Ongoing addiction.

I am an addict! I am a recovering drug addict which if you’ve read my blog this will not come as a surprise. I’m also a food addict which is also not a secret. I will struggle with these all my life and need to be diligent with my recovery.  Sadly  I’ve slacked terribly with my food addiction.  I know the steps required to begin my food addiction recovery but I’m finding every excuse I can to not begin. I had health issues that I had beat down into remission with my (former) healthy journey but I can feel them stretching to be released to start controlling my health again. I am posting this on my blog as a commitment to you that I will begin my Healthy Journey again today. I like to refer to this process as a journey because it is going to have its ups and downs. So many of you have been with me from the beginning and I say thank you. You support me in so many ways even thought I’ve never met most of you.  Today is a good day to start to fight for my health! Care to join me? Why Not Today?

Walking in a sacred place. a

I have walked and explored this community of ancient ruins many times. My son decided to document some of it before new homes are built on top of it. I feel sad as I see much of our history gobbled up for the sake of money. https://youtu.be/a_eAIpMsXQI

Breast Cancer Warrior

Today on our Why Not Today Lifestyle show we talked about Breast Cancer  risk factors. I lost my sister to this horrible disease when she was 63 years old. She fought a hard fight for 10 years and I was so proud of her.  I miss our long visits we had on the phone because we lived 300 miles apart. I hope you can watch and listen.  https://youtu.be/rAkAdpTuq7s

New Adventure! Why Not Today Lifestyle!

I have started a new adventure with my son.  We have started a fb page and do a live feed once a week on things that we hope will help others have hope, health, and happiness.  We have been doing this for a few weeks on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 mst.  Today we talked about different addictions and some ways to recognize if you are addicted or how to get help. Please go onto Youtube and search Why Not Today Lifestyle and catch a few episodes if your interested.  I plan on posting them to my blog when I figure out how to do it!!!  hahaha.  I missed your support and need all the help I can get to "keep on Swimming."

New Adventures!

Hello Friends,
        As you have noticed I haven't been posting my musings on here! I needed some big changes in my life and so I have joined with my son a long time entertainer and motivational speaker to reach out to you about many of the challenges we all face. Also fun things that we do and fears we face.  Please look at our pages below and subscribe and follow.  If you feel like you would like to join in our healthy journey please join, like and share our page!  We can do this together. 
Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/WhyNotTodayLifestyle/
https://www.youtube.com/whynottodaylifestyle
https://www.instagram.com/whynottodaylifestyle/

My Friend, My Hero.

I have so many people that I admire and consider my friends but today I want to share about someone who lifts me up every time I see her.  This hero is a women who is close to 65 years young.  She is someone I met at a group meeting of WW (formerly Weight Watchers)  One day as I walked into meeting she had tears streaming down her cheeks as she shared that she had just gotten the results from her recent blood work, test, and scans. She had Pancreatic Cancer.  She said that it was advance and she had about a year to live. That there could be treatment options and it would prolong her life but with some very strong side affects.  We talked about how she felt about treatment and how her family felt.  She had decided to pass up on treatment and settle her affairs and live as fully and vibrantly as she could.   I did not see her for a week or so but when I did she was just exiting a Yoga class at the local gym.  I asked her how she was doing and she said that she was going to do all she could each day and live a life of joy!  Her comments really hit me hard as I was so reluctant to go exercise that day and she was calling it "joyful?" I visit with her often at the gym and she always tells me to never give up! To enjoy my workouts and find the joy in them.  As I talked to her this past week she expressed that she decided to have treatment now  and that she was unable to chew or hardly eat for 5 days of the week because of the terrible blisters her medication causes in her mouth. She then said with a chuckle that she sure made up for it on the two days she could eat. She also told me about a great posture class that I should try with her. Always lifting and encouraging others even when she is hurting.  She just won't give up and give into cancer.  She is my Hero.  I have never seen her at any time before or since this diagnosis to be down and out about anything. As I listen and learn from her I want to soak up that positive attitude and live my life full of joy. She makes those she is around want to do better and more as they see her example.  We need more hero's like her. Those who quietly and with example teach us that each day we can have a life of joy.  I am lucky to call her my friend.

Swampy slump.

 I have had a lot running through my mind the past few months. Wondering If It was time to stop blogging. I write for me and hope that I can help you as I write about how I am feeling and doing. On a recent trip I had an interesting experience. I was traveling through an airport and heard an excited voice exclaim! " Is that Mrs. Dodge?  Yes it is!  I am so excited to meet you Mrs. Dodge!" "You are a huge inspiration to my wife and I!"  As we visited more he explained that he and his wife read my blog and it helps them! This was not something I expected to hear at 6:00 AM in the airport.  This is not something I expect to hear at any time so it was quite precious to me.  Let me explain.

I lost my weight to regain my health. I never in my wildest dream thought I would be able to help others to become the best they could be. It just happened. I reclaimed my life and began to share it. You all began sharing with me your success and your frustrations but you also gave me your encouragement and support.  You give me hope and drive to continue on. I think of the things you post on my blog and I am so thankful to be able to hear that I am helping in some small way.

So.........
I have been in a slump as far as exercise and eating well.  I know that it will always be a struggle to keep my health and weight in line. I have fought and struggled with my self for quite some time but the past few weeks I've been starting to slowly crawl out of the slump.  It feels good to take control again and start to move.  I have to move or my fibro begins screaming in my ears that I hurt. I began by walking slowly and have been able to pick that back up pretty easily. (our bodies are so forgiving of being neglected!)  It feels good to be out and moving along. I then signed myself up for a program at our local hospital that I am really enjoying.  It is in the Live Well center.  I went in for an evaluation and spend about 3 hours going over my eating habits, sleeping habits, and especially my mobility.  They even put me in a bod pod and measured my "fat."  During one part of the evaluation I was required to do a lot of balance and strength tests.  The physical therapist doing the assessment shook his head and said he didn't know what to do with me as far as the type of exercises I needed to be doing.   I tested in all of the levels as a much younger person. He said there were two usual sets of exercises, one for younger people and one for older.  He decided to do my exercises as a "younger" person staring with strength training so I go and lift weights and work on resistance machines twice a week.  They are starting me low on all areas because they do not want to cause injury to my already blown wrists. I wear weight training gloves that are shocking pink and that gives all the trainers a chuckle. There are 2-3 trainers in working with a group of 10 of us. I have been sore but it is a good sore.  It is a sore that says I am working to strengthen my back, hips, and shoulders. My frozen shoulder is loving that it has free movement again. It feels good to be taking care of me.

I hope that if you are in a slump that you try to get yourself going. Its hard. I know but once you have done some form of exercises for a few days the slump begins to lift.  I think of so many of you when I walk and wonder how you are doing. Or what I can say to get you to begin your healthy journey. It is really hard at times but it is really worth it.  Let's end this year on a "high" instead of sinking into the swampy slump.  Thanks for picking me up and carrying me when I have needed your help