Here I am, just a couple of weeks short of the 8^th anniversary of my lap band surgery, or Day One of Living My Life.  I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and then 30 minutes strength training, and, as I got up off the floor just using my legs (look Ma, no hands...) I thought to myself…..  “Self, should I continue congratulating ME every time I get up from the floor in one fluid motion using core and leg power?  Then, as we added more weight to my chest presses I wondered again if I should have a party because I was getting stronger?  Then my obviously, endorphin driven positive attitude shifted to the Dark Side and I thought, well this is just normal.  I am getting excited over JUST doing what anyone else has always been able to do.” After arguing for a moment with my obviously very split personality I began to muse on what is normal, first out loud to my personalities (ha) and then inside my head so I could write about my musings later….

Well, it’s later so here goes:

Definitions of Normal:

conforming to the standard or the common type;

usual;

not abnormal;

regular;

natural

My favorite definition of normal is definitely not abnormal.  That tells me so much.  Excluding that one, let’s go down the list and see how my accomplishments stack up to what is normal:

Conforming to the standard or the type - Going to the gym 5 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes working out.  That conforms to my standard and is common for me.  How about the rest of the world?

Usual - Once again, 5 days a week at the gym, getting up off the floor using legs and core only and increasing weight periodically are usual for me the last 5 years.

Regular - Ditto to this

Natural - Aha…finally, something to think about.  While my 5 days a week at the gym, and my progression from swimming one lap to swimming for an hour, and making it for 2 minutes on the elliptical to 30 is natural for me now, it wasn’t always. 

To sum up all of the above, I have made exercise at least 5 days a week my, usual, regular, natural, standard behavior.  So, I guess we can say that getting up off the floor using my legs and core instead of my hands and knees and back is standard or common behavior, as is increasing the weight I lift on a periodic basis.  That is what is NORMAL for me.  But then, celebrating what I CAN do is also normal.

Now let’s examine food and food choices.  Mother’s Day it was cold and foggy at the beach so I wanted to have lunch in a sunny spot.  We chose the beautiful little town of Ojai, just a 20 minute drive away, and a restaurant that makes the best, home made, from scratch strawberry shortcake in the entire universe.  Is it normal (standard, common) for me to want and eat strawberry shortcake every day?  NOPE.  Definitely an exception.  Did I have it?  You bet!  I was only able to consume about 1/3 of it so I shared.  What did I have for lunch before that?  Just two forkfuls of my husband’s lunch.  I saved my calories and my stomach capacity for dessert.  Is this NORMAL?  Some of it is, and some isn’t.  My post lap band normal always includes being mindful of what and how much I am eating, both calorie and protein wise.  To that end, skipping lunch for dessert was NORMAL behavior.  It was part of my plan for that meal.  However, not having at least 15-20 grams of protein for lunch was not. 

Enough, I am confusing myself.  The point here is simple.  I have had a weight loss surgery.  I have made choices about how I will live my life and created my own balance.  I don’t do triathlons, nor do I go to the gym only on good days.  I don’t eat 1200 - 1500 calories per day, 70% protein, the rest fruit, veggies or grains all of the time.  Well the strawberries were fruit, right?  I strive to make good eating habits my normal, but again I have created my own balance. 

This is what is normal for me.  This is what works in MY life.  It is MY journey, it is not anyone else’s.  What’s normal for you?