Well...ummm...Here I am again...after 5 months.  But this is how my mind works.  When I decide I want to do something (like lose weight and be healthy and walk daily) it takes me a long time to figure out all the details on how I'm going to do that, what's involved in it and what are the pitfalls I'm up against and how am I going to succeed.  I can't help it - this is the way God created me and my mind.  It's the way I funtion.  Some people don't understand this and try to make me feel guilty for not immediately doing what I want to do.  I don't meet their expectations and so I am chastised and they want me to feel guilty. 

Well...I'm done with feeling guilty for not succeeding and not following through.  It does not mean I wont follow through - it just means I haven't yet.  I'm ok with that.  My brain is still working out all the details - and I am ready for a new start now.  I have a new plan.  It will include the old plan of walking one mile every day for the rest of the year but it's changed just a bit. 

During my "becoming healthy" hiatus, I did become successful at a more important foundational goal.  I am reading the Bible almost every day.  I am reading much more than my goal of 5 minutes per day.  It's awesome!  I actually feel like I have a firm foundation under me now.  That was the most important goal - the foundational one.  God knew what he was doing when he re-directed me and my energies to get my priorities straight. So now that that is a habit - I can move on to the next step in getting my life back on track.

After making the previous commitment to walk a mile a day in 2013 I found that I could not do it.  My legs were not working. I was at the point where I was unable to walk much at all - even normally. I had to go to physical therapy and learn some stretching and strengthening exercises. I'm still not back to normal - but I'm getting there.  I might not be able to walk a mile everyday yet but I can walk some and build up to it.

Here's my new plan.  I'm getting the Samsung Galaxy S4 today.  I am not getting it for this, I'm getting it for other reasons, but it does happen to have a cool gimicky feature called S Health.  I can use it to track steps, feelings, food, and other things.  Once I get the phone I'm going to learn all I can about S Health and see what I can do with it and what I can't.  I'm also thinking about getting the Jawbone Up 

http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6448_7-10014602.html

The thing I like about it is that it will remind me to get up and move after I've been seditary for a certain period of time.  I can set it to remind me every 30 minutes or every hour of being seditary to get up and move. This is a great selling feature for me and why I will chose this device over the S Band from Samsung that works with the phone.  I've been having a hard time remembering or having the desitre to get up every 30 min - 1 hour.  This will work if I commit to obeying it.  That's what I want to do. It's a simple thing in order to be more active and healthy.   It will also track my steps and my sleep pattern among other things. It also keeps track of how much active time I have in my day and how much seditary time and helps me to re-evaluate and make better decisions.

My new goals:
Move every 30 - 60 minutes
Walk daily - 1 mile or work my way up to 1 mile
     Treadmill at aptarment fitness center
     Walk at Home DVDs
     Walk at home while watching tv or movie
     Walking trail around the golf course in apartment complex

I will add a food component to my goals soon.  The new phone with the S Health apps should help with that. If nothing else I can discipline myself to taking a picture of EVERYTHING I eat and drink - to keep track of my food intake and NOT deceive myself.  That will be a start. Eventually I want to track calories and healthiness of the food and drink I'm consuming. And even further along I want to eat the Southbeach way. It makes the most sense to me.

So step number 1:   Buy the Galaxy S4 today after work and maybe the Jawbone Up if they have it at the store, and start becoming familiar with S Health. Tomorrow I'll move on to step 2. 

Days 3 and 4

Day 3 - Oops!   I didn't walk at all. I did however get the Fitbit Zip and wore that all day. Don't have enough steps in yet. I'll get there. I'm kinda scared because my left hip and knee are acting strange. I'm going to walk today but I'll probably just walk and not do all the other movements in the walk at home videos. I don't want to twist something and make it worse. I'm hoping if I walk 1 mile each day and be careful with food intake, I'll lose weight and maybe my knee and hip will get back to normal and then I can do more.

Day 4
I'm finding it hard to walk first thing in the morning. I need to Eat That Frog! Just get it over with in the morning so that it's done and I don't have to worry about it all day.  After it becomes a habit then I will add another mile or some other activity in the evening.  It might be awhile before I am able to do that but it's a goal for the future.

Getting my motivation back.

