Well, folks, this is my first blog of the month, and you know what that means. If you don’t, I’ll recap (or “cap up,” as my Grampy Gilbert used to say). I’ve decided to take my own advice and make this my year of “livin’ the good life.” Since my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. Clever, huh? My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit.
January, I was focusin’ on bein’ kind to myself (much needed after that hectic holiday season), and February was all about tryin’ not to take things too personal. Lookin’ back, I’d say I didn’t do too bad; not too shabby, as we say in this neck of the woods. Just settin’ the goal makes me more aware as I go through my day, and that’s a good thing.
Chapter 3 is called “How Many Points in Cabbage Soup.” Yup, you’re right, it’s all about diet and exercise. Man, I’ve been on some crazy diets in my day, but the cabbage soup one may have been the most memorable. The story’s too long to get into here, but there’s a blow-by-blow in my book.
As the years go by, I find myself movin’ beyond the “all or nothing” game plan and am slowly figurin’ out what works for me. No more wacky diets (which always seem to end with me piggin’ out like I’ve never seen food before) or crazy workouts (and the months of physical therapy it takes for me to recover). I’m takin’ the long view, baby! These days, it’s more about being healthy than being Wonder Woman.
If, like me, you’ve been around the block a few times, you know what to do, right? Eat more fruits and veggies, be active, and (my favorites) drink more water and get plenty of rest. If you only do those last two things, trust me, you’ll feel better. Really! Plus, you get all that extra exercise runnin’ to the bathroom! See, it’s a win, win.
Now, at the end of every chapter in Finding Your Inner Moose I include a little section I call “Gettin’ Going.” I purposely didn’t want to call ‘em “Action Steps,” ‘cause that seemed too dauntin’. As I said before, I’m not interested in bein’ Wonder Woman. I’m includin’ Chapter 3’s tips here:
Gettin’ Going
- Pick one healthy thing you know you should be doing, and get it over with early in the day. Ta-da! Done.
- During one meal, pay attention. I mean really taste your food.
- Sneak in exercise where you can, so it’s not so overwhelming. You know the drill: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the far end of the parking lot, etc.
- Ladies, you have a freeweight with you all the time; it’s called your pocketbook! Use it for bicep curls, shoulder shrugs, tricep kickbacks. Get creative!
- Practice standing up straight. You’ll not only look taller, you’ll look thinner, too!
- How long has it been since you’ve been to the doctor or dentist? Are you due for a mammogram, colonoscopy, or stress test? You owe it to yourself to take care of business. Go ahead, make that phone call. You’re worth it!
Improve your overall health by doin’ one of these things this month, just one. Me? I’m focusin’ on standing and sitting up straight. I’m all for lookin’ taller and thinner. Besides, I topped out at 5’2” and I do believe I’m losin’ ground in that department. And I can’t afford that ‘cause I’m just an inch or two away from being really short. I mean, old Catholic nun kind of short. Havin’ a hard time seein’ over the steering wheel kind of short. Not standin’ up straight when you’re a teenager, that’s called slouchin’. Not standing up straight when you’re my age, well, that’s just downright decrepit! Yikes! I may not want to be Wonder Woman, but I not ready for decrepit. Sit up straight, Ida!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
IDA’S PODCAST: Wonder Woman
Comin’ up this spring:
March 6: Reading — Scarborough Public Library, 6:30pm, Scarborough, ME
March 8: Reading — Woodfords Club, 7:00pm, Portland, ME
March 14: Reading — Eliot Senior Citizens, 11:30, Eliot, ME
April 11: Reading — Auburn Public Library, 6:00pm, Auburn, ME
April 12: Reading — Cancer Community Center, 6:00pm, South Portland, ME
April 16: Reading — Bangor Public Library, 2:00pm, Bangor, ME
April 16: Reading — Dirigo Pines, 7:15pm, Orono, ME
May 4: The Moose in Me, The Moose in You! to benefit the Friends of the South Berwick Library, 7:30pm, South Berwick, ME
May 9: Author Visit — Forest Hills Elementary, Jackman, ME
May 16: Reading — Walker Memorial Library, 7:00pm, Westbrook, ME
For more information on upcoming appearances, visit my website: idaswebsite.com
If you’d like me to do a reading at your library, organization or what not, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line:
ida@idaswebsite.com
And if your book group wants to read Finding Your Inner Moose, I’d love to be part of the discussion. Especially if food’s involved!