The positives:
1. My feet are feeling a fraction better: the combination of regular stretching, physical therapy exercises and proper footwear seem to be helping. Very hopeful I'll be able to start regular walking in the evening next week.
2. Dr. Pepper cravings are waning: flavored sparkling water is a decent substitute, I'm down to one or two a week!
3. Energy up: while my weight is neither up nor down, my energy level is much better. Again, hopeful that will continue with regular good sleep and moderate activity and will translate into loss eventually.
Looking forward to the weekend with a feeling of accomplishment.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Stretching
One of the challenges I face with a physical transformation is the limitation on my activity. Specifically, I have plantar fasciitis in both feet and achilles tendonitis in my right foot. I have physical therapy exercises to help them get better....it's a slow go.
Between the stretches, heel drops and mega kegels - and ICE - should be able to get this under control in 6-8 weeks. And having less pain in my feet definitely makes it easier to get up and get active.
Between the stretches, heel drops and mega kegels - and ICE - should be able to get this under control in 6-8 weeks. And having less pain in my feet definitely makes it easier to get up and get active.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Cross fit?
A dear friend and former co-worker is working on getting her coaching certification for Cross Fit. She got into it about a year and a half ago and the transformation - fitness, energy, mental outlook - is absolutely astonishing.
I love the idea of cross fit, but I put a lot of barriers in my way of actually doing it. "I'm not fit enough, need to get my tendonitis under control, lack of childcare"....blah, blah, blah....what it really comes down to is that, as my husband pointed out yesterday, I'm lazy.
Well, several of the "barriers" have been removed, enough so that I believe I'll be trying it out to determine if it's a good fit for me. It should be - I love to weight train and the workouts are short enough and varied enough that I won't get bored.
In any event, excited by the opportunity and curious how it will manifest.
I love the idea of cross fit, but I put a lot of barriers in my way of actually doing it. "I'm not fit enough, need to get my tendonitis under control, lack of childcare"....blah, blah, blah....what it really comes down to is that, as my husband pointed out yesterday, I'm lazy.
Well, several of the "barriers" have been removed, enough so that I believe I'll be trying it out to determine if it's a good fit for me. It should be - I love to weight train and the workouts are short enough and varied enough that I won't get bored.
In any event, excited by the opportunity and curious how it will manifest.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Making progress
The past two days have been interesting. Have lost a few more pounds, almost back down to my lowest weight posted here. No breakfast and haven't had time for lunch, so I end up eating a really early dinner and not late snack or a late lunch and light dinner. Either way, it's not a bad thing.
Got quite a bit of exercise playing tug of war with 12 yr olds today - wonder if that's in the MyFitness exercise list?
Got quite a bit of exercise playing tug of war with 12 yr olds today - wonder if that's in the MyFitness exercise list?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Still avoiding
Frankly, am still off the wagon. Weighed in yesterday and didn't post, it was too embarassing.
I'm caught in a bit of a circle right now and trying to find my way out. The overeating is way out of control, I'm not making good food choices and my emotions are all over the boards. Guess that's my clue, if I needed one. I'm definitely an emotional eater and when my defenses are low, I turn to food to fill the gap.
Still not going to beat myself up, just going to figure out how to break the cycle and move forward.
I'm caught in a bit of a circle right now and trying to find my way out. The overeating is way out of control, I'm not making good food choices and my emotions are all over the boards. Guess that's my clue, if I needed one. I'm definitely an emotional eater and when my defenses are low, I turn to food to fill the gap.
Still not going to beat myself up, just going to figure out how to break the cycle and move forward.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Avoidance
Fell off plan this weekend.
Friday = couldn't keep hunger in check, and had decidedly low willpower to pull through the cravings. Probably exceeded my calorie goal for the entire weekend in one day.
Saturday = identified that I don't deal well with big changes to my routine, at least when it comes to planning for a nutritious day. Moved furniture from 7 am - noon, then napped. Snacked the entire day.
Today = getting back on track, so I can feel comfortable weighing in tomorrow.
Have avoided the scale for two days because I don't have a good feeling about what it will show.
The biggest difference in this experience compared to other's (no, this is not the first time I've been derailed while on a weight loss plan) is that I'm not beating myself up over it and feeling like I've failed. I got off track and today I'm back on track. That's all.
Friday = couldn't keep hunger in check, and had decidedly low willpower to pull through the cravings. Probably exceeded my calorie goal for the entire weekend in one day.
Saturday = identified that I don't deal well with big changes to my routine, at least when it comes to planning for a nutritious day. Moved furniture from 7 am - noon, then napped. Snacked the entire day.