I've taken 769 steps already today (been sitting all morning so that isn't much.) Yesterday I took 3282 steps - after getting the Fitbit and wearing it.  To get my first badge I need to take 5,000 steps in one day. That sounds really easy - especially if I do the 1 mile walk. :-)    I just found my motivation for today. I am going to see how many steps I get in with the 1 mile walk.  Here I go...

Started the 1 mile walk with 769 steps already showing on my fitbit today.
Ended the 1 mile walk with 2788 steps for the day so far.
That means this particular 1 Mile Walk gives me 2019 steps.
That means if I can do this again this evening (I'm not promising anything) I will get another 2000 steps in before bed. I will probably make the 5,000 needed for my first badge even if I don't walk another mile tonight - but I will burn more calaries if I can do another mile.  If I decide to do it - I want to use a different Leslie Sansone 1 mile walk - the other one I've done is 15 minutes (this one I just did is 20 minutes) and I want to compare the number of steps to see if they are the same or different. Another good motivation for me.  An experiment and research motivates me more than health or losing weight I guess. Not sure why.

For today, another success!   (sticking my tongue out at Ann Marie, my encourager/pusher - and laughing)

Hmmmmm....I just looked at my Fitbit Dashboard again and saw that my daily goal is 10,000 steps.  I guess I better start getting creative and finding a way to get all those steps in every day.  But I still made my goal of 1 mile - so that is a success!!!

Day 2

Day 2 of the one year challenge and I did a different 1 mile Walk At Home video - this one was 20 minutes as opposed to yesterday's 15 minute mile.  I guess the one yesterday is faster because it's a little more intense.  This is the one I did today:  1 Mile Walk

Off to a good start for the year!

2013 Another Start

Well....I've started 2013 off on a positive note.  I've taken the Walk At Home 1 Mile per Day Challenge and I walked a mile today.  I have also purchased the Easy Yoga for Arthritis DVD which I've started working on. The whole thing is too long for me right now, but I'm making some progress - it's a good DVD for stretching and loosening up my body.

How did my body get so stiff in the last year? I have very little movement left.  A year ago I wasn't in so much pain just walking and standing and doing normal daily activities.  Well...that's about to change. I'm tired of these limitations and I aint takin' it no more!  Who says that I can't be in shape and active as I get older?  I'm determined to turn my life around and become active and energized and healthy!

I did the one mile walk today but I wasn't able to do everything - there were times I had to just walk because of limitations, I was unable to do the kick backs and a few of the other moves - but I kept walking for the whole mile. After a couple more days I should be able to do all the movements with Leslie.

I think I'm going to start over and even change the focus for a bit. I'm going to experiment with starting a new habit - see if I can make it a daily habit - before working on the losing weight.  I'm going to put God first in my life. This isn't a purely academic exercise, it's what I hold as the highest value in my life. I need God's guidance in every aspect of my life, so of course I need to put Him first. Putting Him first in my day is symbolic but also get's my day started on the right foot - with my mind centered on Him and His will.

I'm going to start each day spending time with Him, beginning with the Beth Moore Bible study that I'm doing , Breaking Free. When that is finished I will Read one of the books in the Bible - I'll pray about which one to read. I'm sure God has a plan.

So...every morning I will get up and make coffee and feed the cats and do my Bible study - focusing on what God wants me to get out of it, praying and committing my day to Him.  I'm going to have to get up early for this on days I have to go out - like on Thursday and Sunday and any days I have early appointments.

I will make it a point during my time with God in the mornings to ask Him what I should be doing for the day. I would like Him to direct my path and help me to make good decisions. I also want Him to guard my mouth from saying unkind things and from speaking without thinking and saying foolish things.

If I can make this a habit - do it for a week or two then I can try to add exercise to my day and try to make it a habit - right after my time with God.

I tend to want to do everything at once - change all my bad habits and add good ones - all of them at one time. It gets overwhelming and confusing.  I need to set my focus on one thing at a time.

End of week 3

This is the end of week three. I haven't been posting and haven't been exercising - I guess I feel guilty that I haven't been exercising.  Maybe that's why I haven't posted.  I just exercised to Core Rhythms for about 20 - 30 minutes. It's not easy with my knee area feeling stiff. But I did it. I also haven't been exercising because I'm afraid of what's wrong with my body - although I think that once I lose the weight the problems will disappear - but I don't know that for sure.

