fat talk doesn't work!

Having a good perspective on
sunsets is easy

Does fat talk ever benefit us? By fat talk I am referring to body bashing self talk. I could write of wrinkle talk where we beat ourselves up because we have aged. If you have followed my blog I have written about a number of issues I have had that require some kind of change. When I had cataracts my eyes required surgery? There is a risk and eyes take special care and I was scared particularly with the first eye surgery. I battled insomnia and anxiety then depression. Having worked in a mental hospital I was resistant to seek help. Things got bad enough I went for help. I knew enough to seek the best I could. With Cerebral Palsy I have a chronic condition in my ankle. Trying to find the right help took time. Beating myself up with any of these problems would have been useless. (And by the way was useless) Perceverating is counter productive. The focus may be on the problem, but it is not on possible solutions.
We all get old. There was a time when I thought I knew what it was to get older, but I didn't. At 30 we really don't know what it will be like at 60. We think we will have gray hair, but in our minds we will still have our health and little real changes. Some of you are older and you might be thinking, wait Billy you haven't seen anything yet, wait until you are 70 or 80. I hear you. Health care needs the voice of wisdom that aging brings. 20 year old's have no idea.
Walking with the fat man you know I am over weight. I could have a blog that says walking with the bald man. Like Old Man in the Sea, my blog could have many titles. Beating my self up and saying negative things about being fat won't move me to change. Hating myself because I am old will only increase my problems. It is so easy to fall into looking at self and complain. Add some real aches and pains and watch us moan.
The goal of Walking with the fat man is spelled out by Dr. Ken Cooper by using preventative and curative medicine with lifestyle changes that will help us round off the curve of our aging where more of our life is enjoying living and being productive with the things we involve ourselves with.
Negative bashing, fat talk won't help. What do you think? The issues mentioned slowed down my walking and weight control. In the last few weeks I have been able to get out for walking. With each walk I am making other changes as well. What can I control? Right now, something I learned in therapy is "mindfulness". Living in the now. It changed my attitude about work. It has helped change my attitude about sleep. And I believe it is a better option than griping for the changes I need to make about exercising and weight control. I will probably be overweight for the rest of my life, but I can weigh less. I can feel better. If I made all the changes where I was walking 1 or 2 hours a day. More flexible and stronger, weighed 80 lbs. less, I would still look in the mirror and see a 60 year old. My head would seem bigger with a smaller body and I would have more wrinkles. If I am looking at the outside, I think I would miss the whole point. It is not how we look but how healthy are we and how do we feel. We are alive and enjoying what God has given us. Try to catch that vision for yourself. Were old guys, but we are alive and enjoying each day. Keep walking!