For Body and Mind

I've been in a funk.

Not writing-wise, thank you, Jesus, but in all other aspects of my life. Last summer my hubby and I embarked once again on our quest to become physically fit, or as damn close to it as two shlubs can. Well, we bit off a large chunk of P90X. If you have ever seen this infomercial, you know it's like trying to wrestle the bastard love-child of gator and a rabid pit bull. Not for the faint of heart. About a month later, it got too much to even lift our arms or work up the energy to do the workouts. For me, the fact we were doing this at 11:30 at night after he got home put a damper on it. By that time, I'm ready to curl up and read or just veg. The sad part is it did start to work before I gave up. Which is the same as what happened every year for the past 20 when I did the same thing. Start a workout regime and diet plan only to fall off the rails. I get so close to reaching my goals, or I get wonderful results and then I just get lazy about it and stop working out or stop watching what goes down my gullet. Very bad.

As I get older, I've noticed it takes twice as much to fight the battle of the bulge and I'm sad to report the bulge has victory in its sights. It's not pretty. But damn, people, something's got to give. Heart disease and diabetes run in my family and I'm sitting in the cross hairs.

Time to get serious.

Here comes the epiphany.

Yesterday, I woke up early. I had to work, but couldn't sleep so I ate a little protein and waited an hour then went to my living room where I did the 10-minute Workout. (Also a Tony Horton program like p90X but this one is supposed to make it easier to squash in the exercises when you're busy.) - I did the Yoga Flex with warm up and cool down, so it ended up about 14 minutes. Then I did 10 minutes on the exercise bike. Total workout: 24 minutes.

Can I just tell you how good I felt after? I had energy. I drank a protein drink to recover, I had a banana and I was good to go.

I know the program tells you to follow the diet as well as the exercise. Boy are they right! I'm convinced my problem last year was lack of the right calories at the right time. 6 small meals, instead of skipping meals. You know, you hear it all the time, but it's so true. I eat my little nutritious snacks, but I don't snack - if that makes sense. (In other words, I'm not sitting eating chips all day or even while watching tv.) So far. So good.

What are the side benefits? Well, looking better. Having a sharper mind. More energy. Lord knows, I can sure use that. The correlations between healthy body and mind have been written about in medical journals and New Age magazines ad nausem. I've seen patients whose blood sugars have been out of whack act totally spacy or have complete personality changes. Once the glucose is regulated, they are back to normal. It's an odd and complex thing, but also something that if you are unaware can sneak up on you.

Looking at this in a broader spectrum, why is it that I can be bound and determined to succeed in my writing. Be so driven and focused that I can exclude all else from my life just to make time for it, but I have not that same selfish gene that allows me to make time for me? It's very odd.

And therein lies the irony. If I want to write, I have to ensure I'll be around long enough to see the fruits of my labor. I plan to be there.

Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

(Off to do arms and abs today.)

-Kat