I have to get serious. Too many women in my family are/were overweight and end up in wheelchairs and using walkers and having multiple physical problems.  I don't want to lose my mobility and I would like to become more active than I am and enjoy life!!!

I have been eating better for the most part. Haven't bought any bread for the house. Buying good snacks (vegy's and hummus and stuff) and haven't bought any ice cream - not even no sugar added klondike bars. That's pretty good. When I had to buy lunch or breakfast out I bought wendy's chili or salads. Made a few bad choices but not many. Don't know if I've been losing weight yet. Dr. Patel asked me not to check the scale until I come back to see him. I haven't done it yet. My appointment with him is in two weeks. So I have two weeks to change get in the habit of exercising and if I do it every day for two weeks then I should lose more weight and maybe inches too.

Almost two weeks

I'm almost at the end of phase one of the South Beach diet. I've done ok even though not perfect. I exercised less than half those days, but at least I did exercise some. I want to begin focusing more on exercise and ramp up the weight loss - molding my body.

I get to buy a bottle of wine tomorrow night and have a glass - to celebrate my two weeks of being on my diet and getting this far. Wine is allowed on phase two. It will be nice to have a glass.

I need to work on my house. Heather came over today and said it's a mess. She's right.
I also want to make book thongs - saw some in the book store today. They look easy to make. Didn't buy any because they were around $6.

Gotta read and try to make myself exercise tonight.

Not such a good day

I wasn't at home to cook food - I was out taking back my glasses and getting another Colleen Coble book, so I stopped at Bob Evans to buy my breakfast and lunch to take with me to work. I got an omelet with broccoli on the side (instead of potatoes) and sourdough bread, and for lunch I got a cobb salad which had bacon and blue cheese and cheddar cheese in it - and it also came with sourdough bread.  I had to admit it but I ate 3/4 slices of bread for breakfast - and threw away the rest - but for dinner I ate all the bread - two slices.  I was frustrated and used the food for comfort. I'm so upset at whoever makes the decision to give people training for LOB. They are letting Debbie get training and she has been there less time than me and E and Barbara but we are not getting training yet. It just isn't fair and I feel passed over - again.

I also didn't walk this morning. I hope I'll dance tonight - watching So You Think You Can Dance right now.

Week number 2 begins

Well...Sunday and Monday (my weekend) I did not exercise at all. I'll have to try to work on that. I did however stay on my diet. I actually cooked steak again - although I think I over cooked it - I don't like blood in my meat.

I walked 20 minutes this morning - Walk at Home DVD. I also did Zumba 20 minutes tonight. This was good. I have to keep it up.

Today

Today I went to the North Habor Club for lunch with Ellen and Doug and 3 of their friends that they used to go to church with. It was nice to get out for a bit and socialize with other Christians. For lunch I had the wedge salad which included slices of flank steak and blue cheese dressing and bacon (didn't eat much of the bacon) and tomatoes. I was so glad I found something on the menu that was good and fit my diet.

First Week - almost

I'm almost through with my first week of my big push to get control over my habits and weight and health.  Here's what's been happening:   I started on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. Tues, Wed, Thurs and Friday I walked one mile before going to work with the Walk At Home DVD.  This is progress.
I have been on phase 1 of South Beach diet from Wednesday until today, Saturday.  The only cheating I've done is having a little fruit the first couple of days and also some non-fat vanilla yogurt maybe 3 times. I haven't bought any No Sugar Added Klondike bars (my really bad habit) and I've even cooked a few new recipes that turned out pretty good.  I have allowed myself two (or was it three?) Starbucks venti non-fat, sugar-free, lattes. I didn't buy any wine for home which I wanted to, because wine is not allowed on phase 1. I will however reward myself at the end of phase 1 with wine because I will have earned it and it will be allowed.  Happy Happy Joy Joy. I'm almost half way there!

I saw my dr. on Friday about a piece of glass in my thumb. I found out that I gained 10 lbs since my last visit which was in March. :(  so sad.  I told him about my new efforts at a better diet and exercise. He approved (of course) and gave me a couple of pointers. As I was leaving he told me I haven't had a physical in 2 years, so he had me set an appointment one month from now.  He told me to report to him how I am doing at that time with me new efforts. I asked "Are you holding me accountable?" and he said "Yes, someone has to."

