Hours after celebrating my 46th birthday, I had self-assessment done of how well my summer went for my body: I went to the gym for the first time in three months and did my usual workouts.
I worried I would be sluggish doing what I do at the gym because I hadn't done those things all summer. But I did take up mountain biking, which can be straining on one's cardiovascular system, even for novices. And even when I didn't pedal my still-heavy body up those hills, I got off and walked the rest of the way.
Turns out, I'm fitter and stronger than I've ever been. Having fun all summer led to a stronger, more efficient heart and lungs, and seemingly more muscle mass to carry me around. How do I know? I did far more with less heart. I monitor my heart-rate and know that it took a lot more to get it up to the top of the target zone than it did when I was last at the gym at the beginning of summer. I even ran out of incline on the treadmill. It's as if my heart grew five sizes this summer. (Sorry for the Grinch reference so early in the season.)
My birthday made me think of two things. Firstly, birthday's are a psychological challenge for me with my eating and binging habits. Everyone's different but my plan of attack is to eliminate "holiday reward eating." If you pig out on whatever you want on your birthday (I probably achieved 4000 calories or more in the past), you may want every day to be your birthday (or Christmas, etc.) If you're having a bad day, you may say to yourself, "I want today to be like past happy days so I'm going to eat a bunch of junk food until I feel sick."
I kept the cake small so there were no left-overs to have for breakfast or midnight snacks, and ate like I do every other day. It's bad enough I'm one year older, why should I knock days off my life by eating really badly? And one bad day of eating poorly usually leads to more bad days (for me.)
I spent the day mountain biking with my son on the the most beautiful of fall days you could imagine. Usually I'd be at home sprawled out on my bed will full belly, digesting in anticipation of my next birthday reward meal. Best birthday I've had in years.
My second birthday problem: Getting older.
Aging is a fatal disease. Eventually it'll kill you if nothing else does. I overcame most of the ill-effects of obesity by getting fit. I think I can do much of the same with my other fatal disease.
Instead of slowing down in my middle-age, I'm picking up speed, doing more things and having more fun, getting stronger and healthier instead of the opposite.
Fat or thin, aging will take it's toll. Getting active is the secret to warding off old-age.
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