Am I Ready?

Today has been full of challenges: got up late (but got to meeting on time), got invited to two different lunches after the meeting - could only accept one (got there late, they were serving dessert), the muffler came off my van (boy is it loud now!), the weather was iffy... it was snowing when I woke up but not sticking as the ground was too wet from all the rain but just before dark we got it all - rain - sleet - hail - snow - all at once!!!  I've been in since then.  I feel horribly achy.  There is so much to do tomorrow - soon as businesses open up.  I have a doctor appointment too.  I'm so not sure about transportation now. Am I ready to push myself to start up on the gazelle again? It's been a good month (got sick 10/11/10 and haven't been on it since then) so I know it won't be much fun but will be a lot of work, even if just for 2 minutes!!!  Don't know if I can do it!

I'm back! (again)

WOW!  So long since my last posting here!


Sorry about that - but I did get really sick - totally out of commission for about 3 weeks - and even now still just getting back into the routine of things.


By Monday I should be back to my gazelle in the mornings.  One benefit of being so sick is that it seems to have caused changes to my eating habits.  When I was sickest I lived on soups and teas 24/7.  It's been hard getting back to more normal fare - seems that a lot foods just don't settle well anymore.  The positive side of that is that I'm eating much healthier these days!  That in turn (and probably combined with the long illness) has taken me down a few pounds... about 15 so far, or since a month ago, which is not bad! :)


I'll do an update on my 100# challenge later - maybe around the 20th or so. ;-)

Power of TEN

Today is the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10 year in this century!


There could be so many interesting things about this, but as it relates to my goal of losing weight about the only thing I can come up with is that I've lost ten/tenths of a pound (or 1#) this last week.  LOL


I love numbers though and will always find dates with interesting correlations in their numbers a fascinating study.  Sometimes something comes from it; most times it's nothing. Just numbers. :)


Since there are many things in my life that happen "in threes" this number holds interest because 10 is repeated 3 times.  Nothing special happened in my life today, or even at 10:10 this morning - though 5 tens does absolutely nothing to excite my passion with numbers.  ;-)


Hope you've had a good day!

Some sort of progress

Fall has arrived!  One big difference between living up north versus living down south is the fall colors.  Sure, you'll find some color down south, for a short spell during the fall months; but up north you'll find gorgeous displays of autumn hues for weeks and weeks all around you! :)  It's one of my favorite seasons!


On the 100# goal ~ well, I'm not giving up!  I'm greatly disappointed in my lack of success since the first week but I keep working on ways around it or through it!


The latest of which is creating a schedule - of sorts - something that becomes a basic routine but that must have great flexibility to meet the often unexpected and rapidly changing events in my daily life.


Little by little I'm finding it.


For 8 of the last 9 days I've managed to take an ACCESS bar (very yummy, btw) and 15 or so minutes later spend an increasing number of minutes on my gazelle!  Quite literally the first day I could only manage about 50 strides before feeling wiped out.  Now I'm doing a few hundred; not counting them so much as going for longer without watching the clock.  I note the time when I get on and don't look again until I get off.  I get off when I get that winded and wiped out feeling.  Today I managed 6 minutes!  I do a lot of alternating in speed... starting out with long, slow strides stretching as far as I can, then gradually increase the speed and shorten the stride a bit, then slow it down again and lengthen the stride some too, then speed it up, slow it down... went up and down like that about 3 rounds, or maybe it was 4 today.


Each morning my goal is to do this before getting started with much else.  Twice I was later in getting to it but still got in it before noon.  One day I missed completely.  


I'm looking at this like the SPARK book says; it's a habit to develop, one change at a time.  I've done the FAST BREAK before (a few times) but I guess I'm doing it again.


Usually, in the 15-20 minutes from eating the ACCESS bar to starting on the gazelle I will go over my scripture for the day and meditate on it while exercising.

Still at it - sort of

What a time it's been - way back in July since I updated this blog!


So much was going on that it was impossible to get enough time online to be here. :(  A lot of my time was spent caring for a new-mama cat and her 3 kittens who became sickly.... hundreds of dollars and several vet visits later we had to realize there was nothing more we could do.... sadly we lost them all. :(  It seems so futile!  One of things I truly despise about this whole system of things we live in today!  I so long for the day when the True God will straighten all things out and make them again like he purposed them to be: no more sickness for anyone, man or beast; no more pain; no more sorrow; no more death!  


