Today, I was biking along the shoreline of the Atlantic ocean in sunny South Florida. I felt enormous gratitude! Here I am in the most beautiful setting while others are really cold somewhere out there.I was recently in Chicago (see photo!) and it was 26 degrees below zero! My face almost fell off! And now...here I am peddling along the beach with the temperature nearing 80 degrees. How great is that! Today I witnessed many cloaked in little tiny bathing suits knowing somewhere out there (Chicago!) there are many bundled up in their multi-layered clothing.
As I was pedaling I was wondering how I would be able to keep my exercise in tact if I lived up north. Here in Florida my goal is to exercise 6 out of 7 days a week. While in Chicago, I was not able to meet my goal. As I am peddling along the shoreline, with seagulls keeping me company, I wonder how others fare living in a cold climate. As I pondered this thought, I went back in time when I did live in Chicago. Around this exact time of the year (mid-January), after the holiday festivities came to a halt, and my body was up a good 30 pounds from eating from Halloween until my New Years resolution, I would fall into a deep depression until April when the sun resurfaced and the pale gray slated skies disappeared. Some would call it Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Perhaps they were correct.
I don't have those "dark" days here in sunny Florida like I did when I lived up north. It was one winter back in January of 1986, standing on the platform waiting for the El train, when I decided no longer would I give in to another winter of cold. It was a cold and blistery day. I decided out loud that I had enough...I was moving to Hollywood (Florida that is!). And in May of 1986 off to Florida I went and never looked back.
Often in my past history my weight would fluctuate 100 pounds up and down. My last year living in Chicago was one of those times where I was able to control my weight to some degree. Although my eating disorder was flourishing even then, I was able to hide it (weight wise)because I was doing so much walking living in the city. Although I did not exercise regularly because of the cold, I was walking to catch a bus or a train every day several times. In addition, I was taking the stairs (at De Paul University) rather than the elevators. I was trying to eat clean for the most part and then would succumb to a binge on the weekends. Back then, I did not know about food addiction. I thought I was weak-willed and that I did not know how to "do it right." Now of course I know different.
Today, I know I am a food addict and there is no cure for food addiction, only recovery. I work my recovery every single day, whether I am here or in Chicago, or at my little beach home on the west coast. Eating sugar, flour, and wheat is not an option. Not exercising for long periods of time, is not an option. Today, as I rode along the shoreline of the Atlantic ocean I smiled on the inside and the outside all at the same time. I suppose onlookers might have thought I was a bit "touched," but I did not give it a care. I am free of food addictive behavior, my weight is "normal," and I feel spiritually balanced. All worth my efforts of vigilantly working my program.
Some say they could not eat the way I do, or exercise regularly; but, I say it beats being in Chicago freezing my you know what off and wearing an extra 100 pounds. Today life is centered and balanced for me. How about you? Is your life centered and balanced? How do you work your exercise program in the winter? Are you still pumped from your New Years Resolution? I want to hear from you!
Photo taken by: Lisa Ortigara Crego
4 comments:
My addiction to food is unfortunatley very strong in my life today. Whatever reason I have for continuing this disrupting way of life, it spills into many areas of my life. I have moments of freedom from addiction, only to be short lived, when I take back the reins and try to do it my way. I guess that is where my life is right now, so I must find a loving and kind manner in regard to myself. To me, it would not matter what the weather was like, although I do love those snowy pictures, there is always exercise indoors, it matters where my mind is. I pray that one day, I have freedom from my addictions. The foods that cause compulsive eating are not easy to put down. But when I do, I feel so free of pain, mental and physical. I am learning to love and take care of myself so maybe one day, when God feels I am ready, I will find peace and bliss by eating to live, not living to eat.
It sounds so wonderful to be free of eating addiction but getting over the diet/gaining has been going on forever, how long did it take you after the lent sacrifice then eating again, when you felt sick to realize I do not want to feel like this again, eating to live and not living to eat is worth it to me. Elena
You make a wonderful point Lisa! I would like to think it does not matter what the weather is, in terms of exercise; but, rather what the frame of mind is. But, I must admit (head hanging low) I did not exercise when Florida hit low 30's and 40's. I choose to exercise outside with nature and just could not deal with the cold. I think I was in a good frame of mind with regards to my physical, emotional, and spiritual self. I just don't like the cold...I am a wimp!
Elena, thinking back to the day when I gave up sugar, flour, and wheat for Lent, I recall feeling so great for the lent season. Everything seemed brighter and joyful. My mind was cleared of all clutter and negative self-talk. On Easter morning when I dove into the candies I immediately felt the shift. It was really bad. I believe having the experience of cleaning out trigger foods from my system and then putting them back in allowed me to know the difference. Even with this valuable information, I still wanted to do things "MY " way and desperately held on to whole grain flour and wheat, cutting back on sugar (4th ingredient on labels)...but, after a few weeks I would fall back into the binge. It was when my weight slowly began to climb and I felt just awful physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I made the commitment to let go of sugar, flour, and wheat. Today, I feel terrific just like I did back during the Lent season so many years ago.
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