Of all that’s going on just now with this trying to find fitness – exercising, making healthy choices, etc. – my biggest challenge is breakfast. I have never been a breakfast person. When I was a kid, my frustrated mother tried all manner of creative ways to fix eggs, hoping it would coax me to eat. I was a shy kid with a nervous stomach. What can I say?

But everything I’ve read about a healthy lifestyle says breakfast is crucial. My doctor told me, “You’ve got to break that fast each morning.” And, Leanne Davis, nutritionist at the Wellness Center, says the same. I must eat breakfast.

So, I’ve been making myself eat a bowl of Cheerios with skim milk each morning. Maybe add a few blueberries.

For a change the other day, I decided I would try – once more – to take a liking to oatmeal. I know. It’s good for me. But, I’ve run screaming from it since I was a kid. My grandmother would make it and I loved the way it smelled. I’d take a bite, maybe two, then my gag reflex would kick in and I could do no more. It’s a texture thing, I guess.

A friend told me I might be able to tolerate something called steel cut oats. Quaker now sells them. So, I bought a box at Kroger and decided to give them a whirl. When they were done, I put just a tiny bit of skim milk and a little Splenda. I took a bite. True, the texture was different – more nutty, a bit crunchy. I’ll admit the texture was more palatable. But, it tasted like cardboard. Oh, I’m sure I could have jazzed it up with butter and brown sugar, but that defeats my purpose.

I suppose I’m just not meant to be an eater of oatmeal. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to make the steel cut oats more flavorful without adding lots of fat and calories? I’m open to anything. Until then, I’ll keep enjoying my Cheerios each morning. 

When my alarm clock went off at 6 this morning, I wanted badly to hit the snooze button. I told myself I had all day to go to the Wellness Center. And it was, after all, 13 degrees outside.

But I got up. And I’m glad I did. I walked a mile on the inside track and rode a recumbent bicycle two miles. For some who do much more, that may sound lame. But I was pleased with myself for moving.

At 7:30 I met with Leanne Davis, nutritionist at the Wellness Center. After we’d talked a few minutes, she asked if I wanted to weigh.

Amazingly, my answer was yes. I thought I’d lost 7 or 8 pounds since early December. In truth, I’ve lost 15. I almost cried I was so excited.

I know that won’t happen often, and it shouldn’t. Still and yet, it’s an encouraging start.

Here’s the deal: If I, who love Christmas and all the goodies that go along with it, can make it through the holidays (and enjoy them) and still lose 15 pounds. I can do anything.And so can you. 

Actually, it began a month ago and I did something I never dreamed I could do: I went all the way through the holidays without stuffing myself with fattening goodies. Was I miserable? No, indeed. I found several recipes, which I’ll share soon, for some low-fat, low-sugar cutout sugar cookies and a low-fat apple pie that kept me from eating my dad’s pecan pie or my mom’s Yankee Doodle cookies.

Anyway, welcome to Finding Fitness at 50. Don’t let the name scare you away if you’re much younger than 50 or even a little older. I plan to share with you here healthful eating and exercise tips, a recipe or two from time to time and a lot more. I’ll let you in on the goals I’m setting for myself – small, reachable ones – and the rewards I’m planning on giving myself when I reach each of them. And when I’m frustrated or stymied, I’ll share that, as well. As I wrote in a column that appeared in the Journal today, learning that I was well on the road to a diagnosis of diabetes in early December scared me. And fear can be a powerful motivator. But, it also made me angry – at myself for letting it happen. Then I realized this truth: I can’t go back and redo. I can only move forward.

 And that’s what I intend to do.I hope you’ll join me on this journey, whether you need to lose 10 pounds, 50 pounds, 100 pounds or more. Or even if you just need to exercise a little more or make more healthful food choices.It’s my hope that we can help each other along the way.

Click here for Leslie Criss’ column introducing this feature in the Daily Journal newspaper.