An Epiphany!

I've been very commited these past few months to getting my body in order. I always want to weigh less, but as I've gotten older it has gone beyond that. I have begun to understand that thin or fat, the bottom line is being healthy. Not that I've given up the hope of being thin, but after fighting some days of not feeling so good, I appreciate the fact that feeling good is a lot better than looking good.

I currently have the most fantastic specialists fighting to support Team Jen's Body Watch.

Sally Reed - Hypnotherapist - 206/719-6660
Matthew Davies - Endocrinologist - 206/386/9522
Lisa Porad - Acupuncturist - 206/295/2166
Jennifer Adler - Nutritionist - 206/595/0376
Karen Coshow - Naturopath - 206/523/9000

I'm eating well, I'm on the right medications, I'm exercising. So when the weight doesn't come off and I appear to have more of a donut top rather than a muffin top when I wear jeans, it is hard not to get discouraged.

Lisa, the Acupuncturist, explained that some bodies just aren't meant to be thin and that no matter how many of the "right things" you do, your body might just balance out at a certain weight. I like that idea. It makes me feel less like I'm failing at this whole thing.

After swimming laps the other day I stopped by the grocery store to buy a steak to cook for lunch and the words of a stranger helped relieve me even more of my body burdens.

"That steak looks good," said the man in line in front of me.

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm hoping to borrow some of the cow's blood to boost my energy."

"Well, it looks as though you're taking good care of your body."

"I'm trying!" I told him.

"Good for you. You know, we are made in God's image so we have to appreciate, love and care for our body because it is divine."

While I am a spiritual and religious person, I do not generally share my religious thoughts and beliefs with strangers. What's more, I do not particularly like it when strangers share theirs with me. However, in this instance it was somehow soothing and made sense. I won't go into my version of God here in this blog, but suffice it to say that I do believe in a higher power that loves me, no matter how I look. And maybe my path in this life is to experience what it is like to live in a body like mine. What a nice perspective! Come on, things could be way worse!

By the way, I am excited to say that I received blood test results yesterday from Dr. Davies who reported the results "are something that others would be jealous of!" I was thrilled to see hard evidence that my efforts are paying off because big or small, I want to live a long, long time.