FOXYELHF's SparkPeople Blog

Through the Mist

Thu, 6 Jun 2013 06:55:51 EST

Though the dawn was misty I can see clearly the direction of the journey. Had a very refreshing and calming walk this morning.

A very wise doctor once prescribed a daily 20 minute walk for stress ... best medicine I have ever taken.

Almost not day

Wed, 5 Jun 2013 07:05:32 EST

Another day, another few miles on the journey...

It would have been very easy to not walk this morning, as a matter of fact I had decided not to. The lateness of the hour and a bit of tiredness were causing low motivation. Then it happened before I stopped to think ... on with the work out clothes and out the door. An hour later, I feel energized; ready for today's adventures.

I just did it and I'm glad I did!

Good morning

Tue, 4 Jun 2013 06:36:03 EST

Great morning walk that began on time, so that I literally walked to the dawn and the opening bird songs.

Week One Review

Mon, 3 Jun 2013 06:13:27 EST

Week one in the books ... complete food journal and the walking has begun. I feel better, having more energy and a better attitude.

All was not perfect, there was no portion control at the fish fry, but no fried potatoes eaten by me. The family reunion Sunday was not a total control bust. I was observant and selective of the items I ate. Even though the calories for both days were over my daily budget I learned better how to plan for future events. This will all work out bette...

The Road is Long

Mon, 27 May 2013 12:14:23 EST

Today's head song is 'The long and winding road, leads..."
"Where are we going?"
To a plane of better health ... physically, mentally, and spiritually
Being good to my body is the only way to go forward. The next goal is to make and hold to a menu for the next seven days. To that end, the week’s menu is planned, with cooking to begin shortly.

Ever onward...

On the Road again...

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:14:54 EST

Seems I begin a lot of my 'diets' with that song in my head. “On the road again, I just can’t wait to be on the road again…” Therein lays the problem; the waiting, the planning, and a total lack of following through. The beginning is just a thought, a passing thing that never truly comes to fruit.

Today, I did as I mapped out this first step on the journey back to health, not through dieting; rather by way of healthy eating choices and exercise.
The map starts small, slo...

What's On My Mind

Sun, 6 May 2012 10:46:45 EST

It has been a while… not sure why, well I do know:
Fear of stepping out onto the road again.
Fear that I am alone in this journey.
Fear that the path will lead to another disastrous relationship.
Fear that I will fail again.
Fear that I will succeed, then what?
Fear that I will face more disapproval from those closest at hand.
Fear and stress are very crippling for together they vanquish any spark of motivational self confidence.
“We are all...

Planning to go the distance...

Sun, 6 Nov 2011 12:51:21 EST

Progress has been slow and painful when it should not be. In other words I haven't really been focused for some time now. Excuses, excuses abound - a bad relationship, lots of negative brain washing to over come, starting out too fast to maintain a program, (sigh) etc, etc....

I think about healthy eating daily, but don't follow my thoughts...
I plan to exercise daily, but don't always move...

THOSE ARE NEGATIVES, no more, the past has been archived and today I ...

Archiving my opening

Sun, 6 Nov 2011 12:23:56 EST

Quest for the mountain top (is an old goal - I've been there and back again, unfortunately back means I gained the weight and lost some the better parts of who I am - the has come to close this door, and take new path...)

Years ago I started this journey to better health; the road has been long with many bumps and pot holes along the way. I have come so close in the last year to just quitting, but here I am still. The motivation I seek I carry within. It is time I stop holdin...

Where are we going?"

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:03:17 EST

That is a very good question...
Mainly I'm going away - away from unhealthy eating and unhealthy lack of activity
Yes that's right, I'm running away
HA! see if that evil clown king and his minions can catch the wise Fox

Today, I'm back to journaling foods
Today, I started C25K running plan

Notice I didn't restart - I started, this is DAY 1, with a steady as she goes course...
I've a plan and a destination
Going to enjoy the journey 295<...

Evolution of a Healthy Life Style

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 07:33:45 EST
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Enough is enough!!!!

If my life style is to change it’s up to me to change it – dub…

So since June 1st I have logged every bite. Yesterday I walked a little over a mile, today I plan to do the same. Next week I will tweak the meals so that intake is less than output, but not starvation and up the walking mileage. Ultimately I want to run again…

This is going to be a slow journey; no more, loose x pounds in too few weeks to be achievable....

Of Challenges, Bets and Things

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:27:36 EST
'The time has come,' the Walrus said,
'To talk of many things:
Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing wax --
Of cabbages -- and kings --
And why the sea is boiling hot --
And whether pigs have wings.'
~Alice in Wonderland

The time has come, I say,
To talk of positive things:
Of bets – and runs – and healthy diets --
Of challenges – and rings --
And why the fat has got to go --
And whether moms are fitness queens

Alex h...

