I knew it was gonna be bad: no more resolutions!

We’ve all done the resolutions. Eat healthier. Work out more. Get organized. Make all the money. I’ve done them all. Nothing stuck. Nothing ever sticks. You tumble head first into the new year, full of possibility. Ready.

When in the hospital right after my heart attack, I lost 8 pounds over 4 days. That’s not the kind of weight loss that sticks, and I’ve gained those pounds all back, along with a few of their friends. My cardiologist “mentioned” going on a diet plan, and he has been so terrific that I know it’s time to handle stuff, or it’s going to take me down. But still, I drag my feet. This chunky leopard is having a tough time changing her spots.

But, I absolutely LOVE the clean slate that a turned page on the calendar offers. I eat really well (for a day). I work out consistently (for a week). Next thing I know, I’ve slid, belly first, back into a life of decadence and indulgence. Charcuterie board for NYE? Yes please! Christmas tree cakes? Duh! Coffee with whip? Of course!

Being a professional cook, I get cut a lot of slack. “Never trust a skinny chef” is one we all know, and folks say it to me frequently, as a way of absolving me from my form. It’s ok if I’m fat, because food is my job. That is, until you have a heart attack. Then those roosters come home to roost, and fast! My nurse practitioner (who is amazing and I trust completely) told me a few years ago that I needed to “eat half as much and workout twice as much…to maintain.” WTF?

Currently, I go to Cardiac Rehab three times a week, with just shy of 3 weeks remaining. It’s all cardio and they’ve got me attached to wires and monitors so that if things go south, they’ll know what’s happening and be able to dive in and help. Truthfully, it’s super boring (they’ve had to make numerous modifications to the program in the time of COVID), but I haven’t missed a session. Still…

So even though every other person in the world is posting inspirational diet and exercise stuff, I’m not. Sure I’m posting a few terrible, awful pics here to hold myself accountable, but what could be more boring that knowing what someone else’s diet and exercise routine is? Yikes!

Ok, this pic isn’t too bad. You’re thinking, “yeah, she’s round and has some pounds to lose, but it’s not too bad, and then…

POW! Look at that side view! Holy cow! Is this 53 year old 15 months pregnant???? Damn. That’s…a lot.

So what’s the plan? Because I know now that it’s not about the working out. Sure, that matters (and I actually enjoy the right workout a good chunk of the time). It all comes down to diet. Not dieting, diet. So instead of doing some crazy plan where I drop a lot of pounds then put them all back on as quickly as I can, I’m going to spend some time focusing in on retraining myself on how to cook. My current technique is reliant on lots of butter. Like, soooo much butter. When I was 27 and in culinary school, that butter didn’t do me so dirty, but now, it’s all caught up with me. So now it’s time to learn how to cook healthier, while keeping things still super tasty. I’ll be posting healthier recipes as a part of this blog and hope you’ll cook along. I’d love to have you join me!

As for the exercise, I’m going back to the Tone It Up app as I start to move on from Cardiac Rehab. I like their positive girl power work outs and their system of challenges. It runs around $8 a month and they just started a six week challenge today, and I boy oh boy, do love a challenge (I’m a wee bit competitive). If you’d like to join me, you can post a pic of yourself or a workout you’re doing or something fun on my Facebook page and we’ll keep each other going strong.

Let’s kick the butt of 2021!

Stay well-

cvb