How to your start a new habit?

At my physical a few month back I had gained about 10 lbs. It didn't come as a surprise. Some pants I could previously fit comfortably weren't any longer. Unfortunately, I'm not naturally thin and I tend carry excess weight in my middle section. After 4 c-sections, my stomach is paunchy and not a whole lot to look at. However...this body gave me 4 fantastic kids so I try not to hate on it too bad. I'm trying to get the rhythm together to start run/walking again. It's cheap...no real equipment needed, burns tons of calories and you can do it most anywhere. Now the hard part, getting a routine going. I live kind of in the sticks so I may have to run on my own. I thought I'd join a group, but that hasn't worked out with my work schedule. I think the reality is I'm just going to have to bite bullet and start moving.
So, I've chosen to slooowwwly adopt a few new habits. I've started walking with a couple ladies from work 4-5 days/week...we walk for 30-45 mins. It feels great to get moving and eliminates the excuse of not having the time to exercise. I've also been trying to drink more water. Something I'm not very good about.
The hardest part is how to sustain a new habit. I've been thinking about it a lot. Especially one your work out buddy dropout.
 I need to be do this for me, regardless.
One step at a time, one day at a time.

Summer Slim Down!

Like many of you I've struggled with my weight for many years beginning in earnest in my early 30's. Lately I've really fallen off the wagon and been run over by it. I'm trying hard to regain some control and get a routine going. My dear friend Linda is starting a summer slim down and she's so inspiring that I have decide to stop making excuses and get to work. It's really helpful to have someone who's on a similar journey to talk to about your challenges.
I'm excited to get started. I have a healthy eating plan, a workout plan that's not dependent upon me getting to the gym and offers lots of variety. I'm very motivated. I'd like to lose 30 lbs. by my next birthday. It's a very reasonable goal and only calls for me to lose 1-2lbs/week. I'll be checking in here, with Linda and with online support groups regularly to help me stay on track.
Do you have any summer fitness goals?

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

What to report? Not much. Holding steady. Still needing to figure out the exercise/life thing. I've been seriously considering dropping my gym membership. I will probably make a decision by the first of the year. Don't think I'm giving up on exercise. It's just that everything I keep reading talks about walking being the perfect inexpensive do anywhere workout and I'm thinking that's just what I should do. Except I like variety. So, I'm going to give myself the time to decide what works best for me. The cool thing about the Y is that you can rejoin without too much fuss or muss. Otherwise I'm doing better about snacking. Still need to find time to drink more water.
I'm a work in progress. I'm still 20 lbs from my goal. But, perhaps I'll make it there in 2011.

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

It's been a few weeks since I posted one. I guess from that you can guess either I haven't been focusing on fitness or I've been overwhelmingly busy. I have to confess it's a bit of both, sort of. I've been focusing more on getting my diet back on track and getting into a good routine with my new schedule. I'm a creature of habit and love my routine, so the last couple months have been huge for me. I'm working on it though. Also I sometime feel with diet and exercise I can only focus on doing one thing really well and for now I've been spending some time on the food thing. I feel like in my daily life I get a bit of moderate exercise just by the sheer fact of my occupation and lifestyle. Of course I want it to be more high intensity, but I'll get there. One thing at a time. So, I've been spending a bit of time refocusing and reconnecting with why I eat, what I eat and when I eat. I've also checked in with Dr. Beck's book (she of the think like a thin person philosophy). I've been making efforts to pack a healthy lunch with healthy snacks. Drink my water and such. It's a process. Once I feel like I've gotten firmly back in the saddle I can shift my focus to intensifying my workouts. For now, I'll count on my pedometer for a reference as to how active I really am. I guess the real point is to stay mindful and focused so that's what I'm doing.

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Well, holding steady here. However, as you can see from the amount of blogging I've been doing lately I haven't quite worked out my new schedule. I've only made it to the gym twice this week, and I did not get up early any of the other days and try and work out. I'm going to try again this week. I did look through the programing on exercise tv on demand to see what I might do. I think if I can get up and do a 30 min workout that would be a great start. There's quite a few offering on there. On the food front, not to bad. Although I'm somewhat addicted to McD's smoothies. I looked it up and it isn't too bad calorie wise I just don't think it's terribly nutritious. I'll have to work on that. I've slipped a bit with the food journaling so that will be a goal this upcoming week. Also I think I should start checking in on Sparkspeople again. It's a very motivating site. Anyway, I keep on keeping on. Have a healthy week!

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Awesome week! I worked out 5 times, including a day when I really didn't want to. I even tried a new class called "Low Impact Power Hour". I don't know what makes it less high impact than the regular power hour because it kicked my ass and I was sore for two days afterward. For this week coming up I need to focus on eliminating the poor food choices from my diet. I've had a fun summer, but now it's time to buckle down. Also I need to focus on getting in my workout even with my new schedule. I hate working out in the evening so that will be a real challenge to me. I can do it though! I will do it!! I may have to look at my exercise routine a bit differently and less bound to the gym. I also might have to utilize the equipment I have at home such as free weights and exercisetv (which is an awesome resource). Anyway, the point is to keep on moving and to make good healthy food choices.
Have a great week!

