The end; the beginning...

Sunday March 28 marked our last official day as participants in the 12-week Go Red Better U Challenge -- but life goes on.
To get that message across on Friday, the always-benevolent American Heart Association in Indy sent all five of us challengers an incredible edible basket of fruit flowers, along with other motivational goodies -- a large sippie cup for water, (what else do you call it? That's what comes to mind...vocabulary now reduced to a 3-year-old) a pedometer, a squeegie ball and a cool little pin-on button with the single word: START. For 12 weeks, our color has been red; now it's bright apple green. I get it, I get it...
Don't quit; don't make an end: START.
True, we're on our own now: no more trainers at Lifetime, no more cardiology appointments with the wise and amusing Dr.Branyas, no more facial treatments with Dr. Turkle's staff, dietician sessions, etc. etc. etc.
START.
That's really what we did last fall, when we interviewed for and committed to this program. For me, it really was a brand new ballgame. The writing was on the lab results: cholesterol up and weight up. Throw in family history and a total lack of cardio, plus some other bad habits, and I was ready for a change.
The heart association has provided the tools. They got me STARTED.
It's been really rewarding to see results: 9 lbs. weight loss since January, plus numbers that are all in the normal healthy range. IN cardio, I can rev my heart up to 135-140, and I have nothing but improvement to look forward to on that horizon (well, within limits; I am 63, and age does dictate to a certain extent how high I want it to be).
But I know I'm going to continue to lose weight; I know it, because I'm not in a rush this time, just taking it nice and easy.
START it is, every day....and like Dr. B said at that first breakfast, if you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up; just do it right the next day.
START.
Look forward to the future, especially July 5, when the five challengers will reunite. Unitl then...well, you know.