Personal March bootcamp

Sunday, March 07, 2010

This month there doesn't seem to be an official bootcamp, so I decided to design my own!

As I said in my last blog post, some very hard stuff (which I'm not free to share) is going on in my life. Instead of comforting myself with chocolate & other easy fixes, I want to express care of my body & enjoy the good feelings that come with mastery. Mostly I need to remind/reward myself about nutrition & strength training.

With food, I want to reestablish the "no-S" practices: no sugary foods, no seconds, no snacks, except (very moderately) on S-days (Saturday, Sunday, other occasional special days). I'll keep track of my adherence to these through "other goals" here at SP.

One specific subgoal is that I want to do batch cooking with legumes every week.

I'm keeping a resistance band at my office, & I will return to doing at least one short SP video routine with it each weekday as one of my "get up & move" breaks. For a while I was doing this, but lately I've been forgetting, so time to regroove my brain & rebuild my strength.

I want to plan some specific rewards for compliance/progress, but I need to think more about what those might be. Will post about that later--& hopefully I'll blog much more regularly to celebrate my progress that way too. In the meantime, off to the kitchen to see what lovely bean dish I can make for this week!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SHANSHE 7/10/2010 2:03PM

I know I am MONTHS late, but those were awesome goals, and I am sure you did awesome! Shan Report Inappropriate Comment

GETHEALTHY231 3/10/2010 2:03PM

Great goals! Focusing on you creating healthy habits is a great way to deal with life when it gets hard - and I know you have had some challenges! God will see you through, and you will be able to handle all of this so much better with a healthy mind, body, spirit than with too much or wrong foods! Keep on going - you are worth every effort you make for a healthier lifestyle! God knows your worth - he created you! Report Inappropriate Comment

CZARINA_TV 3/8/2010 4:02PM

Those sound like great plans Ruth! Just keep going... I really feel accomplished after I do my strength training. Focus on that feeling and remember that you need your own quiet time to take care of yourself too. Report Inappropriate Comment

CHRISTYK08 3/7/2010 9:33PM

Great plans! I don't have specific rewards set up for myself either. Usually I consider time here on SP as a reward. Report Inappropriate Comment

CTEMPLE 3/7/2010 7:08PM

Good plan Ruthie, we're here for you! Claudia Report Inappropriate Comment

Deep work

Monday, February 08, 2010

Last week was VERY difficult. I don't yet feel free to explain exactly what is happening, but it is shaking my world.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing: the way I've been living has been unsustainable for some time, & it needed to change. I am experiencing profound peace in the midst of it all--a moment-by-moment clinging to God & a sense of safety at the deepest level.

I'm sorry to be cryptic; eventually I'll be able to say more.

This week our challenge in the Heart-Healthy Bootcamp is to be proactive in reducing stress. Always needed! The hourly reminders to "get up & move" that I've programmed into my work computer are serving me well in this way. Just now when the 11:00 one came up, I stood up, opened my window blinds all the way, & took big marching steps in place & swung my arms wide as I gazed out at the sky. It felt great!

I think I'll add a "breathing break" for half a minute or so after each movement break . . . just taking big breaths & giving thanks for my life.

Thank you all for being my Sparkfriends!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CTEMPLE 2/12/2010 2:11AM

Dear Ruthie sorry to hear you're having a challenging time. You sound fine though. Anything I can do to help, I'm here, at a distance, but here. Claudia Report Inappropriate Comment

SHANSHE 2/8/2010 7:32PM

God is sooo awesome and can get us through whatever it is we need gotten through, ya know??? We will be here when and IF you decide to go into more detail! I like your challenge on the boot camp team! Shan Report Inappropriate Comment

GETHEALTHY231 2/8/2010 2:18PM

I'm glad you have a solid faith to cling to when times like this happen! What a blessing for you. God is only too happy to open his arms and wrap them around you and carry you through! Report Inappropriate Comment

