So we had an earthquake yesterday...first one I've felt in almost 20 years, and definitely a strange experience. And now it looks as though Hurricane Irene may be popping in for a visit this weekend. Kind of a bummer, since Dave and I were going to be in Wildwood for the Wild Half Marathon, which he's been training for like crazy. All indications currently point to a washed-out trip. The upside is that Dave's brother and his wife will be staying over for a few days, so we'll just hunker down, play some games, and enjoy the company! I suppose I should be doing something in the way of preparedness, so I guess that will be part of the agenda for tomorrow.
So as an update to my last post, I'm still waiting for my quote from the landscaper, but feeling happy that things are in motion. Knowing that I started the process has really helped! And I have an appointment at the salon for Wednesday, which also makes me feel better. Being that it's 1 am, I clearly haven't gotten total control of my sleep patterns yet, but I've been making great improvements. And one of the reasons I'm up so late is because I just finished the last load of Mount Laundry... today was a very productive day, so I'm giving myself a pass on being up so late! And I really wanted to write another post before too much more time passed.
I've taken a few more baby steps in terms of change - just finished registering for Water Aerobics at the Y this fall. This should give me a great opportunity to get in some exercise without undue strain on my knees, which will be a big help. And I did quite a bit of shopping around for new leaders for WW - I haven't completely decided which meeting will be my new home, but I really feel better for having found several really good options. I'm also in the process of purchasing an adult trike for myself... there are a few steps to be taken before I can make the buy, so I've laid out a plan that should have me out on the road within the next 2 weeks or so. That's gonna be an EPIC win!
For now, it's off to bed. There's a pretty substantial to-do list on deck for tomorrow and Friday. So good night all and I'll write again soon!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
How's That Working For You Part 2
I thought I would focus this post on the first couple of things I've started doing differently, and how they relate to my weight loss efforts. Stay with me on some of these - there's a link, I swear!
First: I quit playing most of my Facebook games. You know the ones - all the various "Villes" and such, that require large numbers of friends/time/money to maximize. I realized that whatever pleasure I was getting from playing them was overshadowed by the amount of time they were taking. They bordered on obsession, and so I stopped playing them, blocked the apps and "unliked" them.
The Benefit: Time to do other things. And to get my sleep cycle back on some sort of normal track. I stay up late playing, then get to sleep late, then wake up late feeling fuzzy headed and crabby. I was losing lots of time to be productive and focused, and there seem to be lots of studies linking successful weight loss with adequate restful sleep. I do miss some of the games, but now my online time is more focused on the other productive and enjoyable things I can do...like working on my photos from San Francisco, learning how to coupon more effectively, blogging (both reading and writing), recipe research, and finding weight loss support.
Second: I've started "meeting shopping" for Weight Watchers. The leader that took over my regular meeting just isn't doing it for me. I've started looking at the meetings as a waste of time, and they leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I wasted a lot of weeks sort of marking time, because of the notion that this would only last through the summer and then a new leader would come in. But marking time is wasting time, and it seriously messed with my head. So I finally went to a different meeting last week, and will be attending two other meetings this week to shop around for leaders (although I REALLY liked the leader from last Saturday - she may be tough to beat, plus, it's the meeting time most convenient for my husband, who's at Lifetime but still attends weekly).
The Benefit: Obvious. I left the new Saturday meeting feeling much more energized, and like I'd really gotten something out of it. I felt that the leader was well prepared and had a plan, and she managed the member participation effectively. Frankly, I can't afford to feel demotivated and unhappy by my meeting - it's too important a part of my success.
Third: I finally called the landscaper about some overgrown shrubs that need to be removed and in some cases replaced.
The Benefit: Harder to see, but it relates to my state of mind. I do use a landscape service for lawn maintenance and such, but like to do a lot of the other outside work like small landscape projects and pruning myself. But the things that need to be done are beyond my capacity, and the overgrown state of things mirrors my own feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control. This is a project that has needed attention for over a year, and I've always come up with reasons not to get to it. So it nags at me as being just one more thing I'm not taking care of. I bit the bullet and picked up the phone (mostly because the power company can't get to the meter anymore and has started estimating my usage - never a good thing). Having the consult yesterday has helped me feel more focused and in control, much like my shrubs will soon be!
That's all for now... there's a couple of other small changes I'm working on. Mostly these involve some cleanup and organization projects that have been nagging at me for a while. Small steps so far, but I'm already feeling the effects. Now I'm off to cross off the next thing - calling the salon and getting my hair did! Much like my shrubs, there's some serious pruning needed!
First: I quit playing most of my Facebook games. You know the ones - all the various "Villes" and such, that require large numbers of friends/time/money to maximize. I realized that whatever pleasure I was getting from playing them was overshadowed by the amount of time they were taking. They bordered on obsession, and so I stopped playing them, blocked the apps and "unliked" them.
