Hello, welcome to Day 10 of the “Give-Back Diet,” where today we’ll inspire and motivate you to move a little more, and love your body.  As I write this, I just came back from an hour walk.  I was thinking all along about telling you how it makes me feel.  I couldn’t wait to write this to you!  BUT, I don’t call it exercise – I call it feeling good.

—  It was hard to get motivated, let me say right at the start.  I was busy, and didn’t think I had time to move today, as the day was almost done and the sun was about to set.  I reminded myself that I always think this, every day, and once I get started, I feel good.

— Honestly, I didn’t feel good right at the start of my walk.  The road is uphill where we live, and it’s almost a 45-degree angle, or at least it feels like it is.  It was work to pull each foot and leg up that hill.

— About halfway up, I started to really feel good.  The work was over; I was moving, I felt the blood rushing through me, and my breath deepening.  The sky was a beautiful snowy-winter gray.  The trees all covered in white snow.  Yes, it was below freezing cold, but I was bundled up and warm inside.

— Step-by-step up the hill, I remembered what an amazing gift has been given to me today: I CAN walk uphill.  When I weighed 400 pounds, I couldn’t have done it.  My legs are good, and I’m not in a wheelchair.  The blessings counted up.

–I remembered that I was helping turn-back cardiovascular (heart and artery) disease.

–I was burning calories, and helping my digestive system.

–I was avoiding certain kinds of cancers through exercise.

— It was totally free-of-charge.

–I wasn’t embarrassed about my body.  I actually loved my body walking up that hill.

–If I had any difficult emotions, they were erased by movement.

–I reached for the sky, and moved my arms like windshield wipers.  I reached my arms behind me in a walking yoga position, taking deep breaths as I went along the road.

–After the walk, sitting at my computer now, I feel energized.  It’s a warm, good feeling of healthy vigor, having made the effort.

ACTION PLAN:

— Keep logging food, activity, time, place and emotions, and look for patterns.
— Do your best to stay-off sugary foods.
— If you have not yet had an appointment with your doctor or health care provider, today’s the day!
— Increase your daily walk, or moving time to a minimum of 20-minutes.  Some of you are doing much longer, as I read in the comments.  Of course, do what is best for you, but do a little movement – you will feel good – I promise!
— Do some research and see if there’s an easy recreation or movement class that you might like.  Call your local parks and recreation department, school, hospital or health center.  Ask about classes for people who want to enjoy movement.  It might be a dance class, or yoga, a stretch class, one for seniors, or weight management.  I take a dance class for people over 30 once or twice a week, and love it.  Time flies as I leap through the air!

Another myth to debunk:  “I don’t have time for exercise.”  With all the benefits, especially more energy (and efficiency) you don’t have time not to!  You certainly don’t want to make time for illness and disease as you get older, do you?

PLEASE POST EXCUSES FOR NOT MOVING, PLAYING AND/OR EXERCISING in the comments below.  Go ahead – don’t feel embarrassed – people will love commiserating and agreeing with you.

If you are reading The Give-Back Diet for the first time today, welcome.  Take a look at some of the previous postings, and start here, today.  Please post a comment and introduce yourself to our online program group.