I have another motivation. I want to show him in one month that I've succeeded. I want him to see how South Beach works and then let him know how it's a little different from what he was suggesting. He's big on small portions - fist size.  South Beach does not focus on portions so much but the type of food you are eating - and not eating too much of certain types of foods and eating more of the complex carbs and vegys and other healthy foods and eating when hungry - not depriving yourself.

I've already noticed a couple of things - my stomach is soft again - not as hard - it's shrinking - and my tightest jeans are not as tight as they were.  Looking forward to them being too loose!

OK - one more good thing:  I started doing Zumba tonight. I didn't do anything this morning (not much time on Saturday mornings) but I did Zumba for 12 - 13 minutes tonight and could not do anymore. I need to build up my endurance. I love Zumba!! Can't wait until I can do the whole 20 minutes of this one DVD.

I also have been scooping the litter box EVERY DAY and most of the time TWO TIMES a DAY. Beau is really happy about that. He loves a clean litter box. Happy Kitty!

I've also turned off the TV a lot and read my books. Two books right now, Einstein His Life and Universe and The Lightkeeper's Daughter. Both excellent books!

First milestone:  June 27  end of phase 1 and a glass of wine!

First day on Phase 1

OK - I did the walk @ home dvd yesterday morning before work and today before work. This is a decent start.  I walked one mile both times. I just need to keep it up every day before work. I also need to start dancing after work for at least 20 - 30 minutes. I have so many choices, Zumba, Ballroom, Hip Hop, Yoga Booty Ballet and others.

I made a dish for phase 1 this morning - actually marinated the meat last night and followed through this morning. I'm so proud of myself.  It wasn't bad. I have the ingredients for a couple more dishes too - all phase 1 recipes. I am having a hard time staying on the diet today - getting a desire for things I should not have. I brought a hunk of cheese to work because I knew I'd feel this way - I ate that wishing I had crackers to go with it. I also got a diet coke which is helping some. I had a non-fat yogurt which is not on phase 1 approved list and I had some blackberries which is also not OK for phase 1 but it's better than what I really wanted. I also had some peanuts.  I actually think I might be feeling better right now. I will need to eat something good for me when I get home to take away the hunger feeling.

I need to change another habit. I need to scoop out the litter box twice a day - after feeding the cats both morning and night. That way it will be a habit and it will never get to the point where Beau is upset at the cleanliness. He's so picky.

First Day

Well...So much for a first day.  I got up late (didn't have to go to work since it's my weekend) and didn't get dressed. Didn't exercise. Started to read my Einstein book and after getting through some of it wondered if the movie IQ is realistic - so I turned on the movie. Never did get back to the book.

Why is it that I don't follow through with my plans? I could say that today it is because it wasn't a work day - so not a normal day and I need to start tomorrow which is a work day.  But in the past that has not worked. I wonder if I can make it work this time?

Fed Up!

I am fed up with the things in my life that are holding me back from being all that I want to be. Fifty three years old and I am not anywhere close to where I want to be in life.  I need to get serious about gaining some control back. These are the areas I want to change:

* My weight/health
* My home
* Crafts and projects
* My spiritual life

I am going to see if I can pull off a change. I want to see if I make certain changes in my behavior/habits, will it really make a change in the areas that I want to be changed?

To be specific in the area of my weight/health, What I plan on doing:
* Go to bed by 3am
* Wake up at 9am
* Get dressed in workout clothes
* Dance, Walk, or Exercise for 30 min or more - drink water
* Make Coffee and breakfast (even if I don't feel like breakfast)
* Cut Vegetables and prepare food for lunch
* Clean Kitchen - no dishes in sink - wipe down counters and stove top
* Feed cats
* Clean litter box
* Sweep kitchen floor
* Put trash by door if it's full
* Take shower/bath
* Dress
* Read at least 1 hour

After work
* Walk/Dance/Exercise 30 minutes
* Make dinner
* 1 hour make cards or jewelry
* 30 min vaccum or clean bathrooms or organize closet, living room, craft room...
* 1 hour tv
* 30 hour read