BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl

Category Archives: Health


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Checking Items Off the List

My house is coming together. In a matter of days it will be listed, and anyone anywhere will be able to pull it up and view it. It will be available for inspection, either via internet or in person. It will be exposed, wide open to the prying eyes of anyone who wishes to look. That’s a very unsettling feeling.

I’m trying to look at my home with a critical eye to make it as appealing as possible to a buyer. I’ve put away almost all personal items and have been cleaning and decluttering like crazy. Well, maybe not like crazy yet, but a little. There’s plenty more to do.

My sweetheart has been working hard too. Last night his project was caulking the master bathroom. The old caulk was gross and had to go. He spent a long time at it, and the difference is amazing. It looks like a brand new bathroom.

There are about ten more of these little projects to cross off the list. They are small things that may not stand out on their own, but when taken together give off an overall impression. The impression I want to give is clean and in good condition. That means no burned out lightbulbs, no dirty window tracks, and no scuffed up baseboards.

pig-pen-lrgIt’s like that with our bodies, isn’t it? We keep our hair neat, our fingernails manicured, and our clothing clean. It doesn’t change who we are, but it changes the overall impression we give. Are we put together or are we falling apart? Those small, cosmetic changes have everything to do with how others perceive us, and in fact they influence how we are valued. This may not be fair, but it’s true. Given the choice of two similar homes, one cluttered and dirty, the other tidy and neat, most buyers will opt for the tidy home. Now think about people. Two people with similar backgrounds, similar experiences, similar levels of intelligence, education, talent, and so on going for the same job or same spouse will often be treated differently. The more attractive, more put together person will almost always prevail. Maybe it’s unfair, but it’s life.

As I check items off the list for the house, I’m reminded to check items off the list for myself too. All those small changes add up, and they aren’t just adding to my perceived value. The changes I make to my well being are adding a sense of accomplishment to my life. That’s worth working for.


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Recommitment or Let’s Try This Again

impossibleTomorrow is February 3. That means that in five months it will be my birthday. The day that will end the 47 for 47 Challenge year. On that day I will have either met my goals or not. I don’t anticipate sitting at the computer on my birthday studying the list, alternately congratulating myself and beating myself up, although I suppose that could happen. Just knowing that the list is there for all to see and wonder at is pretty powerful motivation to get going on some of those items.

The whole reason I began blogging was for me to spout off about how wonderful I am (or not) and how great a job I was doing taking care of myself (or not). Sadly, it’s been more of the not, but happily, the blog has grown beyond that original seed of an idea, so even with my many screw ups there’s still something interesting to read from time to time. There must be. People keep coming back, and new readers find me and follow BulgingButtons every day. How amazing is that?

But I digress. It’s a talent of mine. Not digression per se, but procrastination. I’m taking the long way around telling you that I’m ready to get back up on that horse. I’m ready to eat my fruits and veggies and do my exercise. I’m ready to drink my water and hold myself accountable. I’m ready to try again.

quoteI know, you’ve heard it all before. You are patient, bearing with me all this time. You’ve listened to me wax poetic about delicious meals and sedentary pursuits. You’ve endured my whiny musings on feeling low, sick, discouraged, and frustrated. You’ve nodded politely when I’ve gotten excited about some small victory or another, and through it all you’ve hung in there with me. You are warriors.

You tune in hoping for some news of progress, some positive report from the front line, but I offer you little. A scrap here, a morsel there. Still, you support me. You forgive me my sins. You remind me that I’m only human, after all. You offer your hugs and support and encouragement and laughter. You open your worlds to me, and what do I give you in return?

Hopefully you know that I give you a piece of myself. I write from the heart (how disgustingly cliche, I’m sorry). I don’t sugar coat, and I don’t worry much about hurt feelings. I do, but not in my writing, because I’m generally a pretty open-minded nice person. I’m not likely to say anything cutting or mean, so I don’t worry about censoring myself, after all, I know I’m not going to yell at you. I’m far more likely to yell at me.

I try to give you something to think about, or smile at. I try to stay positive and upbeat and focus on the good things in life. I try to offer my observations and experiences in a way that’s interesting or thought provoking. I’m not trying to tell anyone who to be or what to think, but I’m allowing you all a glimpse of who I am and what I think. That doesn’t sound like a significant contribution to the good of humankind, but right now it’s what I’ve got to offer, take it or leave it.

This was supposed to be the year of loving myself enough to do all that I needed to make my life as wonderful as possible. I’ve done a lot of positive things, but I have so much more to do. It’s a little like getting my house ready to sell. I want to fixate on tiny inconsequential things at the expense of the obvious. In terms of the house it’s simple, CLEAN UP. In terms of my life it’s simple too, LOSE WEIGHT.

I think I can lose 50 pounds in 5 months. That’s sane and safe and would go a long way toward improving my health and life. There, I’ve written it. That makes it real.

100Calorie_Carrots_KHB_2359I’m cleaning up and resisting the temptation to do silly things like rearrange drawers. I’m also committing to eating better and moving more. That’s about as much as I can handle right now. I did go to the grocery store and purchase some delicious mandarins, salad, yogurt, carrots, hummus, orange juice, and water to wash it all down.

I also purchased some light beer. Hey, it’s the Super Bowl, and the sweetheart is in the kitchen cooking his yearly pot of gourmet chili. I better take my walk before the festivities begin. Besides, the 3rd isn’t until tomorrow.


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Throwback Thursday – A Visit to the Doctor

I feel crummy. I’m going to the doctor later today. I tried to nap, but I couldn’t fall asleep. So here I am, thinking back on all those childhood doctor’s visits. I got sick a lot as a kid. Here are some of my memories of doctor’s visits (sorry if some are a repeat, my brain is a little fuzzy right now).

1. Highlights Magazine. I couldn’t believe how naughty that Goofus character was and how good Gallant was. My favorite part of the magazine was the hidden pictures page.

2. A lollipop at the end of the visit. My current doctor’s office still has them, although theirs are sugar free.

3. The time my pediatrician told me there was a bunny rabbit inside my ear and that’s why it hurt so much. I didn’t believe him, but it made the ear infection easier to bear.

4. The absolute terror I felt when I knew I was going to get a shot. My son handled that particular childhood trauma so much better than I did, but at 15 he still dreads them.

5. The nurse in her starched uniform complete with the little white cap. I have no problem with nurses in scrubs, doctors too, but something about that nurse’s uniform inspired confidence.