Trying to relax

Sat, 6 Apr 2013 21:47:12 EST

...and be a little easier on myself. I'm finding that when I just quit nagging myself all the time, as if to a rebellious teen, the rebellious teen within myself cooperates and does what she is supposed to do a lot more freely. Anyone know what I mean?

I even allowed myself to break my 10 minute a day streak. Now, I regret that, but at the time I just didn't want to do anything. Now I have to start all over.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:46:09 EST

335 335 335 335

Remember Mr. Rogers? I can hear his voice singing that song. And it is truly beautiful today. Walked 3 1/2 miles this morning, then attended the funeral of a man I know is with God today. Celebrating his life and his influence....

Husband is home from Boston today, to the rest of our leaves on the lawn. Had dreamed of getting them raked so he wouldn't be faced with that... but didn't make it.

Best ne...

Checking in...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:55:24 EST

Haven't been writing lately - been lazy and depressed. This always means, as I've come to know, that I'm headed for another breakthrough. Not sure I'll share it here; I have a lifelong habit of not really sharing my deepest thoughts. It's a trust issue, as sharing in the past has proven disastrous. May be another thing I have to "work through." I'm so delighted at my age to not be perfect yet. I sense when we reach perfection.... we die! LOL!

1) Did I cook today? No.... advantage of being only two pe...

Thumbs up to pumpkin butter

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:37:05 EST

Followup on jellies and jam as sweetener for hot cereal..... yummy! Especially my daughter's pumpkin butter I ate today. I'm limiting myself two 2 tsp., so it's not quite as sweet tasting as my maple syrup, but it's really good.

1) Did I cook yesterday? Yes - Chicken fingers, browned with olive oil, on noodles with herbes de provence and parsley. Really tasty. No vegetables on hand, so ate fresh grapefruit after a while. This time of year the red varieties of grapefruit are so del...

Using stored food

Thu, 7 Feb 2013 12:21:59 EST

Cleaned out the refrigerator yesterday, something I do too infrequently. Found 4 jars of mayonnaise (that's my husband for ya!), and 9 jars of various kinds of jelly. The majority of these were gifts over the holidays.

My usual way of eating jellies and jams is on toast with butter. The bread is always whole grain, but it's still a hefty calorie use, and always with butter. This morning, because gifts are something I find hard to just immediately throw away... I decided to use them...

Last Day - Jumpstart challenge

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 12:20:58 EST

I'm not going to check "week 4" on my Jumpstart plan, because I was derailed by the trip. I did still get 10 minutes a day exercise, but couldn't always do the video challenge.

Discouraged a little? Yep! However, I'm looking back over the last month, and I was motivated by the program to do lots of mini-exercises that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been on the challenge.

The hardest thing for me has been to get out of the house and walk. Once started, I love to do ...

Day 26 - January Jumpstart

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 09:28:20 EST

Yesterday was first full day home, and our home welcomed us with comfortable arms. We both enjoy traveling, but we've done a ton of it and it's always so nice to come home. And.... we still like this house better than anything we looked at while we were gone. Some hard decisions are in our future. Our reasons for moving are aged 2 to 18. We're just too durn far from everybody.

It was wet and cold where we were, but I did manage one walk late at night, and got 7 hours of sleep ever...

Day 20 of January Jumpstart challenge

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:46:33 EST

Spent day looking at houses, trying to decide if we want to move to this area. This is a enjoyable activity spending time doing something new, but with my beautiful new remodeled kitchen at home, I'm having a hard time adjusting to something not so nice. The location is SO much more beautiful, though.

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248 34 minutes, including Jumpstart video
3)...

Day 19 - Finally arrived

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:22:36 EST

My husband had some extra work come in, so we didn't leave on trip till yesterday afternoon; arrived at motel 3 a.m. this morning. I've been keeping with the 10 minute SP videos till yesterday, but did upper body routines in the bathrooms across the nation. I've got my laptop, so will try to do yesterday's and today's videos before going to bed.

Just woke up from restorative nap, sitting here in a stupor while I wake up enough to move. We had a good day. Rainy and chilly, but nice...

Day 15 - getting ready to travel

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:50:01 EST

We're leaving Wednesday for 10 days, which I didn't consider when I signed up for this jumpstart. I'm taking my laptop, so should be able to keep up, but we'll be spending a lot of time in the car. Will have to plan some computer and exercise time every day. Those 10 minute videos are going to be a godsend.

