Hard to believe that we are more than halfway through another year. This year has been a tough one, and I've not felt like writing. Luckily, my partner and I have emerged from the other side of all the health scares stronger and more determined than ever. When you think the time you have together may be slipping away, it makes you refocus.
Over the last 8 months I've managed to put on a lot of extra pounds - mostly around my middle. So, part of my refocus is now on shedding the excess baggage and enjoying life to the full. I've struggled with my weight over the years since I gave up team sports. While we hillwalked and biked, it kept in check but each year I'd add a kilo or so to my tally. When our old dog got that he couldn't walk the hills any more, we slowed down too, from 1 hill a month to 2 or 3 a year. This last year with the puppy, there has been a sum total of zero hills. The sum total of all of this - I weigh way more kilos than I should. 82.6Kg to be precise - that's 182lbs, about 40lbs heavier than I should be (about 18 kilos).
I've done the diets, starved myself of this and that, exercised frantically, all to no avail. Oh sure, I'd lose a kilo or two and be very proud of myself. Then I'd lose heart and before you know it I've put the two kilos back on and some. So this time, this time there's no diet. This time, I'm just going to meditate and think myself thin. I know what you're thinking. No way.
Well, I've been thinking myself thin for just over a week and those 82.6Kg are 1.2kg less than when I started. I know, not much, but already my other half is commenting on my face being thinner and my love handles have shrunk - noticeably so. I have more energy and I'm doing stuff around the house instead of sitting watching TV. At night I'm visualizing myself thinner, fitter and much more energetic. I'm drinking more water and eating nuts and seeds instead of potato chips. I'm having almonds instead of peanuts, fruit instead of cakes and cookies. I have a picture inside my head of the me I want to be.
I talked to a few people about visualization. They told me it was difficult to begin with but I'm not finding that to be the case. Maybe being a writer is an advantage as I regularly visualize the story I'm trying to tell, and the characters, to get a feel for what they look like, think or do. Visualizing myself really wasn't a big jump.
Will it work long term? Who knows, but I've just got myself a copy of Jon Gabriel's book and I'm going to listen to his visualization tonite. I'm going to keep doing this at least until Christmas, that's a fair shot.
And, big statement!, I'm going to update this blog regularly to let you know how I'm going. Just you watch....
Oh, yeah, the puppy. Murph would definitely approve of the highly energetic and delightfully madcap Oscar. Black lab through and through - he got into the food bin last night, luckily its tall and so he couldn't really reach. We've started the training walks and hopefully this September we'll do a small hill walk with him (all the more reason to lose those extra pounds!). He loves chasing balls down the beach, something poor old Murph never really got the hang of. This time, I'm glad we chose a puppy who gets to have a great life from the very start. Oscar doesn't wonder if he's loved, he takes it for-granted!
