Taking the first step towards living life...

Is there a better you? And by better I do not mean a carbon copy of what we see on the tele. Not some fake facade that soaks in what the media says is permissible or is fashionable. Yes, to a certain degree not bad but not to become a carbon copy of other senseless women out there who believe looking young and slim is what being alive is all about.

I lost fifty pounds in two years. It was a slow process. I had to take it one day at a time. If not I would have never made it. Genetics run amok in my family when it comes to obesity. BOTH SIDES....I am fighting that. Not only do we have this but also diabetes, heart disease, and various forms of arthritis. THAT is what scares me the most. Not to look good because yes a part of me is vain...but to look good on the inside also. On my mother's side she had an uncle who died at 100, another at 94 and an aunt at 90. My grandmother is 87. Part of this I think is the Puerto Rican culture. We are a very sociable people. We love to get together at birthdays, holidays and every other occasion in between. I love it! I wish so very much I grew up down there.....I think my life would have turned out so much different.

Why do I mention this? Because family, a loving family is part of the key I think, the process of being healthy inside and out. Today it seems Americans are forgetting the essence of family. Is it because of our wandering pioneer spirit? Our wanderlust to conquer the unknown??? To me seems a lonely existence. I think having a wonderful supporting family is the first step in being healthy. Emotional health is just as precious as our physical one. No matter what is out there being marketed...the best and most free advice that can be given and accepted is through our families.

Because of my genetics I have to make darn sure I do not fall and end up sick. My dad has diabetes, so did his mother and her mother, one of his sisters is borderline. I have an aunt and a cousin on my mother's side who is diabetic. Needless to say I am predisposed. Eating right and exercising is the key for me living life the way I should. Not in pain, not in some hospital somewhere. But to grasp life...seize it and savour it. To love being alive and in good health.

Luckily my work has a free gym. I am not one who likes to exercise in front of others but I have gotten to the point where I say: "To hell with it." My health is more important. If someone wants to stare or hit on me I will kindly remind them I am there to workout and not to be picked up.

Today it is raining in St. Louis. As a federal worker I have the day off. It was nice. I decided to write this particular entry because it was inside of me and had to get it off my chest....