day one

Ken and I have a new doctor. We met with him for the first time on Tuesday, and I shared with him the concerns I had about my weight gain. I also told him that I had been unhappy with two doctors who had essentially blown me off regarding that concern, and that I wanted him to take my concerns seriously. He did.

He proposed the following. For the next month:
--cut out white food (including pasta)
--don't drink anything with more than one calorie in it
--don't eat any "manmade" sweets
--walk 30 minutes every day

The eating regimen is familiar (except for the beverage portion), part of the philosophy I embraced two years ago when I lost weight effectively. I've also read some additional things to aid women over 40 struggling with weight issues, including avoiding wheat (gluten allergy), adding flax seed to my diet and drinking green tea. Yesterday I was able to eat the proper foods without too much trouble, and even made soup to take to last night's Gifts and Talents program that fit The Profile.

Recovering from depression, however, makes it more challenging to take on a discipline with consistency. My greatest loss is morning coffee, in which I MUST have half and half if I want to experience beverage bliss. As I mourned that loss yesterday morning Ken took sympathy on me and made the following offer. He would walk with me every morning at 6.

This morning we began. I'm grateful to have him join me on the walk--it gives us time together for uninterrupted conversation, keeps me accountable, and gets him walking too. Fortunately it is dark now at that hour, so he isn't starting work until a bit later. We should be able to make this part of our day for a long time.

And now if you'll excuse me, I hear the whistle of the kettle announcing that it's time for tea.