A little sunshine goes a long way

So I mentioned a while back that I have decided to make lifestyle changes. I refuse to use the word diet, but inevitably, whenever I turn down a cookie or albeit rarely I turndown a peanut M&M, people always say, “Oh, you are dieting. That’s right.”

Because I will eat pizza when I want to and eat chocolate when I want to. And still feel comfortable with my lifestyle changes.

I have decided that anything can be justified. Pizza is actually healthy. There is cheese for dairy, tomato sauce for lycopene, and meat for protein. Sounds healthy to me.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is loaded with antioxidents, so they say. Okay, maybe loaded is not a good word, but there are some in there. Not to mention that chocolate can release those pleasure endorphins we all need. Sounds healthy to me.

The key is to enjoy in moderation.

As for my working out, I think that is working out very well. I have been going to the IREC four days a week. Two days every week I am in a class. Julann, our trainer calls, it the dumb bell class, or power bar class, or some other names. Truth is, it is a fun fitness class that includes aerobics, strength training, pilates and yoga moves.

The fun comes from our group. Julann is an amazing trainer. Her enthusiasm for fitness is unsurpassed and her encouragement is contagious. She celebrates our success and offers new insight for when we are not so successful. (We don’t use the word failure.)

The gals in our class are wonderful, echoing the spirit of Julann as best as we can.

But the best part is the fun. I look forward to those two class days more than I look forward to sleeping in on a Saturdays. (A rare opportunity, but it does happen once in a while.)

We laugh a lot. And laughing is good for the overall well being of a persons mind, body and spirit.

Now I can’t tell you what we talk about, that wouldn’t be fair. Because, well, it is a lot of girl talk. And while it is ok to talk girl talk within a girl circle, it is not ok to share it outside the circle. Does that make sense?

There was one guy, Ernie, in our class last session, but I think we scared him away. too much girl talk.

We still see Ernie on weigh training days, the off days from the fitness class, so we keep in touch that way.

Apparently, the fitness training is paying off. I went to the doctor last week for a physical. My doctor is wonderful. Sidebar: She is Chinese and believes in the benefits of both Eastern and Western medicine. She is very blunt. I like that in a doctor. In most people, actually.

So, she says to me, “Oh you have very healthy heart. Heart of an athlete.”
And said my muscles were getting “very big.”

My weight is down and my blood pressure is 110/64. (I think that is good. That’s what the nurse told me anyway.)

Then she looked at a mole on my right arm.

“Oh, no need to worry, but that look like melanoma to me. You see surgeon right way.”

My answer: “So I guess I should cancel my appointment at the tanning salon later today.”

“Oh, you don’t go there!” She said sternly. “You want sun, you go south.”

Well, I saw the surgeon yesterday. He was not as worried. That is a good sign — I think.

The only part that hurt was the lazer beam that cauterized the incision area. I had flash back to my childhood when my brothers made an electric chair and invited me to sit in it. Which I did. And i have had an eversion to electricity ever since.

We will have the results of the biopsy in a few days. Good thing it is colder than a well digger's, um, well, you know, other wise I would be out in the sun right now.

I guess I will just use sunscreen from now on.