhat when I was in England. I was frustrated with being in the UK – especially being so far out in the middle of nowhere. But I also knew that it was a good time in my life…something I would look back on and appreciate – although there were many times when I couldn’t wait to be “looking back” on it instead of living it! Still, I knew that this was the case, so I made a concerted effort to find things that I loved and appreciated about Leamington, Warwickshire, and the UK in general. Even now, I think back on that time and remember fondly my fabulous flat on Clarendon Square, the amazing Irish butter, Muellers Crumble Corners, riding my bike to work, walking everywhere, taking weekend trips into Europe, being so close to Stratford that I had a membership with the Royal Shakespeare Company at a “locals” rate… I could go on and on. So despite the fact that it was rough year (and I know I complained a lot), I still could appreciate it and still do. So much so that I’d go back for the right opportunity.
That whole concept of completing the phrase, “Happiness is [fill in the blank]” is really kinda difficult to do. Happiness is…uh…what? How can you define happiness if it’s a moving target? And there’s the rub.
Happiness isn’t that thing just out of reach. It’s not the marriage and kids you don’t have. It’s not the job you wished you’d gotten. It’s not the car you drive (or wish you drove). Neither is happiness a particular thing that happens once or many times over. Happiness is now. Happiness just IS.
If we don’t stop tying our happiness to the having or attaining of specific things, we’ll always be bullied by it and we’ll never find true contentment.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that sure, I’m missing some stuff from my life that I’d like to have, but ultimately, those missing items don’t necessarily detract from my ability to still see and enjoy and love and find happiness in where I am right now.
Paul said it like this in Philippians 4:11 – “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Rock on Paul. That’s what I’m talking about.