The dietary program has been intense, taking up about 12-14 hours a day, but I’ve still found time to write. Yesterday I wrote another chapter in the Chef Station Murder, which I’m quite pleased with. This brought a realization this morning.

In the past, if I were pleased with something i’d written, I worried that it wasn’t that good and I was just unfairly biased toward it. If I didn’t like it, I had trouble writing anything else. Now I look at my own joy or sorrow at what I write as completely unimportant. On any given day what I think is influenced by such things as how good my morning tea was and whether I have exciting plans or have to do laundry that day.

More important, I know that other people are also little weather vanes and their opinion doesn’t matter all that much either. (Though sometimes their advice is very welcome.) Writing is very much a matter of showing up, doing my best, editing to the extent needed by that piece (without being caught in the editing trap), and moving on. Rinse, repeat, every day.

The diet turns out to be similar. Show up, eat my best, and don’t worry day to day about the weight or blood pressure. I’m enjoying the food, but it’s not stimulating enough to cause me to overeat. Though last night’s Asian Tofu Bowl with Ginger Sauce was pretty amazing. I had to stop myself from eating beyond fullness. So I’ll limit that meal to special occasions in the future.

We had our first meeting with the personal trainer yesterday and he gave us a goal of brisk walking 30 minutes a day, the McGill 3 Back Exercises, and an optional Plank Challenge. He assigned the beginner’s version, which tops out at a 2-minute plank after thirty days. He helped move this challenge up or down for those that needed something slightly different.

Hope life is treating you well. I’m off to do a plank!

Be well friends!