Today I woke up, like most other days, in pain and wondering how I would make it through. I have chronic pain, so it would be easy to sit in bed and watch television all day. The problem is that, when you do that, real life passes you by, as it did when I ate my way to 460 pounds and ended up in a bedridden state.

Once bedridden, it was extremely difficult to find a way out of my situation and live again. I had to switch my thinking from what I couldn’t do to what I could do. It took a lot of feeling sorry for myself and grieving my losses to come to that point. I had to realize I could no longer do the things I once did, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything. Then I came back with a renewed spirit.

Giving up my choices is actually about living an unhealthy lifestyle. I was giving up my choices by concentrating on what I couldn’t do. I set myself free by concentrating on what I could do.

So, I couldn’t stand any longer, but I could do chair exercise. I even made up some of my own cardio exercises and strength training after taking physical therapy. At first, even physical therapy had its obstacles. I couldn’t leave the house and I had to fight with insurance to pay for in-home physical therapy. Then there was the fear that it would be the same type of therapy I had always gotten, they would tell me to walk and expect that I could. Not without excruciating pain was that going to happen, and even then, not for very long. Luckily, I won my insurance argument and got in-home physical therapy and I got a therapist who realized I had to build up to walking. She also realized my pain needed to be dealt with.

Is there a law somewhere that a person has to exercise for at least 20 minutes or more to even get the slightest benefit? Nope! According to my therapist and numerous scientific studies, small bouts of fitness add up. Yes, something is always better than nothing. (See that group of people in the photo above? They're my fellow speakers at the SparkPeople Convention in Cincinnati in 2009. They're proof that you CAN do anything!) That's the SparkPeople way!

SparkPeople has a whole team dedicated to seated exercise called The Chair Exercise Team. There is also The ~Indygirl Challenge team that challenges you to make a small healthy change in your life every week, whether you are mobile or not.  Spark ON! is a team dedicated to progress, not perfection. These teams are all easy going motivational "Can Do" teams.

Dieting is another thing I can’t do. What I can do is make healthier choices and cut back at meals and snacks. Foods that make me less hungry, like ones with less sugar/ fat and more protein/ fiber are better. Less packaged meals and more fresh, natural food is better. I can also eat more often in smaller portions, a mini-meal plan. You see, I aim for better, not perfect. I can’t be perfect either. I can be better.

Sometimes people get a very black and white view of fit living. Either you are dieting and exercising or you aren’t. I have a rainbow view. I see all sorts of colors and shades in between in my view. Fit living is very individualized and often includes more than just diet and exercise. What makes one person fit may never work for another. It could be genetics, environment, or just because your lives run in completely different directions.

There is no on or off of fit living. It’s like a winding road with speed bumps, mountains, bridges, detours, vacation spots and a million other things. You are just on the road. Be a positive driver and enjoy the scenery, sing with the radio, have fun with your passengers, and find ways around the obstacles of the road. It’s even okay to stop at the vacation spots here and there.

Don’t give away your freedom to "I can’t." There are far more choices with "I can." If you hit a roadblock, don’t say "I can’t go on until this block ends…" say "What can I do from where I’m sitting now?"

What can YOU do right now?