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Friday, April 15, 2011

establishing routines

One of the consequences of a life of adventure is that routines are lost. Sleeping. Eating. Exercising. Socializing. These things happen spontaneously or sporadically, often they cannot be predicted or scheduled. The results have not been good for my health - premature aging (premature is my word, not a diagnosed condition), weight gain, and fatigue.

When Kenyon started taking health classes a couple of years ago they studied a unit on the affects of stress on the body. A list of symptoms was provided. Kenyon read it, looked at me and said, "You have most of these. I hope it's worth it because you are going to work yourself in to an early grave." My husband doesn't mince words, I appreciate that (most times).


I kept right on doing what I was doing and continued to see the effects.

Now I am living a "normal" life. It has been years since I've had regular routines. I would try, but they were often interrupted by travel plans or unexpected emergencies. That is no longer my reality.

These days, I get up in the same bed day after day. I go to the office at relatively the same time, and leave the office at relatively the same time. My weekends and evenings are my own and not eaten up with all the work I didn't have time to get to during the scheduled working hours. I have found time to leisurely read, follow television shows, schedule outings with friends, choose my meals more carefully and exercise. There are definitely benefits to the routine, our bodies thrive in them.

So, I set a goal for myself. Lose the weight I have put on in recent years. The weight gain began during my PhD program when I was VERY sedentary...lots of time spent sitting and reading or writing. It continued during my years of frenzied schedule. I have grown soft in places that I should not be soft in and now I have time and energy to dedicate to such a task. I am not on any restrictive diet, just watching my nutrient intake and incorporating exercise in to my life multiple times a week. I will let you know how it goes.

just Sheri, nearly "normal"

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