Today = getting back on track, so I can feel comfortable weighing in tomorrow.
Have avoided the scale for two days because I don't have a good feeling about what it will show.
The biggest difference in this experience compared to other's (no, this is not the first time I've been derailed while on a weight loss plan) is that I'm not beating myself up over it and feeling like I've failed. I got off track and today I'm back on track. That's all.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Plateau
Hit my first plateau today and it's kind of a relief to have it out of the way. No loss, barely-worth-mentioning gain.
Had a mini-win in another area. I tend to be a bit of a helicopter parent, so I'm working not being so emotionally invested in my son's successes and (potential) failures. Fixing issues is a natural bent for me. I see a colon when it should be a semi-colon, it's natural to fix. But when you're helping your child, you want to coach them to see it and fix it themselves - it's the whole teach a man to fish and he'll be able to feed himself the rest of his life thing.
My 6th grader had a big history project due earlier this week that of course he had procrastinated on completing. Seeing the crash and burn, I encouraged him to put an action plan in place, i.e., Tues write two paragraphs, Weds write two paragraphs, Thurs edit rough draft, etc. The night before he turned everything, I still wasn't satisfied with the effort put forth. However, he was sure that he had done B+/A- work, at a minimum.
Yesterday, he was bursting with pride as he told me he got an A+!
In that moment, I was able to let go just a bit more; to accept that although he won't always make the best choices, his successes are his own and his pride in a job well-done will be far more rewarding if he knows he completed the effort without mom coming in and fixing punctuation and spelling errors behind him. Just as he'll learn more if he'd failed and had to own that situation and the consequences.
My proud mom moment wasn't that he got the A+ - it was that he was proud of himself for doing the work and achieving success. If in his life he generates his own happiness, his own sense of accomplishment and doesn't have to rely on others for those feelings, that's all I could hope for.
Had a mini-win in another area. I tend to be a bit of a helicopter parent, so I'm working not being so emotionally invested in my son's successes and (potential) failures. Fixing issues is a natural bent for me. I see a colon when it should be a semi-colon, it's natural to fix. But when you're helping your child, you want to coach them to see it and fix it themselves - it's the whole teach a man to fish and he'll be able to feed himself the rest of his life thing.
My 6th grader had a big history project due earlier this week that of course he had procrastinated on completing. Seeing the crash and burn, I encouraged him to put an action plan in place, i.e., Tues write two paragraphs, Weds write two paragraphs, Thurs edit rough draft, etc. The night before he turned everything, I still wasn't satisfied with the effort put forth. However, he was sure that he had done B+/A- work, at a minimum.
Yesterday, he was bursting with pride as he told me he got an A+!
In that moment, I was able to let go just a bit more; to accept that although he won't always make the best choices, his successes are his own and his pride in a job well-done will be far more rewarding if he knows he completed the effort without mom coming in and fixing punctuation and spelling errors behind him. Just as he'll learn more if he'd failed and had to own that situation and the consequences.
My proud mom moment wasn't that he got the A+ - it was that he was proud of himself for doing the work and achieving success. If in his life he generates his own happiness, his own sense of accomplishment and doesn't have to rely on others for those feelings, that's all I could hope for.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Danger zone
Something about gray, rainy weather induces a desire to sit on the couch, cuddle with a blanket & book and snack. And then snack again. As a matter of fact, I went over my calorie goal yesterday by almost 500 calories. So, I just knew that this morning I'd have either held steady or gained a wee bit of weight back.
See, I know it's not a great idea to weigh in daily - you naturally have ups and downs on a day to day basis, due to water retention or whatever, and have to be able to accept if you go up a bit one day. But I do it because even that little bit of weight lost daily keeps this transformation top of mind for me and acts a the motivation I need to keep going.
So knowing that I didn't exercise yesterday AND went over calories, I was bracing myself for the number on the scale. Then I looked, and it was considerably lower.
That's the danger zone.
It always happens....a couple days in, I'm doing everything right and seeing weight loss. Then I'll slack a little, either not walk or skip the elliptical or have a pudding cup, and still see loss for a few days. I'll start to convince myself that I can slack every day, just a little bit, and it'll be ok. "You did it yesterday and lost a pound, maybe you can do it every day and keep losing the weight!" I start to think, forgetting that thinking that way contributed to me being in this state in the first place.
This time, I'm not convincing myself of anything. I am observing, noting, recording and assessing what I've learned. Because my rational mind knows that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insane, which I certainly am not. Something must change and it doesn't happen tomorrow or next week, it happens today. Today is the day. Always.