Final January stats

Saturday, January 30, 2010

I'm ending January

Starting weight: 175.4
Current: 170.6

waist 34 - 33 - 33
hips 43 - 42 - 42.5
upper thigh 25 - 24.75 - 24.5
chest 32.5 - 32 - 31.75
bust 38.5 - 37.75 - 37.25
neck 13.5 - 14 - 13,5
upper arm 13.75 - 13.5 - 13.5
wrist 6.75 - 6.75 - 6.625

Total loss in inches: 3.875
Total loss in pounds: 4.8

Given the life complications that kept me from being as consistent as I would have wanted, this is just fine. I'm back on my way to looking/feeling like myself!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CZARINA_TV 2/8/2010 6:04AM

Hey -- sometimes you don't have to be perfect, just consistent enough... Report Inappropriate Comment

WESTCOASTGIRL1 2/1/2010 1:30PM

Awesome! Congratulations on your progress... Report Inappropriate Comment

GETHEALTHY231 2/1/2010 1:00PM

Great way to start the year!!! Keep making those healthy choices and you will continue to do an awesome job on your journey to a healthier version of your beautiful you! God bless! Report Inappropriate Comment

CHRISTYK08 2/1/2010 6:51AM

You got great results! Life seems to just happen, but we still have to do what we can to improve our health. Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare?! Report Inappropriate Comment

SHANSHE 1/31/2010 7:00PM

I think your results are simply !!!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

CTEMPLE 1/31/2010 2:46AM

Well done Ruth, it's a journey not a race! Claudia Report Inappropriate Comment

Did you see Coach Dean's blog today?

Friday, January 22, 2010

If not, I recommend it highly:
www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=how
_much_sitting_is_too_much

I had already read a couple of recent articles reporting that people who sit for long periods, EVEN IF THEY DO DAILY CARDIO EXERCISE, are especially susceptible to all sorts of health problems--& to gaining weight. Coach Dean explains it really well.

Before reading his blog, I had already decided to program hourly reminders to get up & move about for a little while here at the office. Apparently it really helps to interrupt the sitting regularly. So today has been my first day of that, & I'm loving it! Sometimes I use my 5-minute break to get water, sometimes to go up & down stairs, & sometimes to just march around my office a bit. I feel more awake & alive.

Yay!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SHANSHE 1/29/2010 8:22PM

Thanks! I read the article and I think i need to do that myself! Report Inappropriate Comment

CTEMPLE 1/29/2010 4:43AM

thanks for the reminder I saw it but didn't read it at the time. I have a little alarm program that comes up in my screen and makes me get up. It's a free software. Claudia Report Inappropriate Comment

Gonna get right back up

Thursday, January 21, 2010

I've had some setbacks this week. Monday evening I chose to attend a small group meeting (women gathering to tell stories from our lives & reflect on scripture) instead of staying home to finish the bibliography of the book I had been working on freelance for more than 2 months. The meeting was WELL worth it--very encouraging. That meant I had to finish the editing Tuesday night, though, & it kept me up late. So I didn't get in my cardio Wednesday morning. Then this morning the nasty insomnia recurred--I was awake starting about 3:00 a.m. Caught some brief Z's between 6:30 & 8; again no cardio.

But now I have a blessed reprieve from freelance work, & I am going to bed by 10:45 tonight so that I can get up & resume walking with Leslie tomorrow a.m. I'm going to keep my 120-cardio-minutes-per-week streak going, despite the setbacks I've had! My body is craving movement.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SHANSHE 1/29/2010 8:17PM

YAY, you are a strong person and very resilient! Report Inappropriate Comment

GETHEALTHY231 1/21/2010 9:00PM

So glad you are back to your goal of exercising even though it hasn't worked out the last couple days! Getting back to your routine shows that you can do this for life even when you miss a day or two. That is life, but you know how important this is also and are making an effort to keep it important! Yay! Report Inappropriate Comment