My 10% Life

I really should write this elsewhere first. I'm afraid I'm going to lose it by accident. However, the words are flowing so the impulse to write outweighs the time it will take to open a new Word doc to begin.

So far on my weight loss journey, I've lost more than 10% of my total body weight. They say that losing just 10% of your body weight can have positive effects on your blood pressure. I would have no idea as I have had beautiful blood pressure my whole life, with the exception of my pregnancies (pre-eclampsia). Let's check that off anyways, shall we?

x Better Blood Pressure

Also, losing 10% of your body weight lowers your cholesterol. Another thing I've never had an issue with.

x Lower Cholesterol

Reducing your weight by 10% also reduces your risk for Type 2 Diabetes. I've always been hypoglycemic, so this has always been a bit of a worry as I aged. So, good for me for doing something!

x reduced Type 2 Diabetes risk

With the 10% loss, you gain energy. Yep! Well, my feet don't hurt all the time. I don't sleep nearly as much and I get more done in a day.

x More Energy

Losing 10% can give you self-confidence and motivation. Yes! I feel better about myself!

x Increase in Self-Confidence

Losing 10% also gives you a reality check as to what it will take to continue your weight loss and lose more weight. Why yes, yes it does! Losing 10% wasn't easy. There were a lot of aches and pains, not to mention frustration with myself that I couldn't do MORE or wimped out earlier than I thought I should. It was hard work! I'm not going to lie about it nor will I beat myself up over it. So, reality check... Check!

x Reality Check

This is where the list I found on the internet ended. However, my life's 10 percents haven't stopped there.

In the last 6 months I've changed how my family eats. We eat 90% healthy and about 10% junk now. Ok, maybe including the move and settling in, it's been more like 85/15 for the last 2 months. But we're settled now and back to our 90/10 routine.

x Healthier eating

I've also taken to making my kids try new foods. They only need to eat 3 bites of the new food, which usually turns out to be 10% of a serving. Also, I apply the same rule to healthy foods they don't like (tomatoes, brussel sprouts, etc). In the process, they have learned that they really do like some of the foods they thought were icky before. (Adults try and retry things they don't like too!) This in turn, not only begins to eliminate picky eating, but increases vitamins and mineral consumption in foods that perhaps they weren't getting enough of before.

x Increased nutrient consumption, less picky eating.

When I'm tired and running low on energy during a workout, I tell myself that I can do just one more, run one fence post farther, give just a tiny bit more. And I do. I feel good about doing it too.

x Give 110%

So, in recap, by improving my life and lifestyle by just 10%, I have better blood pressure, lowered my cholesterol, reduced my risk for type 2 diabetes, gained energy, gained confidence, eat healthier, gained more nutrients from my food, learned how to give 110% and have given myself a reality check to boot!

I'm trying to better my life by 10% at a time. How about you?