The Benefit: Time to do other things. And to get my sleep cycle back on some sort of normal track. I stay up late playing, then get to sleep late, then wake up late feeling fuzzy headed and crabby. I was losing lots of time to be productive and focused, and there seem to be lots of studies linking successful weight loss with adequate restful sleep. I do miss some of the games, but now my online time is more focused on the other productive and enjoyable things I can do...like working on my photos from San Francisco, learning how to coupon more effectively, blogging (both reading and writing), recipe research, and finding weight loss support.
Second: I've started "meeting shopping" for Weight Watchers. The leader that took over my regular meeting just isn't doing it for me. I've started looking at the meetings as a waste of time, and they leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I wasted a lot of weeks sort of marking time, because of the notion that this would only last through the summer and then a new leader would come in. But marking time is wasting time, and it seriously messed with my head. So I finally went to a different meeting last week, and will be attending two other meetings this week to shop around for leaders (although I REALLY liked the leader from last Saturday - she may be tough to beat, plus, it's the meeting time most convenient for my husband, who's at Lifetime but still attends weekly).
The Benefit: Obvious. I left the new Saturday meeting feeling much more energized, and like I'd really gotten something out of it. I felt that the leader was well prepared and had a plan, and she managed the member participation effectively. Frankly, I can't afford to feel demotivated and unhappy by my meeting - it's too important a part of my success.
Third: I finally called the landscaper about some overgrown shrubs that need to be removed and in some cases replaced.
The Benefit: Harder to see, but it relates to my state of mind. I do use a landscape service for lawn maintenance and such, but like to do a lot of the other outside work like small landscape projects and pruning myself. But the things that need to be done are beyond my capacity, and the overgrown state of things mirrors my own feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control. This is a project that has needed attention for over a year, and I've always come up with reasons not to get to it. So it nags at me as being just one more thing I'm not taking care of. I bit the bullet and picked up the phone (mostly because the power company can't get to the meter anymore and has started estimating my usage - never a good thing). Having the consult yesterday has helped me feel more focused and in control, much like my shrubs will soon be!
That's all for now... there's a couple of other small changes I'm working on. Mostly these involve some cleanup and organization projects that have been nagging at me for a while. Small steps so far, but I'm already feeling the effects. Now I'm off to cross off the next thing - calling the salon and getting my hair did! Much like my shrubs, there's some serious pruning needed!
Monday, August 15, 2011
How's that Working for You?
Well it's been a long time since I've blogged, or posted much on Facebook. It's been a long time since I've done pretty much anything. I've been in a pretty serious rut for the last few months. And although I've had some really good "rah-rah" moments of motivation (which have usually led to optimistic blogs and status updates), the truth is that I haven't been able to sustain them for any length of time. So now I've gained a few pounds back. Not too many, but any at all is too many if you catch my drift.
In general, I've been somewhat unhappy in all areas of my life - feeling very unsuccessful and unmotivated, but not really doing anything about it because it seems overwhelming and I don't know where to start.
So last week I had lunch with a friend and we talked about changing things that aren't working. And while our conversation was linked to one basic topic, I've been thinking about that good old Dr. Phil saying... "How's that working out for you?". And then I thought about how I would feel sometimes at my old job - inundated with work and feeling paralyzed by the sheer volume of things to be done. In that situation I always found it better to just pick something and start... usually something simple that I could knock out in a couple of minutes, even if it wasn't the highest priority item on the to-do list. Just to break the paralysis and get my head in the game. More often than not, taking care of some simple things helped energize and focus me so that I could successfully tackle the higher stakes things.
So in my introspection, I realize that there's lots of little things that aren't working for me right now. Things that are simple to change, but may have a big impact on my overall mental state. By focusing on a couple of easy things, I'm hoping that some of the mental clutter and clouds will clear away, letting some sunshine back in! One of those things was finally sitting down to write a blog post, so.... Mission Accomplished!
In the next post, I'll share some of the things that I've changed, and how they relate to my weight loss journey. Some are direct. Others may require a bit more explanation. But I already feel some of the metaphorical weight has lifted from my mind....and that will help me tackle losing the physical weight. That's going to work for me.
In general, I've been somewhat unhappy in all areas of my life - feeling very unsuccessful and unmotivated, but not really doing anything about it because it seems overwhelming and I don't know where to start.
So last week I had lunch with a friend and we talked about changing things that aren't working. And while our conversation was linked to one basic topic, I've been thinking about that good old Dr. Phil saying... "How's that working out for you?". And then I thought about how I would feel sometimes at my old job - inundated with work and feeling paralyzed by the sheer volume of things to be done. In that situation I always found it better to just pick something and start... usually something simple that I could knock out in a couple of minutes, even if it wasn't the highest priority item on the to-do list. Just to break the paralysis and get my head in the game. More often than not, taking care of some simple things helped energize and focus me so that I could successfully tackle the higher stakes things.
