My Six Month Anniversary

Beyond lowering my cholesterol, I’m not sure what my expectations were six months ago when I started this diet. I try to remember just what I felt like in comparison to how I feel today. I look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I look a little healthier. These questions I can’t answer, but I do know that I’ve changed more than my total cholesterol number. I’ve lost weight, I feel better... lighter, and I take better care of myself. There are times when it’s still a struggle, but I’ve found a balance. I’ve gotten use to preparing two dinner menus, eating salads without dressing on them when I’m out, and I’ve accepted the fact that I will make exceptions on an occasion without feeling like a failure. This lifestyle is important to me, but not at the expense of missing out on special moments... like sharing a conversation with my mom over a glass of wine and potato chips. Moments like that are few and far between. In all of this, I’ve developed perspective. I want to be able to go out to dinner, travel and socialize; so occasionally I make exceptions. I look at it as a lifestyle for a lifetime, and when I have the opportunity to sit at the kitchen table with my mother sipping a glass of wine, I’ll take it… with delight.