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Well after last weeks disastrous performance, I'm really trying to get back on track. So, here's what I've been doing this week. First off I'm really trying to do my food journal regularly. I have a couple of apps on my Iphone that make it super easy. I really love Lose it. The best thing about it is that it's free and customizable. I also joined a 10 week wellness program at my local Y called Coaching Connection. I'm really excited about it. They did an assessment of what my fitness goals were and then they designed a program that should help me meet them. I'd like to lose 15 lbs, tone my core and arm...oh and run a 5k before the end of the year. I also attended a weight loss/nutrition class. I'm not sure if I'll go to that again though. The time of the meetings is a bit dicey for me. I worked out 3 times this week, I did yoga, cardio and weight training. I'm going to add an additional days of cardio next week. Now comes the hard part. Eliminating the junk foods from my diet. I can't buy any more pretzels....wahhhhh! I love pretzels. The salty crunchiness of them. I also need to drink a ton more water. So, next week my goals are to increase my workouts by working out 15 mins longer and adding at least one day. I also want to increase my water intake and eliminate pretzels from my diet. Oh and I need to keep up with my food journal. That's it. I feel motivated and ready to go! Hope you're doing well with your healthy lifestyle.

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Bad week...enough said. No really, I should have just skipped reporting it, except I forgot last week and I want to get back on track so to speak. I will definitely do better next week since let's face it I can't do much worst. But, let's just say I did have a fun week not exercising and eating what I want. Why does leading a healthy lifestyle have to be so devoid of pleasure?

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Confession time, this week wasn't particularly active. I had a lot going on and as someone who doesn't really enjoy exercising, I let that derail my efforts. Must do better this week! Eating wasn't too bad. Minimal snacking, although my addiction to pretzels is still alive and well (will work on that). I also realize I really need to increase my water intake, it's minimal at best. I have made good strides towards meal planning and packing my lunch for work so that's a good step. So my plans for this upcoming week are to increase water intake, exercise 3x week, keep food journal and decrease pretzel intake. I did step on the scale and there's been no gain since I last weighed...but no loss either. I really am going to have to look at how to change my body's set point if I want to lose any weight. I seem to stay right around the same 5 lbs. Something to think about.

Friday's Fitness Wrapup

Well, so far, so good. I worked out three times this week. I feel like I'm getting a routine started and that seems really essential for me to keep my momentum going. My schedule has been pretty full recently so I think making it to the gym three times is probably an obtainable and realistic goal for me. I will shot for three times this next week and try to add a walk or something on one other day. Since the weather is so warm and it doesn't get dark until so late I will try and take a walk in the evening after work on one of those days. I haven't weighed myself, but going by the clothing fit test everything is moving in the right direction. My diet is hit or miss. I will have to try and get back to meal planning and keeping a food journal. That's really the only way I don't snack too much and follow the food pyramid. Well, hope you did well in your healthy living plan, good luck next week.

Animal, Vegetable...Miracle?

So I'm reading the Barbara Kingsolver book about living on a farm and trying to return to a simplier time, eat what our local earth provides and supporting an effort to make less of an environmental impact with the choices we make. It's enlightening. I think about this stuff constantly. So I think I'm going to make more of an effort. I mean hey I'm making other changes so why not this one too. I don't know about the whole organic thing, but I think I will look into being part of a CSA and also shop more at the farmers market. Things are so delicious from there. I love the freshness and that it helps keep the livelihood of local farming alive.
On another note. I'm planning on resigning my position on the parenting board. I'm a bit sad, but it's time. I'm not getting anything out of it and I have such a limited amount of time that I truly don't want to waste it on that board.

Six changes

So...again, I'm working on me. Trying to lose some weight. I haven't watched Oprah in forever, but today, Bob Greene is on there. He said something that really struck me was that the motivation might not be there. You have to do it even if you're not motivated, but the motivation will come with success. Jesus! That makes so much sense. The motivation comes from success and seeing the changes! It's unbelievable.

Anyways...I had already decided to give up soda. But I have some additional things that I will work on giving up over the next 6 weeks.
1.Soda
2. Trans Fats
3. Fried foods
4. White Bread
5. Reg. Pasta
6. Highfat Dairy

After all, tomorrow is another day

Ok...tomorrow came and went and I wasn't anymore committed, but I am now. Something happened that really hit home. This is my first year in the JLR and my advisor dropped dead this weekend. She was probably in her early 40's, single, appeared healthy and she had a massive heart attack and died alone. Nobody knew until she didn't show up for a meeting at work. I was the first in the JLR to find out since we were planning to carpool and she didn't email like she said she would, because you know...she was dead. I'm still in shocked...I didn't know her all that well, but she was super sweet and made a point to really welcome me to the JLR. Anyways, my point is life is short and fleeting...I don't want to spend it overweight and unhealthy.

Getting back on the horse

Woo is me! I have really fallen off the sparkteam bandwagon. I got out of the habit when we did a huge Easter dinner...now I can't seem to get back in the groove. I don't consider myself a quitter...so I'm getting back on the horse. Tomorrow!

Sparkteam

So on my continued effort to get my ass in shape, LOL. I joined a sparkteam and i also dusted off my pda to track my food. Apparently journaling is a key since it makes you mroe aware of your caloric intake.
So...I'll blog later about how it's going. I weighed in today...it wasn't pretty, but hey, it's only down from here right?