Cold, Hard Reality 101

Employee Wellness Day. Never have three words cause such turmoil and produced such terror in a workplace. We knew this day was coming. After all, this facility is a gym...that doesn't necessarily mean we all use it. We were "encouraged" (read: pressured) to make appointments with the personal trainers to have our weight, BMI, body fat, and blood pressure measured to determine our overall fitness levels. Well, I don't need anybody to tell me that I'm obese and out of shape; I am acutely aware of that fact. However, a colossal part of owning your mistakes and ending the excuses is to face reality. This was a harsh reality to face, but I had to do it for no one but myself.

Are you ready for these numbers? Well, I'm not, so you better be:

-Height: 5'5"
-Weight: 260 lbs.
-BMI: 43.3 (GAH!)
-Body Fat %: 44.9
-Blood Pressure: 120/92

I feel very exposed right now...

Now, I was pretty sure I knew what my BMI and body fat percentage were, but my blood pressure was abnormally high. I'm typically at 111/62, so that reading was a surprise. I went to my sister's house after work, just for a visit. We started talking about my results. I told her that I had officially put on 60 pounds since my injury 4 years ago, to which my brother-in-law replied "Yeah, we've noticed". That, I did NOT want to hear, but I think I needed to hear it. One of my internal excuses is 'I hide some of the weight well enough I don't think too many people notice'. Oh, but they do. I'm not fooling anyone but myself. That was a harsh reality for me.

Saturday is the Big Move. I will finally be on my own for the first time in nearly half a decade! The apartment is lovely. The kitchen is the size of a postage stamp. This presents a minor challenge when stocking and preparing healthy edibles, but that challenge may very well make success all the more gratifying.

Now, as you may recall, I'm starting from scratch. I think the only food item I have is a small bottle of balsamic vinegar, so I'm at square one. The plan: buy nothing (NOTHING) but organic, gluten-free, unprocessed whole foods. No more chemical-laden and chemically-sweetened processed fat traps. No eating out for convenience sake, no refined sugars of any kind. I will keep nothing but REAL FOOD in my house. No exceptions.

Tomorrow, I go grocery shopping. Expect to find my shopping list, meal plans, and the grand total at the end of the day... My wallet may weep.