Metamorphosis
of a Couch Potato
Karen Atkinson | EIRTA Branch President, ARTA Board of Directors
Change is said to be the only constant.
How sad that oxymoron states the truth.
Often, though we try to hold a moment,
It passes and a vital chance is lost.
I wrote those words as part of a poem when big
changes were happening in my career. It seems to
remain an appropriate commentary. Change comes
often and in many forms. I have experienced many
changes over the past year. Let’s start with the most
obvious — weight loss.
For far too long I had allowed myself to become
sedentary in my ways. I love food. So that
combination, combined with no self-control and
a spiralling loss of any semblance of self-esteem,
ended up with a fat person — me. I reached
a point where I became frightened that my
health was being seriously threatened. I knew
I had to make a change for myself — no one
could make it happen for me.
So, I joined a popular program promoting
healthy habits in eating, fi tness, and mindset
(using the online program); started using my
treadmill again; started looking for something
to give me incentive; started hoping I was not
too late.
The journey began in April of 2019. As of this
writing (January 2020), I have lost more than
eighty-fi ve pounds. As the weight came off , it
became easier to fi nd and maintain motivation. I
had to go shopping for clothes that fi t a smaller me,
which I still fi nd surprising. Going from a size 22 to
a ‘medium’ — how is that possible?
Every week, the weigh-in proved that things
were working. I felt better. I smiled more. I no
longer feared the spectre of high blood pressure or
weight-related diabetes. I could climb stairs without
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pausing or gasping for breath.
I embrace this change as it is
totally positive. I continue to
work to improve my health and fi tness,
adding bits to my ‘home gym.’ I recently purchased an
exercise bike and a mini-stepper, and am shopping for
additions to my collection of weights.
My life has changed in other ways over the last few
years. My eldest child — a son — was experiencing
diffi culties that led to him being unable to fi nd a
job. He lived in my basement for several years. That
created many confl icts around money, shared space,
independence, and his loss of self-esteem. Finally in