Don’t Count Calories

Lately I’ve been participating in an invigorating diet competition.  My rivals are a load of fun and think they can beat me.  But we all know better, right?

Now that we’re nearing the end of the competition, I’d like to share a few secrets of my success during this competition.  (If I lose the competition, I’m going to be sufficiently humbled, but for now, let’s just assume that I’m going to win!)

My biggest cause for success during this eight-week competition has been not counting any numbers.  I haven’t counted calories, carbs, fiber, fat, or any combination thereof.  What has resulted?  Weightloss and a genuine interest in keeping it up long after the competition is over.

So if I haven’t tracked what I’ve eaten, what have I done? 

I have simplified everything down to a yes or no question.  Is it healthy?  Is it more than I should eat?  Will it make me feel good in two hours?  Is it worth the splurge?

When my focus is on reaching a particular number (of calories, points, etc.), I lose my motivation when I see that I am not going to reach my goal that day.  Let’s say it is noon and I’ve already eaten 1000 calories.  Well it’s nearly impossible to meet my 1500 goal with lunch and dinner still ahead of me!  I may as well give up for the day!

And I usually do.

When my focus is on being healthy instead of reaching a number, my effort goes from all or nothing to a much more moderate way of eating.  I ate more for breakfast, so likely I won’t be as hungry for the rest of the day.  I won’t condemn myself or stress.  I’ll just try to be sensible, and don’t eat when I’m not hungry.

Getting started on a healthy diet is a challenge, and it helps to count calories in order to learn what a sensible diet feels like.  After a while, though, let common sense be the guide.  It will work for a lifetime, and I’m not sure anybody wants to count numbers for the rest of their life.

By Example

Recently I saw a photo of a little girl in diapers standing on a scale, looking at her weight with a worried curl in her brow.  The photo was being used as a warning to moms about the messages we send our kids about weight-obsession.  Our little girls, particularly, watch and pick up our fears, insecurities, and our focus on that big W word—Weight.

Ever since having my daughter, I’ve been determined to teach her to make healthy choices at a young age.  When I was a child I was chubby and felt insecure physically.  The way I was treated by kids and teachers at school created scars that still hurt at times.  (Mostly the hurt now is just fear that my daughter will go through something similar.)  Understandably, I do not want Eden to have her weight be an issue while she is in school—or ever, for that matter—but I cannot deny that part of weight is wrapped in genetics and she probably will have to face it at some point.

My job, then, is to teach her how to overcome the weight “tendency” the best she can—without teaching her to obsess about her weight!  Where is that line?  Can I make her conscious about something, without leading her into the weight-obsessed mindset most of our society already pushes?

The answer, I think, is recognizing myself as the example.  Do I obsess about weight in front of my child?  I can talk about portion control and daily exercise with positive results, but am I mixing it with a panicked fear that if I don’t do these things, something very bad will happen?  Does my need to lose weight overshadow my ability to love?  If I eat more than I should, do I carry on about my regrets and fears?  Is my self-image wrapped up in looking a certain way?

My child watches and learns how to be healthy, both physically and emotionally.  I pray that I am able to teach her to be healthy in both aspects.  

Kitchen Project

It’s been hectic at our house this summer. We are currently without cupboards in our kitchen and soon to be without water, refrigerator, or any other useful appliance. Due to some water damage we are getting a new kitchen, which really is a blessing even though it feels like a curse right now.

The curse is enough to drive me crazy—trying to get the cabinet guy to call me back, trying to find that pan that was once in its perfect spot, and trying to make dozens good decisions in a matter of hours. And another obstacle: my anxiety for the days to come.

I am dreading the weeks when we won’t have a kitchen, and when we’ll be hearing slamming, hammering, and drilling nonstop instead. How will my kids react? How will they nap? Where will we go during the day?

And where will we eat? Will I gain ten pounds from eating out all the time? Friends have told me that I should BBQ outside and use paper plates, which is a useful idea I plan to do. But what if it’s too hot? Where will I keep the meat if I don’t have a refrigerator?

So many questions and so many concerns. I really should let tomorrow take care of itself.

Ultimately, this situation is the perfect topic for a health blog because there are so many health ramifications from being kicked out of your kitchen. I plan to give updates as we progress through this unanticipated project. Hopefully I’ll be sane enough to do so!

