Years ago, I worked with a lady (or rather worked for her, she was a customer of mine) who told me that first thing every morning she read the newspaper to be sure she was “rolling her marbles”. As my natural hair color transforms to more salt than pepper, I am beginning to understand the sentiment. I am at my most lucid in the morning, so I have always tried to rise early, using that time before I go to my “day job” for Bible study, research and writing.
Since I have been on a quest to get my senior citizen body in better shape, I have also worked in daily exercise. Once upon a time, I drove to Little Rock to a class that combined dancing and exercise. I took my work clothes and makeup along, showering and dressing for the day following the one-hour workout. When I changed jobs and the gym was not in a convenient location, I was determined to find a way to do my exercising at home.
Our local sporting goods store sold us on the solution. A stationary, recumbent bicycle is now located just across the hall from my bedroom. It features a handy digital display that measures many different aspects of my daily journey. I can keep up with the time I’ve spent pedaling, the speed in miles per hour, the imaginary distance I’ve traveled. This little assistant can even keep a watch on my heart rate, and the number of calories I am burning. When I set out on my journey each morning, I can set things up so that the bicycle becomes easier or more difficult to “ride” along the way. As the resistance numbers go up, it feels like I am riding uphill, and then, I enjoy the feeling of coasting downhill. With one difference: on a real bicycle, you can actually stop pedaling while coasting. On my stationary machine, the measurements come to a halt when the pedaling stops.
Once I learned how the settings worked, I started trying to ride a total of five miles each day. This took a little bit, as my sleepy legs became accustomed to moving so quickly. After a few weeks, the five miles became doable, so I thought about how long it was taking, and watched the timer. Five miles in twenty minutes means that each mile takes about four minutes. So, I learned to watch the distance and the time to be sure they stayed in sync with the miles per hour. Now, I was really rolling my marbles. Even using those math skills my teachers once told me would come in handy.
So, what does all of this have to do with gravy? I have heard people describe their day to day life this way: “I work hard to get what I need, and then the rest is just gravy.” It’s the sauce on the top that is not necessary, probably not nutritious, but oh, doesn’t it add a wonderful flavor to life.
Little by little, I have increased my daily goal. I now work hard to ride for thirty minutes and try to “travel” seven and a half miles before I relax. The rest is just gravy.
Along with exercise, my quest to become healthier has included changing my eating habits. I joined a popular group that has used the science of nutrition and being mindful about eating to help reduce another number; the one that shows up between my feet when I stand on the bathroom scale. Over the past year and a half, I’ve gotten halfway to the goal I set for myself, and it literally feels very good.
This program encourages rewards as the participants reach milestones along the way. They suggest a non-food reward, like going to a movie or spending time with someone you haven’t seen in a while. I say, why wait to do those things? My reward usually involves treating myself to one of the foods I have been denying myself. That seems more satisfying.
So, at ten pounds down, I opened a box of Girl Scout cookies that I had saved in the freezer. At twenty, it was a real live greasy cheeseburger. For thirty, I enjoyed the pizza my family was eating, instead of sitting in the corner with a healthy salad. Forty was a stack of pancakes with lots of butter and syrup. The fiftieth celebration coincided with Mother’s Day, so it was pizza once again, at a Hot Springs eatery with a fun patio, and ice cream in a Bathhouse Row favorite shop for dessert. Don’t worry, after the reward, the next meal or snack totally returns to the “program” again.
As St. Paul put it- (loosely quoted): I have not attained my goal. I am still pressing toward the mark. And when I get there- Mmmm. Gravy.
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