Healthy Lifestyle

Remember those New Year's resolutions? It's March, so naturally by now most of mine are long forgotten. But for the first time in years, I'm actually making some progress with the diet/healthy lifestyle habits. I had to take off some weight. The vet said Kelly could lose a few pounds too. So, it was time to make some changes. For Kelly, there's weight management dog food. And no table scraps. I'm still working on that one--she just looks so cute begging for that bagel. Mike and I have replaced white flour with whole grains. That wasn't as difficult as I imagined--the stores are full of whole grain breads, English muffins, crackers, even frozen waffles. Cutting back on the sugar hasn't been too difficult either, as long as I can still enjoy the sweetness of my Diet Cokes. We've increased our fruits and veggies, too. That one has its ups and downs. I like salads, but enough is enough. Carrot sticks for a snack doesn't cut it for me. Still, we're making enough positive dietary changes to make improvements in our lives, and hopefully health. Probably my biggest wake up call was my cousin Judy's heart attack. She'd lost a lot of weight and had been exercising and eating healthy for years, but still had a heart attack. There was a blockage in her artery; the damage was already done. Fortunately, due to her improved lifestyle, she recovered fully. You can read her story in the March 2008 issue of Guideposts magazine. I'm so proud of the great work she's doing now, walking and keeping off the weight. She's my inspiration!