Shop Till You Eat

I recently went to the mall with my mom and my two kids. Have I ever mentioned that I hate to shop? (Almost unnatural for a woman, I know.) What’s there not to like about crowded parking lots, congested walkways, long lines, fussy kids, and loud store music? Maybe I am not normal to avoid these things, but after spending the day at the mall I found that I really enjoyed myself. Surprisingly.

The kids had fun, which results in me having fun too. Among the talking dogs, Christmas decorations (yes, they’re up!), escalators, and carousel ride, my kids enjoyed themselves.

But they did get hungry. Have you ever tried to find nutritious food in a mall? We ended up at Jamba Juice and a pretzel shop. Not the best and not the worst, I suppose. The pretzel shop had no whole grain options, sadly. You would think nobody is interested in being healthy at a mall. Is that true? Do other people besides myself long to find nutritious food while they shop?

We’re nearing a very busy season for shopping. How many trips to the mall will we make over the next several weeks? Will we be able to avoid the fat, salt, and sugar of a food court menu?

The holidays present enough opportunities to over-indulge. We don’t need more opportunities for goodness’ sake! Next time I go the mall I think I’ll bring a granola bar and apples for my kids. Or maybe avoid the mall altogether!

Multi-tasking

I must be the world’s worst multi-tasker. Give me a job, I’ll do it. Give me another job while I’m doing my first job, and I’ll fluster about and fail miserably at both.

Dinner was supposed to be easy after my busy day, and it would have been if I hadn’t set myself up for failure by multi-tasking. Instead of waiting in the kitchen for the food to get hot enough to turn down to a simmer, I used the waiting time to put some laundry away. You probably can guess what happened—I burned the food.

Life as mom would be impossible if I didn’t multi-task some of the time, but when it comes to my children’s safety, I have to make sure I have no distractions. But distractions can come easily when you’re doing a mindless task.

So I have developed strategies to help keep me focused and pull me back to details I forget when I’m multi-tasking. For instance, one strategy is using a kitchen timer on even extremely basic tasks. If I had set the timer for 60 seconds while I was cooking the other night I would not have left it on high heat to be burned. Timers are a great help for those of us who are lousy at tackling two things at once.

Sticky notes is another help. Little reminders written and placed where they’re most needed can help stop me from making a mistake.

I don’t know if anyone else suffers from a one-track mind, but if you’re like me, you need these kinds of tips.

Visiting Temptations

My mom has been in town the past couple of weeks. She lives over 2000 miles away, so it’s a real treat for us all. The kids love having Nana around, especially because she’s apt to hand out gum rather liberally. I enjoy walking into the kitchen to find the dishes have been washed. The best, of course, is the long talks and the unparalleled attention for the kids.

There is, however, a drawback. Do you know how hard it is to maintain 1500 calories a day when your mom is in town? She wants to cook for you, take you out for coffee, and make cookies for your kids. Meanwhile you want to impress her with your fabulous cooking, which I might add isn’t always the low-fat kind. Ice cream is purchased because you can’t have a guest staying without some desserts around. And there is the must for any visitor to California—a trip to In-N-Out Burger.

The past few days have not been my best health-wise, but not my worst either. I am still trying, in spite of not making the 1500 mark. I suppose with Thanksgiving right around the corner that I am setting myself up for some weeks of no weightloss progress. But if there is one concept that I have tried to share this past year of blog-writing, it’s that you should try even when you fail. Keep trying. Going over the allotted calories will happen, especially at this time of year. Still, keep trying. It always pays in the end.

Garbage Day

Garbage Day at our house comes every Monday.  It’s not always easy to gather up all the trash late on a Sunday night.  Sometimes we forget, and other times we just don’t feel like it.  But one way or another, we manage to get it out there for the early morning pick-up.

It’s a good thing that garbage is collected mechanically these days because no doubt ours is nastiest smelling bin on the block.  From the dirty diapers to the old floor scraps dropped by sticky little fingers, it just plain stinks.  No wonder we manage to get the bin out there even when we don’t feel like it.

The recycle bin is much nicer.  It’s filled with things like rinsed-out jars and glossy junk mail.  Even the outward appearance is better.  Instead of the mucky-green color of the garbage bin, it’s a cool clean blue.  It stands with dignity and pride next to the less desirable garbage bin.  I can only imagine what kind taunts it would be making if it could talk.

I think my body is kind of like one of the bins.  Week after week I toss stuff inside, and what I eat manifests itself into a very desirable or very undesirable body accordingly.  Even the outward appearance is affected by what is inside.  Healthy and wholesome foods and drinking plenty of pure water produces a body of healthy dignity.  You can probably imagine what kinds of foods result in a stinky garbage bin for a body.