The choice is mine

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:20:00 EST

"When you have the enthusiasm and passion, you end up figuring how to excel."

~Deena Kastor

Life should be enough, just being able to wake up in the morning a reason for enthusiasm, being passionate about what comes my way during the day enough to promote a positive energetic mind-set. It is my choice every morning to face the day in the sunshine on top of the rain bow, or hiding under a rock in the shadows, bemoaning the lack of light. I can be the light...

Drive Through vs. Drive By

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:56:35 EST
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After stopping for gas this morning I had a really powerful temptation. From the gas station to work I would go by Krispy Krème Doughnut, just the thought sent the saliva to flowing. A dozen doughnuts for an impromptu lab meeting, a gathering would be a nice close to the week. But I say to myself, “you really don’t need doughnuts, yes I know I say, but one with coffee would be so tasty, yes, but, but, I know, I know.” As I reason with myself the store comes into view,...

Feeding Frenzy

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:36:10 EST
"The quality of your fuel determines the quality of your body."

Would that explain this morning’s headache??? Not sure what got into me yesterday other than lots of junk and now I feel like rubbish – yucky feeling!
198
What’s so terribly wrong with this is the fact that I know better, from all angles I know we really are what we eat or rather our body’s efficiency depends on what we do or do not put in it. So here’s the mind thought process of yesterday…
...

Starting over is hard to do...

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:20:58 EST
So many one liners from songs that come back to ya while contemplating life's long winding road.
Yesterday’s honest calorie count was no real surprise, the numbers never lie. If one eats a day’s worth of calories at one meal, another half day’s worth for snack, well then one should anticipate no losses but rather be honest and accept the gain. It’s really a no brainer; to lose, one’s intake must be less than the use…It’s one of the few times when if you don’t use it you get to keep i...

Starting over is hard to do...

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:17:48 EST
I heard it in a love song...

So many one liners from songs that come back to ya while contemplating life's long winding road.
Yesterday’s honest calorie count was no real surprise, the numbers never lie. If one eats a day’s worth of calories at one meal, another half day’s worth for snack, well then one should anticipate no losses but rather be honest and accept the gain. It’s really a no brainer; to lose, one’s intake must be less than the use…It’s one of the few times wh...

Being lost and the best laid plans

Tue, 27 May 2008 05:50:03 EST
Or “How did it come to this?”

For weeks/months, even years now I have struggled with, talked about, yet honestly did nothing for longer than a few days concerning the regained weight. It has come to the point that what was is so far back though I remember this journey is a new path, an un-blazed trail. Staying on task is so hard when there is the other, who is in the same boat yet weak when it comes to personal self control with foods and exercise.
OK, no one is to blame b...

A Plan

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 16:28:30 EST
Yesterday, I sat down and make a solid plan, including all meals, snacks and exercise time.

Today I made the gym at noon, the scale in the dressing room there is the one I have been checking weigh on for these past 5 years. It was sad to see how the numbers have come back up, but I am not beaten, I know what I must do:

Eat wisely and Exercise!

Today's foods journaled and I have walked the walk...

Day 2 of the Journey

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 09:10:47 EST
Yesterday went well, no real loss of control until dinner time - I should have had a snack on the drive home...Yet I did write it all down and managed to almost stay out of the open bag of M&Ms.

Today I'm testing the waters a bit, still trying to decide where to put my daily 'journal' .

Taking back control

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:13:39 EST
One man's creativity is another's brain damage.

- Roland Fischer

"If you accept someone else's idea of reality and personal limits, you'll have no control over your own destiny. "

For too long I have let the doubts of others rule, no more!
Not today, rather yesterday I stopped, listened and followed my song - to what ever end, my way...

Day one - OP and moving
Life is Good!

(no title)

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:48:56 EST
We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once.

- Nietzsche, philosopher

Well enough wasted time – today it continues in a new light.
I am miserable with the added weight. I can either suffer and miserably endure or get back on program and feel better.
Out with the negative - dancing on!

Letting my light shine

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:51:46 EST
Life is not a 'brief candle.' It is a splendid torch that must be made to burn as brightly as possible before it is handed on to the next generation.

- George Bernard Shaw, Irish critic and playwright

"Light is meant to be shared. If you try to horde it or keep it covered, out of everyone's sight, you'll just end up smothering it. Try to close it in your fist so it doesn't get away, and it burns you. You can't possess light. All you can do is appreciate it, use it and he...

Over booked

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 04:19:40 EST
Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

- H. Jackson Brown

"What will you do with your time today?"

Perhaps today of all days I will do as I wish with my time… Get much needed work done and the ever off the plate first, exercise reestablished in the right time slot. Must remember the p...

