Carpe Diem

You know it’s been a while since I posted. A conversation I had with another MS client has really made me stop and think: Am I setting people up for a letdown? Am I giving them unrealistic expectations? And I’ve come to the conclusion – nope. Not even close. I appreciate the honest dialog and always love anything that makes me think. But I honestly believe that what I have found to work for me will work for others. But my success is a 3 pronged. Ok, maybe 4. And I have had to have all of the prongs in order to have the success I’ve had.

The first is faith. First and foremost my faith has seen me through the hardest of times. And it is there in the easiest of times. It will be with me until the day I die. It is who I am. It is what MAKES me who I am.

Second, nutrition. I changed my diet about 4 months before I started working out – and it helped tremendously. I had to learn to eat to live, and not live to eat. There IS a difference. Now when I go out with my boyfriend for a pizza, I always get a salad and eat it, and maybe a piece of pizza. The old me would have thought salad was a waste of money, and gone for the whole pizza. It may be a “waste” of money, but my “waist” likes the waste. :) That is only one small example, but another is I never eat fast food anymore. Food is not an afterthought, but a planned out forethought. Because if I do no plan ahead of time it is a recipe for disaster. I MUST have food in the house, my lunches planned out, etc. I still occasionally go out, but think about it ahead of time. I try to eat no preservative or additives, no prepackaged or preprepared foods. VERY low in fat. No red meat. This is not the diet for everyone, but find what works for you – and STICK TO IT FOREVER. Not just until you lose weight. FOREVER.

The third prong is exercise. Not only does it help you burn calories, but it tones the flab. And it helps your entire mood change. I NEVER would have believed it, but it really does affect the way you feel. I have gone in bruised to the max, and sore. Jake laughs because I always ask on a scale of 1-10 how I did. On some days he has been generous when he said 4. Not because of lack of trying, but because due to injuries or fatigue it was all I could do. But guess what? I earned every one of those 4 points. AND it always goes up. ALWAYS. I may not be happy with the 4 – but it is an honest 4. And I ALWAYS feel better for the effort.

The last prong …..is ME. I have to believe in myself. NEVER accept the hand that is dealt me – but always fight to the bitter end. And I promise you this – I will! NEVER give in. NEVER give up. And NEVER give out!!! NEVER. There has to be a fire deep inside you that will get you through the times when it doesn’t seem like there is any hope. I promise you – there IS hope. YOU just have to see it. And if you cannot yet see it externally, see it internally – then work to make it happen.

So if maybe someone else doesn’t have the same results, does that mean they are doing something wrong? It doesn’t mean that any more than the fact that I still occasionally fall means that I have done something wrong. There are some people in remission that NEVER fall. One is not better than the other. We are each on our own journey. But I would hope that someone can learn just a little bit from the journey I’ve taken. And after having lived with this for going on 17 years I would hope I have some credibility. Am I saying I’ll never have another attack? Heck, I’ve had them since I’ve started blogging with you all. But am I saying it has lessened? ABSOLUTELY. And more than anything, I have changed. Not only externally, but internally. Because I know how precious life is, and what a true gift it is. Carpe Diem.