So the next time a triple-fried something-rather appeals, think garbage bin.  Do you really want a body like that?

Hiding the Exercise

The gym isn’t exactly the favorite place to go when you’re overweight and out of shape.  More likely you want to work out alone in a very dark room.  While that’s not a bad idea, a little courage might be in order too.

Going to a gym has many benefits.  Being around active people makes you work harder.  Exercise machinery is available that would usually be too expensive to own.  You can vary your workout with cardio and circuit, which helps to make a healthy heart, burns fat, and builds muscle.

Gyms also usually have classes you can take that will make exercise fun.  When you become a regular goer, it’s harder to miss because of the support of friends who check in on you.  Working out with others usually motivates us to intensify our moves and go for longer.

However.  Going to a gym or class can require courage.  It’s not easy to walk into a room full of fit people and approach a machine you have no idea how to use.  Learning the moves of an aerobics class can feel intimidating. 

The first time is always the hardest.  If you keep at it though, pretty soon you will be the gym expert and might have a chance to show someone else the ropes.  You might feel like you look funny or that you stand out, but what better place is there to be than where you can change all that? 

Whenever I see someone who looks out of shape working out at a gym, I feel a tremendous amount of admiration for that person.  I recognize the guts it takes to be there and the effort required to exercise.  Chances are that most of the fit people are thinking the same thing.  So don’t hide.  Only good things can come if you face your fear head-on.

Hiding the Food

Anybody who has small kids is probably just about immune to all embarrassing moments that come. For a child, nothing is taboo. They talk very openly—and loudly!—about the more private things in life, like using the toilet. They leave snotty messes on your shoulder, and they blurt out awkward observations at the wrong time.

Unlike children, adults have a knack for hiding things that might make us look weird, incompetent, or weak. We know how to put our best foot forward and at least appear to have it all together.

Think back to the times when you have eaten the worst. Was it at a social gathering with a room full of people? Most likely not. More likely, it was at home when no one else was around. If I’m eating badly, I usually don’t want anyone to see me!

Hiding eating is one of the areas of danger for living healthy. If we are hiding when we eat, then mostly likely we are eating for reasons other than energy, hunger, or even pure enjoyment. Hiding food is not enjoyable. It’s usually guilt-ridden and depressing. I speak, of course, from my own experience!

If secret eating is an area of temptation for you, I strongly advise getting an accountability buddy. If you really truly want that ice cream or those chips, eat it in the presence of your buddy. It will make it more enjoyable. And it will hinder the endless gorging.

Utils

I tend to look for bargains, to find the best price possible—sometimes at the expense of quality.  But my husband Jay looks at it from another perspective.  He uses something he calls “utils” to decide whether something is worth buying or not. 

A util is a business term that represents one measure of quality, balanced against what it costs.  Cost is measured by money, convenience, time, and effort.  A product that has high utils is a product that gives a high amount of usability and enjoyment with a relatively low cost.  Something with low utils is a product that has high cost and low value. 

When making a purchase, Jay considers the utils, and it guides him in making a decision.  By considering the cost vs. the benefits helps weed out the ridiculous and impulsive buys.  It also eases the buyer’s remorse after a big purchase.  If we just bought a new car, we’ll be happy thinking about the utils we’re getting from it because it is worth the cost.

Utils can be used in eating and spending calories too.  Is the enjoyment and physical benefit of a food worth the calorie and fat cost?  Am I getting high utils on the snack I choose? 

Think about the following two examples using utils for snacks and desserts.

Snacks.  The purpose of a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack is to help sustain our appetite, and boost our energy during sluggish times.  Therefore, a snack with high utils will be one that gives high amounts of both energy and sustainability for a low amount of calories and fat.  Milk is a good choice since it contains both sugar for energy and protein to sustain us.  A donut, on the other hand, will guarantee a sugar crash, giving it low utils.

Desserts.  Utils can be defined in terms of enjoyment and pleasure.  When I decide to eat a luscious piece of pumpkin cheesecake, I think its utils will be worth its cost in calories and fat.  However, eating the dessert often will cause its enjoyment to decline, and soon the cost will be higher than its value.  Eating too much dessert will give it low utils.

I think I like this way of looking at buying and eating.  It’s simple logic.  Sometimes I make things way too complicated.