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248 311 51 minutes total, included t...

Day 14 -

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:35:55 EST

Peaceful day today. Went 300 calories over my limit [Positive take on this one? I TRACKED IT!!!]. A dessert was a planned treat, the over-fatty dinner was not. And no time tonight to do a long cardio routine. I'll still do my 10 minute jumpstart video, though. At the end of my second week, I'm already feeling the benefits.

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248 198 Jumpstart vide...

Day 13

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 01:12:37 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248 102
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248 198 Two SP videos; no cardio
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248 43

Had a good day today, including good rest last night.

Really wanting to stay up right now.... and it's 12:11 a.m.

It's this need to feel free.... but I've got to get to bed. 7 a.m. rising in the morning for Clas...

Day 12

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:18:41 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248 102
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248 198
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248 43

Good rest probably directly related to the 5 hour night before it. Working on balancing my sleep habits.

52 minutes exercise; Walking w/Leslie and the Jumpstart video. Since I'm in week 2, I'm repeating the small workout and love that it's discerni...

Day 11

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:50:25 EST

Yesterday's feel good: The day's exercise for January Jumpstart included standing on one leg and doing various things. Last time I had something like it, I couldn't keep my balance. Yesterday: a piece of cake.

I found an old Weight Watcher record, and I weighed 20 lbs. heavier than I do now.... yet I've never felt fatter than I do right now. Trying to wrap my mind about whether or not I was simply more fit then, or that my age has caused a shape change that I DO NOT LIKE!!!!!! AAAG...

Day 10 -

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:53:52 EST

Just had another hawk hit our patio window. We have two feeders in the patio, protected by the "U" shape of the back of our house, and two guarding bay trees. The hawk comes in after birds, and doesn't realize how short the space is. This one, at least, was able to fly away. The last time, we had a hawk hanging around for a while while he recovered.

Pardon the unkempt look of this photo. We don't cut down...

Day 9 of Jan. Jumpstart

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:12:09 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

Snow today!! The birds are really taking advantage of our feeders today. Makes me feel good. I feel good and rested today. My walk yesterday, as always, has reduced my body's aches today.

Day 8, January Jumpstart

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:08:30 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

Blah day. Washer overflowed. I did walk, but spent the rest of the day doing almost nothing. Should we blog when we feel this way?

Washer out for a few days, till my husband gets it fixed. He thinks there's something lodged in the drain pipe.

The SP Jumpstart video was especiall...

Day 7, January Jumpstart

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:13:20 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 245

Can't believe I didn't blog yesterday, since I finally spent 8 hours in bed. Unfortunately, my husband woke me up around 5 a.m. with his coughing, and I don't know how long it took me to go back to sleep.

The serendipity? A very vivid nice dream, where someone redecorated my house in a very...

Day 5 - Jan. Jumpstart

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:15:52 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

Almost made 7 hours of sleep last night. Still after midnight when I went to bed, but coming from a 2 - 3 a.m. habit, that's not bad. I'll take it.

Day 4 of January Jumpstart Fitness Challenge

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:05:00 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

!2: 46 to 7:04, 6 hours 18 minutes. Other than sore muscles from the workout yesterday, felt awake and ready for the day.

Day 3 - January Jumpstart Fitness Challenge

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 10:13:55 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

Came closer in sleep last night: almost 7 hours. Was not groggy when I got up, though body a little stiff from the exercise yesterday.

I had 54 minutes of exercise, including the 9 minutes of challenge video. I've gotten a little off track with my recording here, because this is the beginni...

Day 4, day 2 of January Jumpstart Fitness Challenge

Tue, 8 Jan 2013 10:30:05 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245
2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248
3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 248

Only 6 1/2 hours of sleep, and this might be the time I naturally need for sleep. I still haven't dismissed the overwhelming scientific idea that I need 8 hours, but I'm going to have to adjust to going to bed earlier to test that theory out. I get really sleepy about 4:30; I've thought for a long tim...

3rd day of lack of sleep

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 15:38:54 EST

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245

Ligts out at 1 s.m. (however, I took a while to get to sleep), awake at 7 a.m. This goal is only half under my control. Although I can make a choice about getting to bed, waking up is not. I've never been able to lay in bed after waking, and with a late bedtime, I seem to sleep about six hours naturally, when I have late nights. I'm curious about whether or not adjusting bedtime to a earlier time would result i...

