Here I am, staring the half century mark in the face. Which of us will blink first?

Anyway, I’m not actually freaking out about turning fifty years old. I didn’t freak out when I turned thirty, nor when I turned forty. Why should fifty be any different? I do recognize that I’m very fortunate that my body hasn’t started to seriously break down yet, though. I’m heavy enough right now that I could be suffering from severe joint issues, or severe back issues. I don’t. I could also be suffering from heart problems (reports of people having their first heart attack in their 40s are depressingly common), or diabetes, or a multitude of other issues.

Which isn’t to say that I am in very good health. I am overweight, I have asthma, hypertension, and gout. They’re all under control, but I’d love for them to go away without the need for medications; I’d also like to forestall all the other potential issues for as long as possible. I really don’t want to, say, have to replace a knee at a relatively young age.

So, to that end, I’m re-committing myself to getting healthier. I’ve started walking again: 5,000 steps a day for now, with a goal of increasing that to 10,000 at some point. Some day I may even take up running. Unlikely, though, since even at the best of times I’m an awkward runner. The main goal here is not to lose weight, especially since exercise isn’t really a factor in weight loss; rather, I just want to improve my stamina and my Constitution stat.

The other thing I’m planning on doing is just eating better. I signed up for Weight Watchers some time ago, but until recently I haven’t taken it very seriously. They’ve just rekejiggered their plan entirely, and it looks pretty good, though I’ll have to make some changes in how I’ve been approaching it.

Here’s hoping this all sticks this time. There are plenty of things I’d like to be doing — such as snorkeling or SCUBA diving or simply hiking/backpacking — that are just not feasible right now.

None of this is new. I’ve posted about this sort of thing many times. But with this new milestone birthday coming up, I’d like to be able to stick to all of this, without falling to the wayside within a week or so. Will you all help keep me on point?

Hey! Ho! It’s time for Holidailies! HO HO HO!