Setting Sail

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:32:13 EST
A ship in the harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are built for.

- Anonymous

“If you are waiting around for your goals to just fall into your lap, it could take awhile. But your goals are achievable--if you're willing to break from the norm and cast your ship down uncharted waters.”

Here, here…
I know this one all too well – yeap followed the dream, until I fell and fell hard, this slip almost let the dream slip away. How, by not walking out side ...

Standing, it is a start

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:07:07 EST
Stand for something or fall for anything.

- Anonymous

“Everyone needs something that gets them moving in the morning, keeps them going through the day, and makes them continue to work toward a goal….Perhaps you need to reevaluate your commitments and renew your conviction toward your purpose.”

Ouch!!!
Where is the shieldmaiden, who bowed her convictions to no one???
She is struggling under a load of obligations, shadowed by apathetic pessimisms.
...

On the road again

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:18:33 EST
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

- Unknown

After being so totally lost I am finally honestly going back to what works: Having the positive outlook that made jumping up at 4:30 am every morning to walk a joy and sweating in the gym fun. Not a chore to be rushed through; a highlight to the day. The only way to begin, things get tuff – take a hike, literally!

To make it so...

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:35:19 EST
Plant seeds of expectation in your mind; cultivate thoughts that anticipate achievement. Believe in yourself as being capable of overcoming all obstacles and weaknesses.

- Norman Vincent Peale

"Do you believe in your abilities? Believing is a wonderful, powerful tool but it takes more than that. You've got to fight the elements, take good care of yourself, and dig down deep for courage in order for your seeds to be cultivated into success. "

I am forever telli...

How my gardens blooms

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:50:44 EST
And then the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

- Anais Nin, Danish diarist

Trying something new got me on the road in the beginning; mayhap something new is needed now. Has my motivation worn off with the newness? NO, it was hurtful words too far back to really matter that turned the tide. Those actions were like herbicide to the wild flowers on the lawn, which most consider a weed. Guess I’m just a ...

On tree hugging

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 08:43:38 EST
Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children.

- Kenyan proverb

Taking it outdoors, getting back in touch with my old tree hugging self is where I must go. This is another point lost recently due to over extending commitments. I am working very hard at the moment to balance scout time with family time plus leaving time for myself to go and be in those places I so love. Planning as with all things is the key, but l...

Searching for the "ROAD"

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 08:48:38 EST
If it is to be, it is up to me.

- Author Unknown

Everyday I say to myself, "This is the day I start back, the journaling, the walking, and all", but there is a dark inner voice that keeps saying, "tomorrow, finish this, just sit a bit longer, you will have more energy, tomorrow". Well the only person holding me back, stopping my quest for better health is me - me, me alone. Though when it was me alone going to the gym and eating healthier was easier -WHY???

Stretching the envelope

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:37:22 EST
Know your limits...but never stop trying to exceed them.

- Anonymous

A little pain lets you know you are alive or so I heard many times while climbing hard trails. Funny thing those hard climbs were like having a baby once delivered all the pain vanished into great wonder and joy. Limits are what we can do, the lower limit of what we are capable of doing…we must push beyond to reach our full potential for today.

All this is well and good, yet means nothing ...

A battle won, a battle lost

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:20:35 EST
Self-love is the only weight-loss aid that really works in the long run.

- Jenny Craig, diet guru

I came off the trail two weeks ago in much better shape than when I started, yet post hike has been a disaster - no exercise, bad food choices. Yea, like I am lost, shell shocked from the war, the rush to get to the top of the mountain - been there, now what do I do???

Shake off the blues step up and take my life back, make it what I want it to be!!! Plan the n...

On healthy eating as a family

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:27:30 EST
It's bizarre that the produce manager is more important to my children's health than the pediatrician.

- Meryl Streep, actress

Why is it bizarre?? We are after all what we eat and were we to eat as our bodies needed many of today's diseases would be diminishing instead of growing in number of new cases.

I am very guilty of falling into the convince food trap that many working active families do. Driving through on the way to the next adventure is so inviting...

Enjoying the journey

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:05:16 EST
You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.

- Shira Tehrani

Today is catch up day - reading over missed spark mail in my mind lightly reflecting on missed quotes, yet some are so profound they require written wording:

Spark's take:
"Life is like a marathon. We run and run, not knowing where (or how far) the finish line lies. We focus so intensely on prolonging the race but sometimes--despite our...

On creativity

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:38:17 EST
A rock pile ceases being a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.

- Unknown Author

The party invitations have been created and printed with a way to do the envelopes in the works putting the latest adventure right on schedule with out the help of negative thinking sister with whom all things are impossible unless it involves a ball of sorts.

This is a free weekend where we all get to stay home, as for ...

I did it!!!