Peaceful Sunday morning

Sun, 6 Jan 2013 09:38:15 EST

We have a small backyard overlooking a creek. The back two wings of our house form what is now like a little cave since the two bay trees on each side have grown quite large. Looking out, a stream of sunlight is making it a snug little grotto, with a squirrel tail whipping around from the overhead gutters over the bird feeders as he tries to figure out how to finally jump on the (squirrel-proof) feeders. Husband and I sitting together in the den, silently working our own computers. Is this th...

Poor sleeping habits

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 09:38:21 EST

I'm going to start with my blog today first thing before breakfast, so I can get the first item out of the way.

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 245

I only got 4 1/2 hours last night. For almost a month I've been going to bed from 1 to 3 o'clock in the morning. When I actually turn out the reading light, I check the time. Last night: 1:42 a.m. This morning when I woke some time after 6 a.m., I decided to stay up and see if I can bre...

Borrowing an idea....

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 01:35:05 EST

245 From a SP friend.... three goals a day to help nudge me to better health.

1) Did you get at least 7 hours of sleep last night? 248

2) Exercise at least 10 minutes a day 248

3) Nothing to eat after 8 p.m. 245 Did NOT meet this goal. I used to never eat in the evening, but I've gotten in the habit the last couple of years.

Thanks, SewingMama, for the idea!

Last three years:

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 10:44:12 EST

In 2010 - Gain of 8.8 lbs.
In 2011 - Gain of 2.2 lbs.
In 2012 - Loss of 3.2 lbs.

A loss of 3.2 pounds in an entire year is pretty pathetic, particularly viewed next to the 30 - 60 lb. losses you see all over Spark People, but that halting of an upward progress makes me feel that I've accomplished something.

Desserts and traveling are still my biggest challenges, and I'm sure they'll continue to be.

Here's my plan: Curves on Wednesdays and Fridays, Leslie on Tuesday and Thursday, and 10 minute routines every day. No thinking I've got to get ...

Energy level

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 12:55:27 EST

I love it that I start getting antsy when I sit too long, sure proof that my body likes this increased activity.

Yoga in the morning helps my stiff joints, after I've been sewing too much, and just moving around more makes me feel better. My cat and I love those long sessions in a chair, me knitting and her curled up keeping me warm.... but when I get up, I can barely walk for a few steps. Great motivati...

Sloggin' on....

Wed, 5 Dec 2012 12:32:56 EST

I've been writing a private blog about motivation and weight loss, and the last few days I've been tempted to just say "Blah!" I'm not doing badly, but I'm not making a real effort either. The one thing that's remaining consistent is 10 minutes of exercise a day, while my nagging self is saying "you should be doing much more than this." Is that why I feel "blah?" Because I'm not satisfied now with what I'm doing? ...

Not home yet....

Thu, 8 Nov 2012 09:22:04 EST

Had a physically grueling week in Denver, but also a lot of fun. Our International competition means lots of singing, hooking up with old friends who share the same crazy hobby, new restaurants and lots of shopping for bling and musically related items at our "Harmony Bazaar.

I'm still in pain in my knees, a combination of lots of hours on the risers and then folding my knees up into too-short a space in the auditorium, a price I willingly pay for getting to hear a week of the best...

Ennui...

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:28:38 EST

Feeling kinda "blah" today. This is the kind of day that challenges regular habits. I just wanna stay and play all day. Really, to become oblivious to the outside world, something that's easy when you don't have a job.

(Plenty of work to do though): Taking pictures of our asters, just beginning to bloom; emptying the compost bin and spreading it on front flower bed, then filling up the bin to start on a another crop of compost; vacuuming kitchen and living room; getting rid of kit...

Negative thinking

Mon, 8 Oct 2012 14:35:59 EST

Or maybe we could call it all or nothing thinking. The idea that any bump in the road has become a judgment, a wall, a final decision, something you cannot change. Ha HA HA HA! We spit on that attitude!

Usually a "positive thinker" and naturally happy, I've been gloomy lately, judgmental of not only myself, but of others. I've learned how to change that attitude once already, when my daughter was in seventh grade. That period in a young person's life is always a trial for them and ...

He's Home!

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 10:46:07 EST

And I've already had to turn down two eating out invitations. He's trying to keep me from having to cook, but restaurants are just a danger area for me. We will be eating out tomorrow, as is our habit, but 3 times in one weekend? Not a good choice!

