Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Odyssey Part 1- Health and Weight Loss

Given the dizzying array of choices in natural health, I have opted to make myself a guinea pig to see how it all turns out. Make no mistake. I am not a virgin dieter nor am I a virgin health promoter. I have no monetary interest in how this experiment turns out but I do have an inherent interest in not passing out during this phase.

Let's be candid. Weight loss is a multi-billion dollar industry. Is it in the best interests of anyone to divulge the secrets without securing a position of gain? No. What is my position and how do I gain? Nothing and not at all. I am a regular person with a weight issue. Even worse, I  am a woman with hormones coming into play. So here it is. 

I am now menopausal. That means I have passed one year without having a menstrual period . It does not mean I have not had cramping, sore breasts, foul moods, hot flashes and insomnia. I have had some or all of these symptoms at one time or another. The jokes are to send the number of menopausal women in America to Afghanistan with AK47s and we could end the war. This is probably more true than it is funny. I am a boomer and proud of it. That came to me in a flash as I was editing my profile on here and realized that publishing my age is a good thing, not something to hide. I know more because I have lived more. Am I incompetent because of it? No, quite the contrary. I am in the wonderful position of beginning to understand the needs and necessities as well as the contraindications of being human. I am female and everything I have to share is based on my experience as such. I have had children early and I have had children late. My hormones and the intelligence I have inherited have made me what I am. So here is my story. 

Am I obese? No. Not in the strict sense of the term. But I am overweight in comparison with what I should be for optimum health. I feel it in my everyday activities. Beyond this, I see a very real difference in performance. My muscles are not there to support me in ways they once were and I am not ready to accept this as an inevitable part of aging. I have tried every diet under the sun and with no long-term success. So what is the answer? I don't have a definitive answer but I am embarking on an experimental journey and invite you to join me with questions, comments, and suggestions as I go forward. 

The last thirty days have been spent cleaning up my nutritional act, which means cutting out additives and eating organically. On Monday, April 20th I will begin a 2 to 3-week program of maximum nutrition while maintaining just under 500 calories a day in an attempt to reset my hypothalamus. I am not recommending this to anyone else but will journal my experience here and record everything as it happens. Wish me luck. 

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