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:20:21 EST
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain, American writer

This has been my motto quote for sometime now ... as I prepared for the hike of a life time or was it the beginning of more great trips to come?
No regrets, I could have gotten into better shape and at o...

On writing new goals

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:20:26 EST
The palest ink is better than the best memory.

- Chinese Proverb

This is so true, yet I find it difficult to write the negative ... after Philmont goal write the truth, the whole truth.

But today I scramble, so much to do, so little time...

Blazing my own trail

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:50:04 EST
There are two kinds of man: the ones who make history and the ones who endure it.

- Camilo Jose Cela, Spanish novelist

WhT SPARK HAD TO SAY:
"Do you make your own history? Or do you endure the life that others make for you? When you choose a direction and dedicate yourself to it, you make history. When you listen to naysayers who convince you that it can't be done, you endure history. When you set your priorities and stick to them, you make history. When you get dis...

On Sleeping

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:12:59 EST
Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

- Ovid, Roman poet

When I switch my lifestyle to an early morning workout I found that going to bed and getting rest was number one. Things not done late into the night were done twice as fast in the morning after a good rest and a workout ... shame I lost that somewhere, it is coming back though the road has been long and hard. We try to do TOO many things, thus loosing that which we should do the most for our...

Past is done, the future is bright

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:28:24 EST
Shut out all of your past except that which will help you weather your tomorrows.

- William Osler, Canadian physician

"Tomorrow is much brighter when it's not smeared with a fixation on yesterday."

What Sparks had to say:
"Memory can be used for good or for evil. If you use your past as a source of learning, it's worth remembering. If, however, all you do is mull over your mistakes and punish yourself for your failures, it's a waste of time.

Ay...

Didn't listen to the doctor

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:46:06 EST
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.

- Irish Proverb

Not a good morning for this one as I have been up since 2:30, knew the coffee with dinner would do this, yet I had things that needed doing, including a good workout ...tonight I will sleep long and well.

Daily Motivation

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:13:29 EST
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing--that's why we recommend it daily.

- Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

Believing I am worth the effort and the good feeling from living as I should...
-Exercise does show results, even small ones that are reasons to celebrate
-Eating a well balanced diet, eating to live, including the occasional "treat" and when I’ve over done it, forgive myself
-Staying clear of negative people wh...

Facing my character

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:41:34 EST
No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer

Seeing the positive starts with seeing the same in me; I am the soul proprietor to what is happening to me in the here and now for I can not change the past, but I can learn from it....
People who sit around bemoaning their lives, blaming all that happens on someone else are truly sad individuals, for they are blaming things that they will never have control over, will n...

View from the heights

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:45:46 EST
If I have seen farther than other men it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

- Isaac Newton, physicist

The view from great heights is fantastic, yet we do not get there alone, we have the help of those around us, those who push us up either with encouragement or those that fire our inner determination because they said we can't - it is how we seize the day, our attitude that takes us to our vision. We should never forget we are not alone, 'we are a part of this w...

Seeing the task done...

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:02:58 EST
The value of marriage is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults.

- Peter de Vries, novelist and editor

Taking responcibility for my actions and lack there of ... working hard to loose what was regained and gain that which was lost! The weekend has been a very good one - great kayaking trip, watched food intake on the trip and at the family reunion - Philmont a week and a half away - I will be ready!

On me liking me

Sat, 9 Jun 2007 07:09:49 EST
Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else.

- Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights activist

Very wise lady ER...
The more I stay the course with healthy eating and exercise the better I like who I am ... it is like eating the junkie foods make me feel junkie, worthless; where as, taking the effort to be better, improve myself from the inside out I can see the good in me....

A scout is kind

Fri, 8 Jun 2007 05:45:09 EST
Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

- Church billboard in Louisiana

The 6th point of the scout law:

When you feel good, your good feelings will over flow to those around you, by your actions and deeds making them feel good which in turn come back to you – it’s a cycle of “good” … kindness is the gift that keeps on giving especially when you are kind to yourself!

The scout law, not just words, a way of life

Kin...

From the ashes

Thu, 7 Jun 2007 05:44:11 EST
When things go wrong don't go with them.

- Elvis Presley, rock idol

Sparks has defined this so well:
"The new, healthy way to spend down times is to lift yourself up and operate at a higher level. Remember that what happens to you is not who you are. It's history. It's past. Your true self takes that history and decides how to make the best possible future out of it. You have the power to keep your attitude and values from driving into the ditch along with the event...

Ramblings of the battle weary

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 05:35:12 EST
To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

- EE Cummings, poet

For years I have fought the fight, for several I was actually winning. We all have setbacks; this last year has been a big one for me. I let those who would have me be something other than what I am, almost win.

“Take a look at your priorit...