Living Well

I’m a results driven person.  You might say that I’m even a little obsessed with seeing accomplishment.  When I’m trying to lose weight, I have to know if I’ve lost even one pound. I check my blog traffic every day.  And I constantly reflect on my health diary to see if my body is responding to any of the good (or bad…I’m not perfect) things that I do.  To me that last one is the most important, and I’m thankful for the fact that I do see progress.

Ill-health: A Memory

There was a time when getting out of bed in the morning was a dreaded event.  I had severe muscle and joint pain bad enough to disable me.  I gained weight even when I didn’t overeat.  The depression alone about killed me.  My world was a place that didn’t bring joy.  It’s been a long  journey to where I am now, but worth every step.  Though I still have the headache issue, the other pain and weight issues are not a problem anymore.  The process to conquer ill-health is one that I’ve devoted myself to.  There are answers out there (and inside my body) just waiting to be found – the journey.

Denial

I know for some, avoiding knowledge about their health condition, weight, and fitness level is a common practice.  I think it’s one of those “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” things.  Well, that theory is absolutely the worst thing you can do.  It’s a form of denial that only keeps you trapped within the four walls of complacency.  It’s time to try a new thing…

Know Where You Are

Keeping track of where you are with your health is a perfect way to stay focused and reach your goals faster.  You can use a plain journal, notebook, or if you want something more structured, try the HEALTHMINDER Personal Wellness Journal (a.k.a MemoryMinder Personal Health Journal) Health Diary and Symptoms Log. They are preprinted with body diagrams and questions that help you assess your progress.  It’s also a handy tool to take with you when you visit your healthcare provider.  That way you won’t forget everything you wanted to tell them and the questions you wanted to ask.

Sensible Goals

One thing that I’ve practiced with my “living well” plan is setting goals that I can reach.  I’m not saying that I don’t challenge myself; I just don’t go overboard.  Keep everything as simple as possible.  When we try to complicate things that’s when we throw up our hands and give up.  Every victory counts – even small ones.  If I get one or two less migraine headaches a month, I’m happy.  And having extra energy is a winner, too!  So see, you can live well where you are while you progress to new levels of health and fitness.

Tell us about a health goal that you’ve set and reached recently.  That’s OK if you’re not quite there yet; please share anyway!  Be well-be beautiful.

Photo by Elenka