McRibs and McMarketing

Pumpkin spice latte.  Peppermint ice cream.  Hickory Farms sausage.  The McRib.  Eggnog.  What do these have in common?  They are foods that are enticing for one big reason: they are only available at certain times of the year.

Simply put, we fall in love with these foods because we can’t always get them.  Why do I get tempted to buy a carton of eggnog, even though it’s like drinking melted ice cream?  Because I know that I can’t get it any other time of the year, and something about that makes me passionate about it.  I might even make an extra trip to the grocery store to get it.

I suppose with food, absence makes the heart grow fonder.  But I can’t help but wonder if it’s all a big trick.  I can see the marketing managers from these companies getting together and planning out ways to make us buy.  Do they know that taking something away for nine months will make us buy more in the three remaining months than we would have for a whole year?

Probably.

My goal this year is to only buy what I truly like, and not what I am afraid I’ll never get another chance to taste.  It will come back next year, after all.  I don’t have to go hog-wild with seasonal temptations or I just might start resembling a hog!

Candy Candy Candy

Your kid comes home from trick-or-treating with a bucketful of candy.  As a health-conscious parent, you let them have a couple pieces, and hide the rest until tomorrow.  Then you carefully ration it out.  There’s only one problem: you have a constant candy around just waiting to be eaten, not by your kids—by you!

When I shop, I usually don’t buy candy or sugar.  What few treats I do buy usually at least have some nutritional value—vitamins, raisins, fruit snacks, etc.  I like it when my child wants a piece of fresh fruit, and gets excited when I give it.  That’s their candy.

Then comes the day when they get to go ask people for candy from door to door and come home with more than they should eat in a year.  I personally think the trick-or-treating experience is fun for them, and I enjoy taking them.  The aftermath is what I need to think through.

I am sure as the kids get older my strategies will change.  For now, I plan to ration out the candy, slowly giving less often and less amount.  I want the candy out of the house by one week. 

As for my temptations, I plan on choosing wisely.  If I am to have a piece, I will try to make the best choice.  Did you know that red licorice has fewer calories and sugar than other sugary candy?  Did you know that 3 Musketeers has less fat and calories than other candy bars?  This week may be full of candy temptations, but at least I can choose wisely.

My Week, My Knight

I have been working at a daily plan of eating no more than 1500 calories, but isn’t it interesting how so very many opportunities arise that attempt to thwart my efforts? 

Last week is a perfect example.  Monday went just fine, but by Wednesday I was so tired and stressed that I took liberties to eat a little more.  I needed the extra energy, didn’t I? Thursday didn’t go well in keeping calories down because I invited my inlaws over for dinner.  Who can stay good when there’s a special dinner and dessert, not to mention a very hectic day of planning it all out?

Friday was a harvest party at church with lots and lots of chocolate and a not-so-healthy dinner.  Once the dinner got me over my calories, what was the use in denying myself a piece of chocolate from huge buckets full of candy?  Saturday was another hectic day of rehearsals, babysitters, eating out, and a concert to sing in.  Sunday was a similar day as Saturday in its busyness.  And don’t forget all the trick-or-treat candy!

In short, if I wasn’t very determined I may have just given a whole week over to very unhealthy eating.  Fortunately, I have something on my side.  I have a husband who is being very supportive of my efforts and really has been encouraging me to stay on track.  He even promised me a special gift if I can keep to 1500 calories for 45 days.  He tells me it’s okay if I mess up on a day, and that I can pick up where I left off tomorrow.  Essentially, he is my knight, and together we’re fighting off my temptations.  (I guess that makes me a knight too!) 

So a big thank-you to my husband for helping me make it through a difficult week.  Hurray for the start of a new week, a new month, and a new chance at meeting my goals.

Not Too Serious

Part of being healthy is being emotionally healthy.  When I am busy, life can seem all-serious.  There is a constant list of tasks to do, and I have a hard time getting everything done if I am too casual.  So I focus, block out distractions, toughen up, and get it all done.  I might be so successful at doing this that I forget to relax and enjoy things. 

In the busy go-go-go stages, time slips by at an alarming rate, and we wake up to find that we have no positive memories of it.  Life was like that for me when I was in college.  I was very busy and stressed, and I have few memories of those hectic days.  Most memories I do have, unfortunately, are negative ones due to mistakes I made in my overly task-oriented state.  But there is one memory that stands out that is beautiful.

I was in a small choir of only 24 singers, and we spent our rehearsals in serious concentration.  The music we sang was not easy, and our director expected a lot out of us.  I liked the choir, but it was a task on the long list I had.  I really didn’t have the energy to pause and enjoy it. 

