Serendipities

As I progress through my days I am becoming more and more reflective on those things that I previously took for granted.  I began this new outlook with thoughts of "shrinking" away the jigglies from my body and replacing it with toned, smooth muscles.  However, I'm now realizing that the serendipitous advantages of just taking 30 minutes each day for myself are bringing new blessings to my day.

I had forgotten how it felt to have energy!  I'm not running marathons, or anything....but I actually feel like moving in the morning after I've taken those 30 minutes and focused on each exercise and the productivity they possess.  I'm more focused and able to think clearly.  Wow!  I had no idea how "cloudy" I had been living.  It's only been 5 days since I began and I am feeling clear-headed, focused, energetic and productive for the first time in a very long time!  My muscles are no longer sore.  They are now just simply feeling stronger and maybe a little tight across the shoulders (a very good thing!)  I can tell a difference even in my skin.  Is this possible?  Just 5 days....30 minutes per day?  Really?

I read somewhere that the best test of accountability when dieting is to keep a journal of the foods you eat.  Well....I'm not dieting, but I DO want to make sure I consistently make healthy choices with the foods I eat.  I want to eat to live, not live to eat.  That is something that is difficult for me because I simply L-O-V-E good food!  And I love to cook!  And I love to plan menus and try new recipes.  So I pulled out one of my archive tools that I haven't used in quite some time.  Here's the link in case you want to try it too:  http://www.flylady.net/images/bc_investigator.pdf

I'm also going to pull out the book that accompanies this "investigator".  It's titled Body Clutter and it's written by Marla Cilley and Leanne Ely.  Marla Cilley is "The Fly Lady" and has provided a lot of tools that have assisted me through the years in my homemaking and organizational life.  Their "BC Investigator" provides a daily report card to help establish good, healthy eating and exercise habits and provides a way to track your activities.  This is helpful in keeping you on course if you have clear, precise goals you are following.  For me, not so much.  It's more a way of identifying strengths and weaknesses in my daily habits and also to provide answers if I do or don't get results I expect.  So, today, on the 6th day of Moving Forward....I am reflecting on the serendipities of taking action and exercising discipline in my life once again.  My mind races with the possibilities that tomorrow can bring. It feels good! :-)

We're halfway through the first week!

This is Day 5....but only 4 of exercise.  Sunday was a day of rest for me.  In summary, here's how it's going:
I was warned by Ashley....yes....she was right.....I have NEVER been so sore in my life!  Really, I'm not exaggerating.  Tears came to my eyes every time I stood or sat down.  And when I was breaking through the pain to conquer the DVD on Day 2....my breath literally left me!  But, most importantly:  I DID IT!

That was Saturday.  I had a full day of work, fun, mini-travel, exercise and then a short stint on the couch to watch what turned out to be a disappointing movie.  I ate a few things I don't normally eat such as a couple of bites of an amazing candy bar and a few sips from a Sonic strawberry shake.  Yummy!!  Did I feel guilty?  NO!!  Should I have abstained?  YES!!  But, over the years the main lesson I have learned that comes back to revisit me is this:  God only gives us one day at the time:  TODAY!  I will no longer spend my days putting off small pleasures for the purpose of losing weight, or whatever the "goal" may be.  Instead, I will adjust my activities to accommodate those little pleasures.  And I will enjoy each day that God gifts me with.  I know that it is movement and exercise that makes me feel good.  I have now proven that to be true.  I will remember this "good" feeling when I want to feel lazy.

I can feel my body changing from the inside out....no one can see it yet, but I can feel it.  And that is an amazing feeling!  I know the visual will follow, and I am in no hurry for that to occur.
I posted my "before" picture this morning on Day 1.  This picture was taken on July 28, 2011 by Thomas.  I was talking to Ashley on the phone while waiting for an acoustic concert to begin.  It reflects a true "before" and it matches the stats (weight, etc.) that I posted at the beginning.  I was ok with him posting it on his facebook page ONLY because I knew it would motivate me to action.  Otherwise, it was so apalling that I would've asked him NOT to post it.  I have NEVER had a stomach like that in my life!  Arms?  Well....yes, that is heredity and age that I fight daily.  I will be amazed if that changes and I will surely CELEBRATE!  But that stomach HAS to go.  Not just because of how it looks, but  because I know that weight carried in that location promotes poor health.  I want to feel good AND look good.  And I am willing to fight for it.

I don't expect immediate results.  Baby steps are fine with me because I am in it for the long haul.  And I am more and more convinced that Jillian Michaels is a genius with her exercise routines.  Her mix of Cardio, Strength, and Abs is the perfect combo for anyone at any weight and age.  If you cannot keep up, then do it slowly and work your way up.  There are 3 levels and you can further break down level 1 with your speed.  I think it is amazing!  I can feel the tightness across my shoulders, down my legs, etc.  And it feels wonderful.

I've noticed that my biggest weakness is my stamina during the cardio portion.  Therefore, I am focusing on breaking through and not succumbing to the "lazies" during the cardio.  I push myself and I have seen improvement.  I look forward to the days when I can do the entire level without modifying any of the exercises (the push ups will be my biggest victory!!), but I am in no hurry to accomplish this.  For today, I am happy to push myself and feel the goodness of those results.  I am thankful to God for putting the fight in me to better myself and the ability to take the steps necessary to do so.
Six days ago I was making the excuse that I didn't have time to exercise.  I was complaining about the heat outside....not having a place to ride my bike....no exercise equipment to use inside.  No time to join a gym....you know the drill.  I truly believe it was God who awakened me with the rememberance of the DVD program and the quiet voice of challenge to carve out those 30 minutes first thing in the morning.  I'm worth it after all.....and so are each of us!  God created us all for greatness and fabulous health. 