So in my introspection, I realize that there's lots of little things that aren't working for me right now. Things that are simple to change, but may have a big impact on my overall mental state. By focusing on a couple of easy things, I'm hoping that some of the mental clutter and clouds will clear away, letting some sunshine back in! One of those things was finally sitting down to write a blog post, so.... Mission Accomplished!
In the next post, I'll share some of the things that I've changed, and how they relate to my weight loss journey. Some are direct. Others may require a bit more explanation. But I already feel some of the metaphorical weight has lifted from my mind....and that will help me tackle losing the physical weight. That's going to work for me.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What Derek Jeter has to do with Weight Loss
As a fan of the New York Yankees, I was happy today watching our Captain join a very elite club in baseball by getting his 3000th career hit. During the game commentary, one of the announcers talked about how Derek grew up dreaming of being shortstop for the Yankees, and how great it was that his dream came true. But that got me thinking.
Derek Jeter dreamed of being the Yankee shortstop, but dreaming it wasn't enough. He had to work long and hard to get to that goal (and yes, talent and luck, and the belief of a baseball scout when others weren't so sure). But all in all, Derek achieved his dream - a very lofty one for a kid playing little league baseball - by putting his head down and doing the work. Even when it was hard, and even when his dreamed seemed far away.
And that's when I thought about something we talked about at the end of our WW meeting today. Our leader asked us what one things we were going to do this week to help turn our dreams to reality. Then I came home and watched this man make baseball history. And I realized that it doesn't matter how lofty the dream, or how far away it may seem. It takes hard work and determination. It requires us to make choices that may feel like sacrifices, but act in service to achieving our dreams. It means having strength even when we feel weak, and belief in ourselves and in the process even when it feels unmanageable.
For Derek Jeter it meant endless hours of batting practice, fielding drills and physical conditioning. For me it means planning my food choices, getting in activity, meeting the healthy guidelines and tracking. And by sticking with it, even when it's hard, and it isn't fun, and it seems unreachable, I can see my dream of a more healthy me come true!
Derek Jeter dreamed of being the Yankee shortstop, but dreaming it wasn't enough. He had to work long and hard to get to that goal (and yes, talent and luck, and the belief of a baseball scout when others weren't so sure). But all in all, Derek achieved his dream - a very lofty one for a kid playing little league baseball - by putting his head down and doing the work. Even when it was hard, and even when his dreamed seemed far away.
And that's when I thought about something we talked about at the end of our WW meeting today. Our leader asked us what one things we were going to do this week to help turn our dreams to reality. Then I came home and watched this man make baseball history. And I realized that it doesn't matter how lofty the dream, or how far away it may seem. It takes hard work and determination. It requires us to make choices that may feel like sacrifices, but act in service to achieving our dreams. It means having strength even when we feel weak, and belief in ourselves and in the process even when it feels unmanageable.
For Derek Jeter it meant endless hours of batting practice, fielding drills and physical conditioning. For me it means planning my food choices, getting in activity, meeting the healthy guidelines and tracking. And by sticking with it, even when it's hard, and it isn't fun, and it seems unreachable, I can see my dream of a more healthy me come true!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Home Again Home Again
I've been back from my San Francisco trip for a few days now, and most of the catch-up has been finished. My husband and niece did a great job keeping up with the household chores, and kept my fledgling tomato plants alive and my outdoor birds fed. Seymour the cat has been exceptionally snuggly since I've been home, and I've enjoyed every minute of it!
So the trip itself... well I'm glad to report that I had no issues fitting into the seats on the airplane. They were a bit snug, but not too tight or uncomfortable. I still needed an extender, but the gap is closing, and I'd like to work on not needing one by the time I fly out to Vegas after Thanksgiving.
We were VERY active - the hills in the city are a good workout. Walking anywhere included hills, and a brisk pace. And when we weren't in the city we walked all over the place. We went to the touristy areas like Pier 39, the Castro, Union Square and Alcatraz. Then we went up north to spend 2 days in the Redwoods National Park areas and Muir Woods, and south to Monterey for whale watching and an aquarium visit. On our last day we attended the Pride parade and walked around the many blocks of surrounding vendors. I got great sleep at night, let me tell you.
My food choices were varied - not entirely on or off plan. I tried to be careful and make good choices where I could. We went to the grocery store on our first day so I could stock up on healthful breakfast and snack options for the hotel room, which really helped. I ate quite a bit of seafood (although occasionally in the fish and chips form), and the produce out there was lovely. I ate some of the best strawberries I ever tasted, and the overall emphasis on organic and healthy eating (especially up north) were a good influence.
I'll be weighing in tomorrow to see what the net result is. I am expecting some gain, because 12 days is a long time to be out of my food "comfort zone", but hoping it will be small due to the large increase in activity. Now July 1 is upon me, and it's time to set my mid to end year goals. But that's another post!