One day something different happened, though.  We were singing a song that was slightly less demanding musically, and suddenly someone started to sway to the music.  It spread throughout our entire group until we were all swaying to the beat, almost dancing to the music.  At that moment, I realized how much I really enjoyed singing.  It was more than a task.  It was more than something to check off my list.  It wasn’t something I had to take super-serious every minute.  It was fun!  That moment became one of my lasting and best memories of that time in my life.

 It is very easy to take life too seriously, to demand perfection from ourselves and from others, and to stress when things don’t go the way we think they should.  Sometimes we think we need to get away in order to stop stressing.  But we don’t need a vacation to relax or to create lasting memories.  Opportunities to dance to the music are available every day.

Being Cold

It rained last weekend here in Sacramento.  It was rather a pleasant change to wake up to dark clouds and rain beating against the windows.  We turned on the heater for the first time in over half a year, and it smelled like Christmas. 

If I talk about the weather a lot, it’s because weather effects my health in many ways, from mood to energy to exercise to appetite.  Dark clouds make me want to curl up with a book and light candles.  Rain makes me avoid leaving the house.  Sun makes me want to work in the garden. 

When I lived in a colder climate, I felt cold almost all the time.  October always seemed the worst because my body was adjusting to the cooler weather.  Those days were always damp and chilly.  No matter how I bundled up with thick socks and boots, my feet were always cold.  I just could not get warm.  Wait—there was a way.  Exercise.  Whenever I exercised, I burst through that constant chill and I was warm!  It was enough to provoke me to work out rather often.

Contradicting this notion, whenever I felt cold, I also didn’t feel like working out.  I wanted to bundle up with a blanket.  I remember turning my electric blanket to high, and waiting in agony as I slowly warmed up.  Even then, my feet stayed cold.  Miserable!

It’s definitely a good thing that yours truly is now living in a warmer climate.  Still, we have winters.  We are ranging from 50s to 60s this week, a bit cool for me.  While being cold doesn’t make me want to exercise, it still provides an incentive: getting warm.

Honeymoon Girl

Recently I made a photo book of my honeymoon.  It’s been four and a half years, and it’s amazing how much I’ve forgotten in that short time.  I have a series of highlights that I think about, but studying the pictures brought back many small details.

From a purely unsentimental standpoint, our honeymoon wasn’t perfect.  Merely hours after I promised to love, honor, and cherish my new husband in sickness and in health, he put my vows to the test by getting sick.  Very sick.  The stay-in-bed-except-when-needing-to-run-to-the-bathroom kind of sick.  We had to postpone our flight to Hawaii, and it cost us over $1000 to do so. 

After an afternoon in the emergency room, we managed to fly out for our tropical paradise.  When we arrived it was raining harder than rice at a wedding.  The rain persisted for four days. 

During our last weekend, the sun broke out and shined her brilliance.  My now-well husband and I grabbed the opportunity to pack in as much adventure as we could.  We went hiking to an isolated waterfall that only helicopters and hikers like us can find.  Of course the people in the choppers who passed by couldn’t actually get the close-up view we had.  It was beautiful and romantic.  Everything a honeymoon is supposed to be.

Seeing the pictures brought back feelings I had as a newly married woman.  Worry for my sick husband, determined cheerfulness at the rain, and happiness that I had such a wonderful man to spend my life with.  Another feeling I experienced while sorting the pictures—shallow as this sounds—was jealousness at the fit girl I was.  Could it be only 4 ½ years?  I suppose two pregnancies will take their toll, and the reward is worth the sacrifice.  Still, the girl in the pictures was thin and energetic.  I can’t wait until I’m there again.

Special Treats

Naptime.  It is one of my favorite times of the day.  The kids are sleeping, I am able to focus on my list of to-dos, and everything is peaceful.  The first few minutes of naptime, I feel a sense of relief that I made it through another busy morning and afternoon.  I feel like I deserve something.  A treat.  Something special to reward myself and celebrate the quite peace of sleeping kids.

Just what should I have for a special treat?  What will give me that satisfying feeling of a small indulgence?

From the time I was a small child I learned that special moments must have special treats.  My family made Friday nights our “treat night,” which usually meant ice cream.  Now that I’m older, treats are still important.  More recently I’ve discovered ways to have a treat without having the calories.  Flowers, for instance, instead of chocolate.  Or a shopping reward instead of an eating reward.

