The NEW IMPROVED Tucson Diet!
My friend Jennie and I went to an early dinner last night at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate the end of 2009. By all signs, 2009 was not the best year. We both bogged down in all the economic jargon, the poor real estate market, the March dive of the stock market, the rhetoric of another “Great Depresssion,” and the profound sadness of people losing homes while we worked harder to try and accomplish loan modifications and/or short sales.
What better way to drown these sorrows than in a huge baked potato swimming in sour cream and butter? And a little steak as a side dish. It signified the year…soft, mushy, without much substance, but full of caloric content with which to burden us further (with fat).
After that metaphor, I looked to 2010…the new year, the new decade, the new moon, the blue moon. What could be more prophetic of a fabulous new year? And so I count my blessings, of which there is an abundance, and write in my gratitude journal every morning, so grateful I live here.
How fortunate I am to live in beautiful Tucson, Arizona. For anyone with resolutions, this is the place to be! The temperature today is in the low 70’s, sunny, warm, perfect weather for a great hike into the Tucson Mountains or any surrounding trail. Perhaps a trip to Sabino Canyon is in order, or a ride up the Catalina Highway to 8,000 feet above sea level into the pines and perhaps a bit of snow to Mount Lemmon. Or take the children for a beautiful day at Sonora Desert Museum and marvel at all the life which abounds in the here in the desert.
Of course many people resolve during the new year to get fit, to loose weight, to become less sedentary… and if that is on your agenda, Tucson is your place! The city has lots of walkways which are flat and many have rest benches along the pathway. I have heard people say they were never so healthy as when they lived in Tucson!
The vitamin D is abundant…necessary for strong bones…and Tucson is a bike friendly city. In fact, Lance Armstrong was just here with his team practicing…and we are home to the internationally famous El Tour de Tucson. There are lots of three wheelers out there which provide better exercise than a golf cart and recumbent bikes are becoming more popular.
So making the calculation of 3500 calories equals one pound, I figure I could loose 50 pounds this year if I use Tucson’s natural resources and walk one hour a day…up and down the Greasewood path or wherever, all while enjoying the changing scenery from winter, spring, summer, and fall.
I could start a new diet called “Move to Tucson and Loose 50 pounds in a year!” Just follow these easy directions … “and wait…there’s more! Sunshine included at no cost to you! Beautiful mountain views and if you act now, we’ll even give you better health and flexibility!” Now who could go wrong with that?
So long 2009! So long baked potato swimming with sour cream and butter…Hello 2010! I welcome you with open arms and gratitude! And now, I bid adieu to see what’s new along the Greaswood path, soak up some Vitamin D, and get rid of at least 300 calories of that decadent baked potato!