It's hard, though. I always feel like I'm rejecting HIM, because of the way he feels about food. Sigh...

148

Loving saboteurs....

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:10:47 EST

My husband is my favorite saboteur. If I want to get off track, he's the go-to guy. It's not even bad foods he supplies for me... usually fruit, occasionally dark chocolate. In truth, he'd give me anything I ask for, but he knows I'm good at turning down most really bad foods, and will stay away from restaurants he know is a problem. His favorite? Furr's Cafeteria! He knows I won't go, so he goes by himself. I don't like that, and sometimes will go to a "compromise" place that's still not the...

Think on these things:

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:22:03 EST

I've stolen this off another's message in the team posts. Since she "stole" it too, I know she won't mind. This is a great list. It's going on my refrigerator.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today. I am t...

Benefits of Walking

Wed, 5 Sep 2012 10:21:32 EST

I have arthritis. Not bad enough to take medicine for it, but bad enough to have pain throughout the day when I get up from a chair, walk downstairs, etc. Part of my walking program is doing some yoga stretches afterward, when everything is nice and warmed. This keeps me nice and flexible and takes away a lot of the pain.

My dad was disabled. Even when he could get out of a car without getting into his wheel chair first, just getting out and walking into a restaurant was a slow la...

Walking every day

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:47:53 EST

This is really paying off for me, in terms of feeling better. I regret leaving it behind for several years.

My legs are getting stronger again, my back and shoulders and neck are free from pain, and it feels really good to be able to wrap my hands around my feet in my after-walk stretches. When I was first tested for flexibility, years ago, I couldn't even touch my toes.

Walking in the early morning has another payoff.... wild animal sightings! I have yet to see the bob ...

The cookies had no lasting effect

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:34:32 EST

I didn't even go over my calorie limit for the day, and went right back to smoothies and sensible eating the next day. The challenge for me is always to make sure one break in the eating program doesn't make me continue to slide down hill.

I met a friend for breakfast this morning, and got up too late to take my walk, so I walked with Leslie Sansone this afternoon in my den. I'm finding that Leslie break...

Walking

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 00:09:50 EST

I've been walking every morning (except today) for about 10 days, and am enjoying the feeling of getting my legs strong again.

Have been drinking highly nutritious "green smoothies" for about 4 - 5 days, as well.

Okay, that's the good news. The bad news is that I had 4 cookies for supper, and nothing else. And something else.... I don't care.... not at all.

Now, if I do the same thing tomorrow, I'll be depressed or worried, but it won't happen. The truth is,...

I'm Back!

Thu, 5 Jul 2012 10:21:37 EST

From a 3-state trip, in which I had to pack for 3 different activities. Went to see my daughter's family (5 grandkids!), to a crazy quilt retreat, and spent time on both ends of the trip with my husband where he's working.

Came back 3 lbs. heavier, 2 of which are gone already. Not a bad thing, but with all the walking I did I thought maybe I'd lose some. No access to a scale makes it hard to track.

I managed to check in to SP every day, but didn't track any food, anothe...

Good signs:

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:12:30 EST

Today I lifted a heavy bag of garbage. It strained neither my arms nor my back.

Woo Hoo!!!

Quote I saw today:

One-quarter of what you eat keep you alive. The other three-quarters keeps your doctor alive.

Hmmmmm.... hopefully, Spark People is changing that.

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Boot Camp .... Again!

Thu, 7 Jun 2012 13:03:31 EST

Since I came very close to the boot camp goals last time, I'm starting over today. The 10 minute "short time" really helps me to know that I can do it, reminiscent of how Chris was when he started this whole SP phenomena. It is just so reachable.

The main roadblocks for me is traveling, which I will do again in a couple of weeks. I'll take my laptop with me, so I'll have no excuses for NOT doing the 10 minutes. The walking and other cardio is easier for me physically, but harder in...

Self Promise

Fri, 1 Jun 2012 08:07:40 EST

I saw this on a friend's blog, asking others to "pass it on." It's a good one, and I without hesitation, copied it to paste here. Pretty easy, right?

Breaking these defeating attitudes is harder, but "with the help of my friends," I can do it. Like a proverb, there's more to it than first appears.

Why the butterfly? For one thing, I just thought it was pretty.... but it also symbolized metamor...

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