Here is one important concept that I have realized about edible treats: the specialness of a particular treat depends on what I eat the rest of the time.  Here’s what I mean.  My goal right now and for the next few weeks is to eat no more than 1500 calories a day.  When naptime comes I sometimes treat myself to a cup of iced tea and a white cheddar rice cake.  It tastes wonderful.  I feel like I’ve really had a treat. 

Switch gears to a day when I’m overeating, setting no limits for myself, and indulging in any food I feel like having.  My kids go down for a nap, and the tea and rice cake don’t appeal to me one bit.  I want candy corn or something that’s really a treat!  But candy doesn’t satisfy.  Usually even chocolate doesn’t satisfy on those days.  Special things in life are only special if I don’t spoil myself.

Working Up a Do-Nothing Appetite

There is a particular activity out there, something that grabs ahold of you, sucks the energy out of you, and keeps you sitting on the couch for hours. It keeps you from doing the cleaning, it takes away the desire to exercise. It even puts a stop to your social life.

Sickness might do all that, but I’m not talking about a virus. I’m talking about a good book. Do you ever get trapped by a good book? For me, reading has much more of a pull than TV or even the internet. It’s addicting. It’s gripping. It’s the ultimate time-killer.

Before I had small children, I sometimes would use a Saturday to do nothing but read. Pleasant as those days were, I always felt a bit rotten and sluggish at the end of them. I wished that I had done something other than sit all day.

Now that I have small kids I don’t exactly have the option of designating an entire day to reading. Occasionally my husband will take the kids and allow me a few uninterrupted hours to read. Those days are blissful, but I still can feel somewhat drained after a long period of time doing nothing. It’s kind of like the feeling after a long road trip. Chances are eating wasn’t hindered, which means you have a bunch of calories just sitting in your gut waiting to be used.

My idea for these fabulous reading days is this: If I am so blessed to have several hours to sit and read, my body will appreciate it if I get some movement and fresh air before crashing for a few hours. It’s like working up an appetite for a big feast, only it’s working up a sit-and-relax appetite. It’s enjoyable to sprawl out with a book when your limbs are tired and your lungs are exhausted. Next time I sit with a book, I plan on pumping out a workout first. I won’t feel so lazy either.

Do Healthy Eaters Have to Eat Salads?

I hate folding socks. Everyone probably has a chore that they hate more than any other. For me it’s matching socks. Sometimes I might even leave a stack on the bed for somebody else to deal with, especially since my husband wears socks way more than I do.

Another chore I dislike is making a salad. What a bunch of work! It’s so much easier to pour peas into a bowl and throw it in the microwave or even to stir-fry up some bell peppers (pre-cut of course). Making a salad requires me to wash the lettuce, dry the lettuce, cut the lettuce, and clean up the scraps and water mess made from the lettuce. And this is all before I have even started adding the more tedious elements to the salad, like chopped onion, tomatoes, and cucumber.

It’s fun to complain, especially if you think people can relate. Can you? Lately I have made a decision about this second dislike of mine. My decision is that I need to make salads more often. Perhaps, after all, inclination to avoid them is just laziness. Salads provide a great source of raw nutrients, the best kind. And when I eat one, I feel like I’ve really munched on something substantial.

I was complaining to my husband the other day that I have been feeling sluggish, especially in the mid-afternoons. (I really am not a complainer in anything but socks, salads, and the occasional ailment, I promise.) He suggested that I eat more salads. So I am putting lazy-complaining aside and doing it. To my great surprise, I’m enjoying it.

My Bike and I

I just sold my old bike, a woman’s bike, to a man who said it would work just fine for him. Hey, I didn’t argue. Parting with it brought back memories from college, where I used to commute to school.

The setting was Portland, Oregon, and I was going back to school to get my master’s degree to become a teacher. I lived in Southeast, and I would ride my bike down to the waterfront, across the Hawthorne Bridge, and up the other side to Portland State University. I rode rain or shine. Believe me, it rained more than it shined.

The ride home was always the most difficult. There were steep hills coming up from the river and past the Ladds. These hills often required that I get off my bike and walk, especially at the end of a long day at school. I wasn’t in the greatest shape back then. One day in particular I remember it was raining hard, it was cold, and I was walking my bike, drenched. That bike and I have quite a history.

I wonder what my new bike has in store for me. I am creating a history every time I strap my kids into their trailer and tote them around. My old bike helped me to get healthy and fit. Perhaps my new one will too.