My heart is sad today. We lost a dear friend a few days ago. He died of a heart attack. I’m sad to say that he was younger than me.

February is Heart Health Awareness Month. Did you know that one of the leading causes of death among women in America is heart disease? I was stunned when I heard that fact recently on the news. It was one of those moments in time when I began recalling women in my life who faced heart health challenges and it created a bit of discomfort in my mind. So where do I go from those uneasy thoughts??? And now the loss of friend due to heart health issues.

Those thoughts… led to a bit of reflection on my current lifestyle, eating habits, and a mental checklist of progress since LAST February when I began my weight loss journey.

In February of 2023, I was unhappy with my weight and just in general, how I was feeling. Both of our eating habits had deteriorated into a fast-paced lunch without a lot of thought into what we ate. We were grabbing whatever was convenient and easy, not necessarily healthy. Planning meals or even thinking ahead about what we should eat… well, that simply did not happen. Change had to happen and it finally did!

Change and progress has been slow but steady. To date, I have lost and kept off consistently 36 pounds, which I’ll consider as success! I realize that I still have a few more goals left to accomplish, so my work is not done yet.

My eye doctor always jokes around with me about A-G-E disease… we both laugh and nod about how much AGE can impact our eyes. I bet that if we really think about it, A-G-E disease can be applied elsewhere.

That being said, AGE can slowly creep upon you, whether we realize it’s happening or not, and changes are inevitable… the body IS changing with age. That’s not revolutionary, that’s just simple science.

Unhealthy eating habits and patterns can impact health. These factors combined CAN influence our overall physical health and wellbeing. Heart health and establishing healthy eating habits go hand and hand.

Listed below are FIVE key takeaways that I have learned from my weight loss journey which have served me well in the last year. I hope that these tips will inspire you to keep working towards good heart health, consistent weight management, and overall better wellbeing in 2024.

1. Find your willpower. Weight loss is not easy and it takes considerable effort and dedication to make it happen. The weight loss curve is not a true downhill line. Mine has been full of zips and zags along the way. Be consistent and keep going strong, your heart will thank you!

2. Eating in a calorie deficit was an adjustment and an eye opener!!! I had no idea how many calories I was consuming daily until I started managing my intake at each meal. It was surprising and shocking! 😳 Enough said!

3. You can eat anything within reason, when you think about portion size AND as long as you plan ahead… example… if you eat lunch at a restaurant with friends, plan to eat light at your evening meal. Choosing to focus on filling foods (green foods – those with a high water content),eat a balance of protein, and eat the rainbow of colors (thinking about colors of vegetables/fruits) have been helpful to me.

Many people think it’s expensive to be on a diet and buy food for that “diet plan” … BUT, when you shop differently, there are simply things you don’t put in your shopping cart anymore, which could make a difference in your shopping habits and overall savings! If you are shopping around for the best app or diet plan to try, pick one that best suits your needs and lifestyle… Making sure to look at the overall long term impact.

My personal experience taught me that eating more vegetables and smaller amounts of meat was helpful. I don’t exclude anything from my diet but, I do try to honor a cravings, while make wiser choices when it comes to food choices, staying away from empty calories. AND you can eat well and on a budget by shopping around for the best deals on fruits and veggies! We love Aldi and Food Lion locally here.

4. Just Keep moving! Keeping up a vigorous exercise routine might be great, but most of us don’t have the time for it. Consistent movement each day… that is the key!!! Just keep on moving and going. Monitor your steps and add try to add a few steps more each day. You might be surprised how many steps you can get in just by cleaning the house, running errands, etc.

5. Drink plenty of water. It helps!!! Reduce your sugary drink consumption… You will quickly notice the difference in how you feel and your heart will appreciate it too!

My motivation was simple. I didn’t like how my weight was making me feel physically. Being overweight can create heart health issues, higher cholesterol, diabetes, and a host of other problems. I didn’t want any of those health concerns coming into play in my life anytime soon. So I decided to take action. I know my numbers… I had my yearly check up this month so I’m familiar with my current progress and what I need to do in regard to my numbers… blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. It’s a balancing act of all of these things… managing your numbers, weight and stress. Do I do that well enough??? Well… that’s a work in progress but the effort is there.

In closing, I’m sharing a few tips directly from the American Heart Association to GO RED Campaign for women which can apply to anyone who wants to be Heart Healthy.

• G: GET YOUR NUMBERS – Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.

• O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE – Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise, and eat healthy.

• R: REALIZE YOUR RISK – We think it won’t happen to us, but heart disease kills 1 in 3 women.

• E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY – Make healthy food choices for you & your family and stay active.

• D: DON’T BE SILENT – Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined! The more we know about our heart health, action can occur and prevention strategies can be developed.

I’ve decided to not be silent. I’m sharing a small portion of my journey with you and my hope is that you can take away something from my own personal experience to help you or someone else who might benefit from this.

I’ll often draft/edit a blog post and leave them in editing mode… I had honestly thought about pushing this one off for a while. But after the events of last week, I changed my mind. It is never too late to start a new chapter in life. Here’s to being Heart Healthy and having Happy Hearts in 2024!