Anyway, on the weight loss front - hmmm, haven't even stepped on the scale in a few weeks.  So first point of order is to do that Monday and get back on track with the weigh-ins.  Second point would be work on eating less processed foods - which I've been having far too much of the last month or so.  But traveling times are done with for this year... so much easier to not eat out when you stay home! :)  And third point to work with is getting into a routine of exercise again.  


Why is it that when we KNOW what we need to do and we know WHY we need to do them, we STILL get so caught up caring for others that we FAIL to care for ourselves and do what is needed for us to stay well or healthy or to even regain that?!?!?!?!?  It's so frustrating!!!
Perhaps - just for a while - I need to consider this:
Do unto myself as I would want to do unto others - or something like that. ;-)


What I mean is this: I should do for me the sorts of things I'd be doing for others.  Instead of caring for someone else's needs I should care for my own first.  hmmm


But that seems so selfish!  Doesn't it?


All my life I've 'done unto others as I would have them do unto me' and I've done things for others before tending to what I need for me.


How does one change such an ingrained process?


I don't rightly know - yet - but one thing I'm going to do is this...


PRAY 


Yup, you heard me!  PRAY


Prayer, for me, is so powerful!  When I don't know what's right to do I pray to the supreme being of the universe, the one who knows all things, to guide me in doing what's best for the moment.  Never has prayer failed to help me!  Never has the True God failed to care for me in the most complete way.  It's just that I'm stubborn enough at times to not see the sense in something and so I chose a different way.  Well, I must humble myself in this matter - because I've tried numerous ways to lose weight, to stick to a plan for better health, to make needed changes... and I'm still here with 100+ pounds to lose!


You do know, with God all things are possible! :)

Disappointed

It's my own fault really, but I am nonetheless disappointed.  I've regained my loss from the first week in this journey and actually added 2 pounds.  :(  But a whole has been going on and I've been terrible at tracking my food, drinking enough water, and exercising - plus I've gone on a short trip out of town (and don't you always gain weight then?) - so this isn't exactly unexpected.


Like I said - I'm Disappointed.

Not a bad start!

Tuesday was a fairly good day... got in some walking but forgot to carry the pedometer; managed to eat 75% whole foods but had a fast food meal (which was probably over half my calories for the day - good thing most of my other foods for the day were fresh veggies and very low cal).


I'm fighting a fibro flare so everything is taking longer.  Big weekend is planned so I really need to pace myself better.


Still keeping my goal in mind from time to time. :)


Today is going to be busy - shopping to do, packing to start, phone calls to make, and a house to get clean, plus catching up all the laundry.  I'll be eating only at home today so at least sticking to my plan should be easy.

Monday! A week so far

Week 1 and I'm down 3.7 pounds!!!  WOO HOO!!!


That is way more than I expected but what a great boost!  This has been a challenging week in lots of ways that have nothing to do with losing weight.  I was sure any loss would be meager at best because I've not been able to even get on the gazelle, I have had 'fast food' a few times, and even at home I've eaten more of foods I know I should keep to a minimum.  I will not say "avoid" because what I'm doing isn't about deprivation, it's about changing my life, having a new lifestyle!  So, if I want something high fat, decadently sweet, or fulls of preservatives and other non-food additives that are more and more being found out to add on the pounds, then I will have it ~ but the key is in having a smaller amount of it.  The key is to have just enough to satisfy but no more than that.


The only thing I can say that I have done every day this last week is this:


I have, at least once each day, actually thought about what I did or was doing that day to stick to my goal of losing 2 pounds per week.  


So I believe keeping a conscious level of thought about your goals throughout your waking hours is an important step to meeting those goals.

Days 5 & 6

Life has been hectic and crazy since storms moved in back on Wednesday.  A few tornadoes and some flooding later and we're all fine.  Power is staying on; phones are finally working again; and I've done my best to eat healthy and avoid the junk.