And that is life in a positive light....today....in my life.  Blessings!

Day 1

So here we are.  Day 1.  Ashley gave me the 30 Day Shred DVD a few years ago by my request.  And I have kept it totally safe and sound....and unopened this whole time.  It was intimidating to me since it is such a different exercise program from what my past experience has been.  In the past I had a bicycle that I used to ride 10 miles every day....in 30 minutes.  I lived in a very large subdivision where I could ride a route and never ride the same street twice while covering 10 miles.  It was so very lovely!  No boredom.  Exercise DOES bore me....at least it did.  It's all a matter of mindset, right?  So, my mindset is going to change.
Jillian Michaels and I met this morning....at 5:50 a.m.  Well, I met HER that is.  I hit the floor at 5:30....grabbed my sugar free energy drink....slipped on my Nikes and woke my lovely youngest daughter from her sound sleep before sliding in the DVD and commiting to 30 minutes of FUN!  I DID IT!  I made it through.  Yes, I did some of the modified exercises....my limbs felt like rubber and they were going to collapse beneath me about 20 minutes in....but I kept going.  Before I started, Ashley and I talked about the 3 levels of difficulty on this DVD.  She made the suggestion to try level 1 for the first 10 days....level 2 the next 10, etc. until I completed the 30 days of shredding the fat from my lean muscles that were going to replace the jiggles.
Well, at the end of the 30 minutes I realized that I am almost 50!  Yikes!  I think I'll be content to set my goal to complete the 30 days on level 1....then move to level 2 for the next 30 days....etc.  Hmmmm......we'll see.  Actually, my point here is this:  It's not about the 30 days for me.  This is about changing my lifestyle permanently.  Exercise is what I need...always!  So, I don't have to schedule my levels.  I will master level 1 and then move to level 2....or jump between them as my energy and strength levels change (per her suggestion).  In any event....my muscles are already talking to me.  And that makes me happy.  I feel accomplished.  I did something good for ME.  I haven't done that in awhile.
I took my rubber legs to the shower....got ready for work.  I took my vitamins and ate 3/4 cup of Quaker Oats with 1/2 cup of frozen organic blueberries with 3 packets of Sweet N Low.  No milk or butter added.  I will drink my skim milk with supper as I usually do.  This is not a diet, this is how I was eating BEFORE I started dieting.  I'm a healthy eater, and that's what I will continue.  I packed a banana, an apple and a pear for my snacking during the day....and Day 1 is off and running....with a smile on my face! 

Day 1....or is it 2....or 29?

Ok, so this is all so new to me.  Blogging and writing, that is.  I was trying to find a way to be accountable to the things I say I want and will do and have watched my beautiful daughter use this venue to grow and learn and report all that she experiences.  And I think this may be just what I need to do.

My battle?  Just like so many others out there....my weight and obsessive need to NOT fall prey to the genes that make up my body.  Yes....obesity runs in both sides of my family.  And now...as I approach 50, the battle has become REAL.  So for the first serious time in my life, I've had to start dieting (unsuccessfully I might add.)  Now, I've dieted in my past very successfully.  I've exercised abundantly well.  But that was in my past...when I was younger....had control of my work hours (worked from home)....and when I still had my thryoid....that lovely organ that controls ALL of my metabolic hormones.  Unfortunately, all of those aspects has changed.  The doctors will tell you that the thyroid hormone you take orally is the very same as that produced by your actual thyroid.  Really?  I don't think so.  EVERYTHING about my metabolism, energy level....well, everything changed when that lovely little organ was taken from my body 15 months ago and I started taking that lovely little daily pill.

So, here I am.  I started a diet with my sister 29 days ago.  I'm not knocking that diet....it just wasn't working for me.  I don't know why, but my biggest suspicion is that I was not doing any exercise.  I had the excuse that I simply don't have time for exercise in today's lifestyle.  That is another subject for another time.  It involved supplements, shakes and general healthy eating.  Weight lost:  "0".  So, I took 2 days off and started a new diet.  It was a 7 day diet.  I can do anything for 7 days, right?  WRONG!  I've done this diet in my past (3 years ago)....and lost 10 lbs. in those 7 days.  Day 4 into this diet this time:  Weight lost:  "0".  By this stage the website says if you are doing it without cheating you should lose 5-7 lbs. (which is what happened the last time I did it).  No....I didn't cheat.  I did it by the book.....NO weight lost!  So....I started thinking....Why am I eating this stupid soup every day....miserable.....no energy still....with no results?  That's it....I know now what I need to do.  The secret is the exercise.  I always knew that, but now I REALLY know it.  NO more excuses.  Here I go.  Today is really Day 1.  Or it could be Day 2, if you count the 2 laps I walked around my pasture fence last night (I really need to measure how far that is somehow).  But it is definitely not Day 29....because the last 28 days are now behind me and I look forward to each and every one from here.

So, here are my starting stats.  Age:  49 years young; Height:  5'6"; Weight: 158 lbs.  This is where I begin.

I'm not ashamed.  I'm accountable and this is for me....to help me put one foot in front of the other and Move Forward in a Positive Light.  I hope to inspire myself and anyone else who follows.  I also hope to receive positive input and suggestions and success stories from others who may want to join the journey.  Pictures will follow as soon as I learn how to design this blog (with help from my lovely daughter....the professional blogger, lol)