The First Day of the Rest of My Life!

This is it.  Today is the day.  Monday:  the day of most "starts", right?  Wednesday:  the day of most "quits".  Sigh.

I'm feeling the motivation to lose weight, finally.  Things have gotten out of hand.  I'm here exposing myself in the hopes that anyone else who needs to join me in this adventure will do so and feel encouraged by what I write.  You, also, will encourage me with your own participation.

I have succumbed to the advertising of Nutrisystem.  Indeed, I intend to look just like Janet Jackson in four months.  Heh.

Ok, I'll have to tan a bit and exercise a lot, but I can do it!

It's too soon for me to announce just how much weight I would LIKE to lose, or even how much I expect to lose on this trek.  That would be overwhelming.  The truth is, I'd like to get back to looking like I did as a teenager.  Not because I will look like a teenager again, but because I'll FEEL more like a teenager again.  Without all the angst and hormonal surges.  The best of both worlds!

I started the morning with my teeny weenie little bowl of bran cereal.  Adding soy milk and stevia, it wasn't a bad meal at all.  Now I'm supposed to have some sort of protein drink.  I'll shake that up pretty soon.

Here's what I like about this whole scenario right now:  it's easy, it's already prepared, there is no measuring or thinking.  Since I'm living alone in Manitou Springs at the moment, what could be better?

I trek down to the kitchen, pull something out of the pile of breakfast, lunch or dinner and voila - my meal is in front of me.

Admittedly I have become very spoiled and very lazy when it comes to my diet.  When I felt that first surge of hunger I'd grab something.  Didn't really seem to matter what it was.  Peanuts, crackers and cheese, cereal.  Occasionally I'd make a good meal including vegetables, but I was often too lazy to do that.

Right now there are so many things I want to write, read and explore, that good nutrition just wasn't on my radar.

Here's what I have found so far this morning, in just a few hours of my new adventure.  This has inspired me to take all of my vitamins.  I've set up my new stereo where I will use it both for enjoyment and meditation.  

I'm going to stick to this, and will remain accountable to you, my two devoted readers.

Stay tuned.

We just can't be too thin or too .......... nuts.

Ok, I cannot be silent about this one minute longer. Being bombarded by these photos of anorexic/death camp appearanced women is just plain astounding. How can we be silent about this?

Here it is, the ad that pushed me over the edge:



I believe that to be Angelina Jolie on the left. Take note of the skeletal look: the bony arms that make her (no doubt) small hands look huge, the wrist and collar bones sticking out. This woman appears as though she has just left a concentration camp and needs sustenance for she may die at any moment! This is what we hold up to our young girls as the epitome of female beauty? Puhleeeeeease!!!!!!!

These bony thin, skeletally frail images of women must cease! What are we teaching here ........ that to be a woman is to be skinny little helpless beings? Gag me!! I've had enough!!!!

Now it is a true statement that I have pounds to lose to be healthy. I do not advocate being overweight. However, latest medical reports show that being slightly overweight is healthier than being underweight. I mean, to look at the above image makes my stomach turn. I think this woman's body is eating itself. Why do we as the women of this country allow men to portray this as our society's standard of beauty?

Ok. I have a theory. As usual. It seems to me that this commenced right about the time that the Women's Movement rocked into full swing in the sixties. Remember Twiggy? Yep. She came around when I was in high school or college. We all made fun of her back then. She looked ridiculous with her bony arms and legs. Her name became synonymous with death camp skinny. Now she would be considered today's perfect weighted woman. What has gone wrong here?!

I'll tell you what. As women's power increases, men's desire to keep us powerless increases. It can't be done in the marketplace anymore ........ at least not legally. So it's accomplished in another way. Now we're supposed to be physically completely helpless. No muscle, no tone, no body.

For Goddess' sake let's start standing up for ourselves, our daughters and granddaughters. Do NOT buy magazines with these anorexic women on the covers ....... or inside. Write to advertisers who portray these itty bitty unhealthy women in their television advertising. Get off our bony or padded butts and do something about this.

Bring back the Goddess. The time is now.