Weight Fairy

November 15th, 2011 by csdaley

I am always telling my students that there is no special work fairy which will float down from the sky and get their work done. Make them smart. Help them grow up and get a good job. In order for all these things to happen they were going to have to work hard at it. Sadly, I don’t think I have gotten through to all of them.

I know I wish there were such things as fairies because surely I need a weight fairy. A healthy eating fairy. A how to not grow as big as the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man fairy. Sadly, after many, many years of life I am coming to realize it is going to take a lot of hard work to keep me healthy.

It’s not like I didn’t know it. I got myself to where I wanted to be about five years ago but have let myself slide away from it. My desire to eat copious amounts of food which are not good for me combined with several health failings have led me back down the road I hoped to never be on again. I gained weight. I didn’t gain it all back but I gained enough of it back that I am extremely angry at myself.

I have now spent the last six months battling my body and my brain. Slowly trying to change my habits and rewire my brain. Find the balance between an occasional snack and healthy eating. Knowing I have to exercise everyday. At long last I feel like I might be there but like someone suffering from an addiction to drugs I know it is important to not let up mentally.

If I let up I know I will slip. I will slide back into the abyss of unhealthiness. This is going to be a constant battle for me the rest of my life and I have finally come to accept that. There is no weight fairy. It is going to take hard work to get me back to where I want to be and it is going to take hard work to keep me there.

The good news is I am on day 15 of exercising at least an hour a day. I am eating much better. Most important of all is that Sheri is taking the journey with me. She doesn’t need to lose weight but she knew she wasn’t as healthy as she should be. It is good to have a partner in this. We are pushing each other forward. Not allowing the other to make an excuse. Trying to eat better together. I have also been actively posting my progress for my friends. I know accountability will keep me honest.

Today was the first day I could tell my pants are looser. Now mind you these are not the pants I need to fit into. I have a whole closet full of clothes I want to fit into. Still it was nice to know progress is being made. My mind feels good and if I was a betting man I would say sometime in the first half of next year I will be back in those clothes. Then I will have to keep myself there. No more slide backs. While there is no weight fairy, there is Sheri and all my friends. This should be more than enough.

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