Starting the Journey

If there is one good thing about moving, it's that when you make a move you have to make a lifestyle change.  So, why not make another?  I'm going to get healthy! Actually, I'm not.  I've love to say the journey we're starting now leads to getting healthy, but the reality is a little different.  Part of the journey you're joining me on is to find a lot of acceptance around that simple fact.

I feel a bit Bilbo about this whole thing.  Halfway through my journey towards healthy, I got an awesome treasure, and it came with some super cool effects.  It also came with a huge downside. My treasure isn't a ring that lets me be invisible and links me up with a rather terrifying evil.  My treasure is a series of diagnoses; they give me the power of treatments and mean that I can't be healthy.  I've been diagnosed with migraine with aura, elevated blood pressure, menstrual migraine, patellofemoral pain syndrome, irregular menses, prementrual dysphoria (or depression dependent on which doctor you're asking), and asthma.   While "getting healthy" (eating right, exercising, sleeping well and coping with emotions) gets to go in the good for every diagnosis column, it's not a problem solver.  At the end of the day I'll still need treatment for many of the of my health issues.  I will probably need many of my medications after "getting healthy."  For me, taking medications in order to wander around in the world and "getting healthy"  don't really match up.

So, I'm faced with a bit of a predicament.  No matter how much I want to be the picture of good health, it's not a reasonable goal. I will never be the picture of healthy that you see in magazines, movies or (being honest) in my head. I've spent a majority of my life training in cognitive behavioral therapy, I'm a huge fan of reasonable goals.  My fandom over reasonable goals makes it look like I don't like Doctor Who.  I am, in fact, a such huge fan of reasonable goals, I have a favorite type of goal. (I have a favorite Doctor, why wouldn't I have a favorite goal type? ) SMART goals that adapt with time are wicked awesome.  My old "healthy" goals need a major rewrite if this journey is actually going places.

My actual life goal: I want to look like Marilyn Monroe,  and lift weights like my awesome cousin, and never have health interrupt work.  Not in the cards for me in the next couple of months (or ever, but lets say for the next couple of months).  Right now, a healthy me is not something I can get a good timeline on. So, what can I do? I've been stuck around 200 lbs for the last 6 months. Which, after losing 80 lbs is normal and healthy, but it's time to get moving again. Now we set a goal in the right direction:

What's your goal? Share your goals with me in the comments, email, or on twitter. If you need some help in setting your goals be sure to check out the Setting Goals Pinterest board

Remember:  Check in with your doctor (or set up an appointment at a community healthy clinic in your area).  Trust me, it's the better life decision to work with a doctor before making changes.  Save yourself some pain and futile expenses; see a healthcare professional and build a safe, productive plan for your goals.