So the trip itself... well I'm glad to report that I had no issues fitting into the seats on the airplane. They were a bit snug, but not too tight or uncomfortable. I still needed an extender, but the gap is closing, and I'd like to work on not needing one by the time I fly out to Vegas after Thanksgiving.
We were VERY active - the hills in the city are a good workout. Walking anywhere included hills, and a brisk pace. And when we weren't in the city we walked all over the place. We went to the touristy areas like Pier 39, the Castro, Union Square and Alcatraz. Then we went up north to spend 2 days in the Redwoods National Park areas and Muir Woods, and south to Monterey for whale watching and an aquarium visit. On our last day we attended the Pride parade and walked around the many blocks of surrounding vendors. I got great sleep at night, let me tell you.
My food choices were varied - not entirely on or off plan. I tried to be careful and make good choices where I could. We went to the grocery store on our first day so I could stock up on healthful breakfast and snack options for the hotel room, which really helped. I ate quite a bit of seafood (although occasionally in the fish and chips form), and the produce out there was lovely. I ate some of the best strawberries I ever tasted, and the overall emphasis on organic and healthy eating (especially up north) were a good influence.
I'll be weighing in tomorrow to see what the net result is. I am expecting some gain, because 12 days is a long time to be out of my food "comfort zone", but hoping it will be small due to the large increase in activity. Now July 1 is upon me, and it's time to set my mid to end year goals. But that's another post!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
California here I come!
So tomorrow I get on a plane and head to San Fran! I am very excited, although still having a little anxiety about the flight. But I have magazines and puzzle books and am flying with my sister, so hopefully the time will fly (haha - get it?).
I have a plan for vacation, and have had several conversations with my sister about what I need to do in order to succeed. She says she is on board, but that remains to be seen. She's sometimes better and more supportive in theory, but I'm hoping for the best. There's a pool at the hotel, and we have lots of walking planned, so activity should be covered! I have a solid plan for breakfasts in the hotel room, and I'm counting on lots of seafood being available for lunches and dinners.
So I'll be offline for a while, since I'm going to use this vacation as a little bit of a tech break (except for my smartphone of course). But I'll be back in massive posting mode once I get back. Miss you all!
I have a plan for vacation, and have had several conversations with my sister about what I need to do in order to succeed. She says she is on board, but that remains to be seen. She's sometimes better and more supportive in theory, but I'm hoping for the best. There's a pool at the hotel, and we have lots of walking planned, so activity should be covered! I have a solid plan for breakfasts in the hotel room, and I'm counting on lots of seafood being available for lunches and dinners.
So I'll be offline for a while, since I'm going to use this vacation as a little bit of a tech break (except for my smartphone of course). But I'll be back in massive posting mode once I get back. Miss you all!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Making adjustments
I've come to the realization that I have to make some adjustments to my activity. I've been primarily using walking (either outside or on the treadmill) as my cardio. But every time I've tried to step it up to boost my weight loss efforts, it's resulted in some injury. First it was an arthritis flare up that took 8 weeks of physical therapy to fix. Most recently it's caused a particularly vicious episode of tendonitis in my left foot, which has made it hard to get sleep and to just do simple things like grocery shop. It's also made going to Tai Chi and Line Dancing a very bad idea over this last week or so. I saw a doctor, and have some medication for it, so hopefully I'll be right as rain very soon.
I went through a few days of moping about this latest setback, worrying about my upcoming trip - there will be LOTS of walking, not to mention those famous San Francisco hills. But then my sister reminded me that there's a pool at the hotel, and that got my brain thinking! I just need to change my cardio routine up to focus on non-impact, non-weight bearing activities. Like swimming, and water aerobics, and bike riding.
So I went last week and got my bike all tuned up, and I've signed up for some water aerobics at the Y for the upcoming summer session. I can also use the stationery/recumbent bike, and once the foot is healed, maybe add is some elliptical. I believe that changing over to these activities will help me get in more cardio activity, build up strength and range of motion in my knees, and free me up to kick start my summer without fear of further injury. And that's my plan!
I went through a few days of moping about this latest setback, worrying about my upcoming trip - there will be LOTS of walking, not to mention those famous San Francisco hills. But then my sister reminded me that there's a pool at the hotel, and that got my brain thinking! I just need to change my cardio routine up to focus on non-impact, non-weight bearing activities. Like swimming, and water aerobics, and bike riding.
So I went last week and got my bike all tuned up, and I've signed up for some water aerobics at the Y for the upcoming summer session. I can also use the stationery/recumbent bike, and once the foot is healed, maybe add is some elliptical. I believe that changing over to these activities will help me get in more cardio activity, build up strength and range of motion in my knees, and free me up to kick start my summer without fear of further injury. And that's my plan!
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