There are many reasons why I could have completely failed at keeping to my plan for losing weight during these last few days but I'm too exhausted to expand on that right now.  I feel I've done well.  


Tomorrow we shall see what the scale says... will I make the 2 pounds? or come short?

Day 3 and Day 4

With storms and tornadoes, power outages and phones out too, these two days have been full of challenges!


Right now I can't even think what I did yesterday, but today I ate 90% fresh, whole, organic foods prepared lightly at home!  :)  I had lots of water and tea too!  Exercise was more on the "clean-up" line as we had much to do after the storms finally ended and the sun rose again.

Day 2

Didn't do too bad yesterday - 50% raw, organic veggies & at least 64 ounces of water.  Still working on the exercise thing - too much pain yet. :(


So far today... started out good... but then had a bit of fast food and not feeling too well since then.


But I have a meeting tonight that I won't miss just from a mild tummy ache.  So, dinner will be all raw veggies... and more water, only had about 40 ounces so far.

Goals - 365 days from now!

GOALS - 365 days from now!


Everyone makes goals!  From time to time each of us may actually achieve our goals... at least some of them.  This is one I want to achieve and will be taking steps & making changes to insure that it is met on time!


365 DAYS FROM NOW I want to be 100+ pounds lighter!  :)


HUGE GOAL!!!


I have set it before - and failed - more than once! :(


But many things have changed in my life recently and a few more changes are coming up very soon; so now's maybe the best time ever to try this again, but this time, with success!!!


I'm joining some new groups on SparkPeople in hopes of finding inspiration to stay focused this time around.


As with all goals, especially big or long-term goals, it's best to break it down into smaller goals that set up the track you're on so the end result is the big goal being met on time. 


365 days = 1 year = 12 months = 52 weeks
So allowing for a little slack I need to lose about 2 pounds (1.9 to be precise) each week to meet my goal!


Starting from
July 12
to July 18 (lose 2)
July 25 (2; total 4)
Aug 1 (2; total 6)
Aug 8 (2; total 8)
Aug 15 (2; total 10)
Aug 22 (2; total 12)
Aug 29 (2; total 14)
Sep - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 22
Oct - 5 Sundays @ 2 each = 10; total 32
Nov - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 40
Dec - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 48
Jan - 5 Sundays @ 2 each = 10; total 58
Feb - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 66
Mar - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 74
Apr - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 82
May - 5 Sundays @ 2 each = 10; total 92
Jun - 4 Sundays @ 2 each = 8; total 100
Jul 3 - 2; total 102
Jul 10 - 2; total 104


That would get down by 100 or more pounds within 365 days!


Now to STICK to it!

For the past 18 days I've been tracking all my food and drink on SparkPeople.  I've also been logging all my activity and checking off on various daily, weekly, and monthly goals.  


This has, in the past, always been something I fall short in and it seems, until now, could only manage a few days, never even a full week.  So going 18 days is GREAT!!!


At this point it's not even going to matter if there's any loss on the scale next time I weigh in ~ the consistency in doing these positive things will eventually result in great losses in weight and great gains in health!


Somewhere in the backwoods of my woodsy brain there is a notion that if I don't take care of myself, my own physical body, then the care I give to my spiritual body can not benefit me to the full.  Jehovah gives us so much; taking good care of what he gives us is the LEAST we can do.  :)


I think I'm finally getting it right - it's OK to take care of ME first!

All My Earthly Best and SparkPeople

This is the first post in documenting a journey of losing weight and regaining health and how it impacts the lives affected by it all.  At some point there will be pics.  There is just so much going on right now I'm not sure when I'll get around to adding them.  To date, I've already lost 33 pounds... in roughly 33 months - LOL  Not the rate I'm happy with but at least it's a loss!  My partner in this journey is SPARKPEOPLE ~ all the many friends I've met there who cheer me on, encourage me, fill me with info, spark me with fire in motivation and in general help me do what I must do to meet my goals.


Today I am on Day 3 of the 28-Day SPARK program.  A true work in progress; inspired by the newly released book by SPARKPEOPLE founder, Chris Downie: The SPARK!  


If you haven't read it yet, go to SPARKPEOPLE now and click on the link for the book and order it for yourself.  You won't regret it!