Adapt and Adjust

I can tell that I am slowing down...or maybe life is just speeding up...time is just passing me by...how can it be that in about six weeks I will be 50...and my 49th year will be over...no more counting down...no more feelings to 50...in just a few short weeks (well...there are lots of holiday eating weeks to go through too...so it will feel longer)...I will be 50...this is all too much to handle.

But as Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of Fit to Live and Fight Fat After 40, says "I must be Darwinian...I must constantly adapt and adjust...I must stop thinking so much and be more like the Nike ad and "just do it"...I should stop with the shoulda, coulda, woulda...and "just do it."

Dr. Peeke says we should focus on our mind by adapting and adjusting...focus on our mouth by eating smaller quantities of food and eating more frequently...and focus on our muscle...or as she puts it "medicate with movement"...I like Dr. Peeke's advice...I'm glad I attended her stress seminar at the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference the other week.

So as I arrived home tonight...all stressed out...but looking forward to my Thanksgiving week vacation...I tried adapting and adjusting to ease the stress in my body...I decided to focus on my mind...I thought I would take a nice relaxing bath and clear my mind of all the stressful vibes floating around in my head...yes...a nice relaxing bath would do the trick.

I filled the tub (the nice shiny tub that my cleaning lady had cleaned today)...and I added some nice relaxing bath foam...and I eased my aching body and especially my aching feet into the nice warm water...and as I started to relax...I heard a ka-ching...ka-ching...ka-ching...yes, the water began to empty out of the tub...I did try to adapt...I jiggled the stopper but it didn't work... and I did try to adjust... I put my aching right foot over the drain...but the water continued to flow out...so I put my aching left foot over the other half of the drain...not good...nope, the gurgling continued...and after about 15 minutes I got tired of adapting and adjusting...my de-stress bath became just too stressful.

I guess I will have to work on the other two areas of Dr. Peeke's advice...she said we should also focus on our mouth...eat smaller quantities of food...and eat more often...I can do this I thought...yes...I can do this...this is easy...I will have my chamomile tea and only allow myself two cookies tonight (well maybe a few chocolate covered raisins that my dear friend sent me too...just two or three)...tonight I will focus on my mouth...that will be easier than adapting and adjusting...although...although later in the week this might become more difficult...after all...it is Thanksgiving...and I did order three pies for Thanksgiving dinner...I couldn't decide which one to get...my son wanted Pecan Pie...my daughter wanted Peach Crumb Pie...and the pieman told me about this fabulous Black Forest Berry Pie that is made with Rhubarb...ooh, ooh, ooh, my favorite...it sounded so good I couldn't pass it up...so I ordered the Black Forest Berry Pie too.

And after my pie-fest is over...then I'll do the last leg of Dr. Peeke's advice...I'll work on my muscle...I promise to "medicate with movement"...yep, I promise to be at the gym on Friday...and hopefully Saturday and Sunday too...yes...as Dr. Peeke says..."I'll walk the dog even if I don't have one"...
exercise is non-negotiable after 40 (and I guess that means after 50 too)...so as Dr. Peeke says "just shut the hell up and do it!"...and I will.

Judi