A cute story and then......My power story

              

                           cute cat story

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met her at the gates and said, "You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking."

The cat thought for a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on."

God said, "Say no more." Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all
went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that He made to the cat.

The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again."

God answered, "It is done." All the mice had beautiful little roller skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and  asked, "Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?"

The cat replied, "Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!"

                    

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   Well yesterday was my POWER evaluation.  I went in there I must admit with a bit of a chip on my shoulder.  Yup, I knew all about eating more grains and fruit, cutting out fast foods and the benefits of exercise,  after all this is the woman who had lost 56 pounds and rode her bike on a 126 mile bike trip.  I am da woman!

  Well, after assuring them I had perfect blood pressure my reading was high!  I should have know that was how the rest of the assessment was going to go.  Next on to get weighed and their scale had put 4 of the 5 pounds I just lost back on just like that!  This was getting depressing.  The good thing is I am a inch taller then I was the last time they measured me.  5' 5".  If I can grow 12 more inches I will no longer be overweight and might even be considered too skinny!

   Then on to have my fat ratio measured.  Nothing in the world will make you feel quite so sad as finding out in black and white that you have a lot of fat on your body.  I mean you can hide it somewhat with clothes, you can suck in your tummy and stand up straight and you can put your blinders on when you look in the mirror,but this terrible little machine strips away all your camouflage.  Big NEWS break.  I am FAT.  Top it off by the fact a very muscular handsome young man is who measured me.  Sigh.

   By this time my normally cheerful disposition was taking a beating  On to the next challenge.  Stair stepping.  Not your normal stair size but an 18" step.   Step up with one foot, then the next, down on one foot then the next to a beat so you can do it to rhythm.   I only had to do 3 minutes, this won't be bad I thought, 3 minutes sheesh.  I started stepping away.  Soon I could tell for sure that the body I was forcing up and down these steps was indeed FAT.  I had the proof in my folder and in the way my legs were threatening to give way.  My months of reverting back to my nasty ways had done as expected.  I was in terrible shape.  WHAAAAAA.  I only made a minute and 50 secs.  Sputtering excuses about having just worked 12.5 hours and "I had a terrible car accident" I collapsed in the chair while this skinny lady looked on.  I could tell she had nooooooo body fat what so ever.  In fact she looked like she could use some of mine.  This lady turned out to be the one I would discuss my goals with.

   The first goal she suggested was maybe lasting the entire 3 minutes on the stair stepper.  Yes by God, I said.  I will master that.

  Pulling out my lab she showed me my cholesterol.  What!  High!  But how could that be!  I don't fry, use all the right oils, no butter, all the spinach.  Quickly I checked the name, couldn't be mine but it was.  My only consolation was I was wonder what it had been before I started changing my eating habits.  I told her it must have been lots worse.  And there was good news.  My fasting sugar was 89.  Normal.  Yay, finally something was normal. 

    So I have my 5 goals.   Do 3 minutes on the stair steps.  Lose 25 pounds by next year ( I had better lose a lot more then that). Work out at least 3 times a week. Cut my coffee intake in half, for some reason she thinks my 30 to 40 cup a day coffee habit is unacceptable?  And last but not least volunteer at least once a month at the humane society.  Not a problem with that one since I help out there anyway.

  So with wobbly legs I dragged my fat old self home determined to get back on the path of the straight and narrow.  Back to being the best I could be.  I can do this.  I will master the stair stepper, I WILL LOSE 25 POUNDS, I WILL SUCCEED.  After I take a nap.  Because I did only get 3 hours of sleep.  And tomorrow is another day.