Day 4 of Recovery:  Changes in the wind!

This morning I was down to 159.8.  How I long for the scale to say 145 again!  At least I know for sure it can happen...and will again.  In the meantime, I already feel more energy and even got by on two less hours of sleep last night.

In fact, I started a new (or re-started an old) morning routine today: getting up at 6am to work out in the basement after feeding the dogs. Usually my hubby takes care of this task and lets me slumber for another two hours.  But this week I've been getting up to help with the new dog, and this morning I decided to just STAY UP and go to the basement to work out.
I cherish that quiet time down there, which I share only with Don Draper and the rest of the "Mad Men" staff via Netflix on my iPad.  Each episode is 43 minutes--a perfect workout on the elliptical or exercise bike.  This morning I threw in some abdominal work on the exercise ball to start regaining some core strength.

Two hours later I was at the massage therapist's, indulging in my twice-monthly regimen.  I used to consider massage an extravagance, but have talked myself into considering it a necessary part of my health maintenance budget.  Age is definitely catching up with me, and muscles get out of whack with much less effort.  A combination of yoga (strengthening, stretching, and balance) and massage makes it possible for me to keep moving (Bucket List Weight Loss Concept #7).  Believe me, without them I'd be more crippled than most of you who are older than I am.

In fact--you're sitting down, right?  Wiggle your toes.  Just stretch them up and down.  Feels good, doesn't it?  If you don't have toes (and even if you do), rotate your ankles.  Now do some sitting leg raises.  Tighten your quads.  Now tighten your butt.  Now roll your pelvis under and out, under and out.  Feels really good, yes?  Careful movement--even a little--can feel wonderful. 

More movement feels even better.  Flex and enjoy whatever muscles you have, and feel your body at work.  THIS IS EXERCISE!!  It warms your body, gets the blood circulating, and revives you from the inside out.  And you don't even need to work up a sweat to achieve some of the benefits.  Remember, your body was designed for MOVEMENT, not for sitting still.  So move whatever you can, and keep it in motion.

More changes: tomorrow I'm getting a haircut.  Last summer I had it radically layered, and recently I've been looking like an unkempt cocker spaniel as the layers grow out oh-so-slowly.  Enough is enough.

So what changes have you made today?  Empower yourself to have a better tomorrow.