Menopause hit in May along with six pounds of fat landing on my belly just in time for a big keynote presentation I was giving in Prince Edward Island. The video record of that presentation jumpstarted my commitment to figuring things out. Weight loss, here we come.
In March, I wrote a blog about intermittent fasting. I fast for 15 hours per day, typically from about 7 pm until about 10 am the next morning. Critically important, I also started Hormone Replacement Therapy in June, which has been a game changer.
Finally, I walk between 30 and 120 minutes a day. Oftentimes I bring the dogs. When I am fortunate, I bring a friend or one of my children. About once a week, my eldest daugher and I walk a couple of horses and a donkey. Sudbury has numerous hiking areas, so there are lots of spots to get lost in the woods. There is something good for the soul when you lose yourself in nature while exercising. I love to sweat and push myself, so when I have the luxury of time, I try to walk for at least 90 minutes at a brisk pace. This typically happens on the weekends. I like the quote that sweat is just fat crying. That feeling of sweaty exertion after a work out is a great feeling.
I am down the six pounds of belly fat along with another 10 pounds that had been hanging around for the past five years. Successful weight loss. It is invigorating to feel slimmer and for my clothes to hang nicer. For the first time, I bought three two-piece bathing suits this summer, and actually wore them. Just to be clear, they are not bikinis. My youngest daughter was kind enough to explain the innovation that is two-piece bathing suits with high bottoms that cover your belly. Before buying them, I broached the topic of how uncomfortable I was with the concept of wearing a two-piece, and one of my friends told me “Seriously. Get over it. At our age, who cares?” She was absolutely right.
Intermittent fasting, daily walking and HRT are now ingrained daily habits. Let’s see where these habits take me over the next few years. Hopefully each step will take me into the wilderness, lost in nature, and ultimately finding myself…with 16 less pounds to carry around.
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