So. Here it is at the end of 2020, a truly awful year. For a full breakdown of what happened, look up the movie "Death to 2020", currently featured on Netflix. I promise you, even though you probably will say that it would be impossible for every single thing they mention there to have happened, I'm telling you that even though it's meant to be a satirical look at events that took place, they just scratched the surface. Those are just the big things. It wasn't a great time.
One of my previous posts asked the question about what you would tell yourself if you could go back in time - to any time in the past. In case you didn't read it, the rules are that you can go back in time and tell yourself three things - just three things; whether that's going back three times in three different historical moments to tell yourself 1 thing, or 1 trip back to tell yourself 3 things, it doesn't really matter. The exercise is to think about the 3 things you'd tell yourself.
This is part 2. It's been awhile since I posted part 1. I think that's possibly because this time around, I'm weighing what I would say against how much it would change my life. The question I'm asking myself now is, what about my life would I really, really want changed, and what would I want to remain the same? My first bit of information I'd tell myself has to do with my health - a condition I have that would not be possible to change, but having that information that I have the condition might change the course of my life in significantly positive ways. Or, it could also potentially negatively affect my life, having that information. In any case, here we go on the second bit of information...
2. Your metabolism is not super-heroic. Yes, at the time that you started college, you were very thin, and it seemed like you could eat literally everything and not gain weight. No, you weren't deliberately exercising; no, you never had a deliberate exercise regime, and yes, it did seem like everything you ate never negatively impacted your weight. But now, at the time that you are writing this, you are not in good shape. What happened?
In short, you neglected to recognize that pre-college, you were living on your parents farm, working 12 hour days, in a highly intensive physical capacity. The meals you ate were, for the most part, nutritious and full of vitamins. Dessert, when you ate dessert, was canned fruit. Rarely (birthdays), you ate cake. For a very brief time just before college, you were in the habit of eating lots of candy, and this probably would have caught up with you, but the combination of fried, fatty food, candy, chocolate milk and ice cream at every meal, and the shift to a sedentary lifestyle at college packed on the pounds. You gained your "freshman 40" in the first half semester. Not cool.
And now, you're 100 pounds heavier than when you went into college. Okay, okay, you were underweight when you went in to college, and could stand to put on a few pounds, but not the 100 you have amassed now. AND, your metabolism at age 20 could handle it a bit better. Losing weight now, at the age of 46 (or, 44, if you continue to choose to count your years backwards from 45) is far more difficult than it would have been when you were younger.
So, here's what I would tell myself: you have a choice: you can eat all the rich foods you want, but then you have to establish a rigorous routine of exercise, or you're headed for trouble down the road. Or, sure, rest your feet. You're headed into a work routine that has quite a bit of desk time. But then lay off the candy and chips and ice cream, and maintain the nutrition intake you were accustomed to on the farm. Or, continue as you are, and have the regret that you are a size 38 waist, fit 2XL shirts, have low energy, and will probably develop some serious health problems in your 50's. Probably.
I suppose I could turn things around now. It might not be too late. But there's eggnog in the fridge... mmm, eggnog...
This is the last day of 2020. Let's see what the future brings.
-UM
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