a journey I don't want to end - 179.9

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here it is after mid-March, already. Things health wise are going well. I am following the CG workouts. For Lent I gave up most sugar and alcohol (though I still have wine and the occasional baby Manhattan). We're eating at home more, and I make healthy meals and track my food. We had a super awesome ski weekend in Snowmass, I didn't track a thing but also didn't overeat or drink and I came back exactly the same weight. I am not sure I could do that for a full week, but this is definite progress. Something seems to be clicking with me, this time. Like, I want it [optimum health and fitness] innately and I'm just choosing the healthy behaviors because I know it's the best thing for me. I'm not super focused on the results, I'm more focused on "committing to the chase" of doing the day-to-day work and, well, the results seem to be taking care of themselves. 

So I just listened to a Q&A session on fitness/exercise with Caroline Girvin, during which, she said fitness 'should be a journey you never want to end.' VERY well put. When I start changing a habit, I typically ask myself 'Can I do this for the rest of my life?' and that is a similar concept, but for some reason I really prefer the thought of just making this journey to health be something that I never want to end. I never want to eat fat-free cheese. I cannot do fat free cheese for even a day, let alone the rest of my life. Therefore, fat-free cheese has no part in my journey. 

And further, I want to ski every winter for the rest of my life. Even if I'm 96, I honestly don't want skiing to be outside the realm of possibility. My grandma is 97. She can't move the way she used to, but she still loves a trip to the grocery store or to Bealls to look for new pants or tops. Therefore, she does laps with her walker around the pool deck at my mom's every day (weather cooperating). She does this so that she can still go walk around the store - for her, shopping is the thing she will always do for as long as possible on her journey. I really think that if my grandma were a skier, she could ski the bunny hill today, if that's what she wanted to do. But she doesn't ski, and that's what I want, for me - my journey will ideally include skiing into my 90s, followed by a slopeside adult beverage, of course. 

I also want to be able to walk my dogs every day. I want to eat all the tasty in-season vegetables. I want to COOK the tasty in-season vegetables. I want to eat full-fat cheese, have a cocktail, enjoy a slice of cake (in moderation, of course) - there will be zero forbidden foods or drinks on this journey. I want to be well rested. I want to be there for my DH, my family and my friends, wherever "there" is, even if it's just on Zoom. I want an annual trip with DH and friends to a fun destination, and I want to physically enjoy whatever we decide to do - a ski, a hike, sledding, bike rides, whatever. I want to ride my bike and rollerblade throughout the warm seasons for the rest of my life. I realize I *may* have to give up my rollerblades (pavement is a lot less forgiving than snow) but I will ride a trike if it ever has to come down to that! These are the parts of my journey that I never, ever want to end, these are the reasons why optimum health and fitness are important to me. 

I really do want to have as much fun outside as possible, for as long as possible. Do I want to do the daily workout? Some days, maybe not, but because there's a bigger goal I can tie that workout to, I JUST DO IT. That's where my head is at, these days. I am currently listening to Matthew McConaghy's Greenlights audio book. It's amazing, and probably the fuel for my current mindset. All I know is I have felt great about life in general at times when I was in great physical shape - tennis, rowing, triathlons. If you have your health, you have everything, there is nothing more important. I am happy I am making my mental and physical health a priority right now. That is definitely a journey I do not want to end, so I will just keep my commitment to me.