November 2006
“No, you wouldn’t.”

I have friends who have said to me “I’d do anything to have your figure.” Often they are taken aback when I quip in return, “No, you wouldn’t.”

I don’t mean to be rude, only honest. These are usually the people who dream of tummy tucks and liposuction as the answer to losing their extra weight. They don’t understand the importance of lifestyle, not only for how they look, but for how they feel as well. They look at me like I have two heads when I say I wouldn’t have any surgeries unless absolutely necessary, because the recovery would prevent me from doing the things I love to do; trikking, jogging, working out.

It’s not a fad for me, it’s not a New Year’s resolution that may only last a month or two, if even that long. I started jogging years ago as a result of spending three years in the Army. I just got used to getting up at 4:00 am to run in combat boots. It wasn’t hard to stick with it with a drill sergeant on your heels. After basic training I switched to running in the evenings. Throughout the years I have tried different things, for a while I went to Jazzercise three times a week, and for nearly 28 years now I have kept up with some form of regular weekly exercise.

Nutrition concerns came much later in life for me. Although my mother was a “health food freak” as I thought of her when I was younger, I just didn’t like the food. I managed to learn to love vegetables and salads and I never had much of a sweet tooth, so I didn’t have real weight problems. In my early to mid thirties I began to be much more mindful of the role of nutrition in my life.

It’s Not About Vanity

I have been labeled more than once as vain. But it’s not about vanity. Vanity is strictly on the outside and my motivation runs deep inside. It’s about feeling good, sleeping deep and feeling well-rested each day. It’s about stress relief, a sense of accomplishment, reaching personal goals. But most of all, it’s about being able to hike through Zion with my kids when they become adults. I will be 56 when my youngest daughter turns 18. I want to be ambulatory and fit enough to enjoy outdoor activities with my children and with my future grandchildren. I don’t want to see the world from a seat in a wheel chair or from behind a cane. I want to participate.

by
Melanie Totcky