See, I know it's not a great idea to weigh in daily - you naturally have ups and downs on a day to day basis, due to water retention or whatever, and have to be able to accept if you go up a bit one day. But I do it because even that little bit of weight lost daily keeps this transformation top of mind for me and acts a the motivation I need to keep going.
So knowing that I didn't exercise yesterday AND went over calories, I was bracing myself for the number on the scale. Then I looked, and it was considerably lower.
That's the danger zone.
It always happens....a couple days in, I'm doing everything right and seeing weight loss. Then I'll slack a little, either not walk or skip the elliptical or have a pudding cup, and still see loss for a few days. I'll start to convince myself that I can slack every day, just a little bit, and it'll be ok. "You did it yesterday and lost a pound, maybe you can do it every day and keep losing the weight!" I start to think, forgetting that thinking that way contributed to me being in this state in the first place.
This time, I'm not convincing myself of anything. I am observing, noting, recording and assessing what I've learned. Because my rational mind knows that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insane, which I certainly am not. Something must change and it doesn't happen tomorrow or next week, it happens today. Today is the day. Always.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Morning vs Evening
Yesterday was a good day.....until 4:30 pm, when the craving monster hit.
Brought my lunch, as per the plan, and waited until after a lunchtime walk to eat it. Surprisingly, there were no cravings for Dr. Pepper in the afternoon, which may have been due to eating later in the day than normal.
At 4:30, I was home and ransacking cupboards for something to inhale. Staved of starvation for a bit, but by 9:45 I was ravenous again.
Lesson learned? Don't eat dinner quite so early or plan to have a snack no later than 7 pm.
My goal weight is so immense I need to break it down into bite size chunks (pun intended). So, my mini-goal for June is 20 lbs lost....it's pretty fast weight loss, but I like stretch goals.
Brought my lunch, as per the plan, and waited until after a lunchtime walk to eat it. Surprisingly, there were no cravings for Dr. Pepper in the afternoon, which may have been due to eating later in the day than normal.
At 4:30, I was home and ransacking cupboards for something to inhale. Staved of starvation for a bit, but by 9:45 I was ravenous again.
Lesson learned? Don't eat dinner quite so early or plan to have a snack no later than 7 pm.
My goal weight is so immense I need to break it down into bite size chunks (pun intended). So, my mini-goal for June is 20 lbs lost....it's pretty fast weight loss, but I like stretch goals.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Week 1 of 4 - Lessons and Goals
Lessons:
1. Just because I don't pack a lunch doesn't mean I won't eat, it just means I'll have to go to a restaurant
2. I crave Dr. Pepper between 1:30 and 3:30 pm
3. Walking is easier if I do it every day rather than once every couple days
Goals for this week:
1. Pack a lunch, even if it's leftovers from dinner the night before
2. Limit soda intake to two a week, total. Bring carbonated water instead to get the bubbles.
3. Walk at least 20 minutes a day, either by going around the block on lunch break or taking the dogs for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood at night.
1. Just because I don't pack a lunch doesn't mean I won't eat, it just means I'll have to go to a restaurant
2. I crave Dr. Pepper between 1:30 and 3:30 pm
3. Walking is easier if I do it every day rather than once every couple days
Goals for this week:
1. Pack a lunch, even if it's leftovers from dinner the night before
2. Limit soda intake to two a week, total. Bring carbonated water instead to get the bubbles.
3. Walk at least 20 minutes a day, either by going around the block on lunch break or taking the dogs for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood at night.
starting with body
I've recently been inspired by a friend and former co-worker who is starting a journey to improve his health and avoid longterm care for diabetes.
In my case, fitness is definitely interwoven with and affected by stress levels, mild depression and managing anxiety. I also have a problem with overeating - I enjoy food, sometimes too much!
That said, I need to see results and soon. So, my transformation will start with what is often the "easiest" change to make - diet and exercise. The easiest bit is a little tongue in cheek because I definitely know changes in that arena are often not easy at all. However, with current circumstances, that is the area that is most controllable and with results, should help me start to manage the mind/spirit piece.
In my case, fitness is definitely interwoven with and affected by stress levels, mild depression and managing anxiety. I also have a problem with overeating - I enjoy food, sometimes too much!
That said, I need to see results and soon. So, my transformation will start with what is often the "easiest" change to make - diet and exercise. The easiest bit is a little tongue in cheek because I definitely know changes in that arena are often not easy at all. However, with current circumstances, that is the area that is most controllable and with results, should help me start to manage the mind/spirit piece.
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