Keep on moving, but keep it in perspective.

So, I’m not a good accountability partner, motivator, or leader here. You may be floundering, like me, and I’ll pat you on the back and say, it’s okay!  I probably would do that even if I were excelling in my own endeavors, because I’m one of those people who have a very hard time not saying something encouraging, even when you need the hard words of truth. But, today, I’m likely saying that, because I need a lot of grace myself, and I’m trying to not be discouraged and give up.

Thank you, Jodi, and Marina, for speaking up and reminding me today/yesterday.  Thank you, Mary, for speaking from your honesty last night at Girl Time.  I had to laugh, as I was sitting with Kayla, and said, “she told me she wasn’t going to let more than a day go between workouts “, but desperately needing to be reminded, as you were, that the physical exercise isn’t the priority, though it is good and important.  But some days, even if it’s just not working your way, and even when you WANT to exercise, it’s not happening…what you NEED is the Lord.  God is not to be our ‘top priority’, but rather EVERYTHING…Whom EVERYTHING centers around…Who is to be in EVERYTHING we do.   Such a healthy perspective.  So, girls, if you’re discouraged, as I am, lets get our lens focused here, and get refreshed.  We’ll do what we CAN, and surrender the rest.  If we spend what remaining energy we have on WORRYING about what we DIDN’T get done, we are missing the point entirely.  So, let’s #1: let His praise continually be on our tongues, and #2: celebrate what we DID get done.

It has been a few days since I worked out last. I decided to tackle this ceiling project (which even now is probably about half-way or slightly less done), on a weekend when I should have been doing my bills, getting to the grocery store, cleaning the house, going to the bank to open a business account, winterizing my roses before we dip into another freeze, cleaning up the nasty yard, and getting ready for the out of town guests who are coming Friday.  Wasn’t thinking about the fact that we’d have rehearsal Sunday evening, an unexpected visitor from out of town Sunday afternoon, be at service for both services so Andy could fill in at the coffee bar (and hence, I got drafted to assist with worship team), an impromptu date with Andy Saturday night, Girl time last night, and then only 3 evenings to get all the other stuff accomplished before our company comes in town…then we’ll have them here Friday through Sunday afternoon, Bible Study Sunday evening, and then we’re having friends for dinner Monday night that we’ve been trying to have over for, mmm…probably since we moved into our house over a year ago, so even though it’s at the end of a very busy weekend, we’ll take it!  Wow…I’ve been trying to keep my to-do list straight in my head, but now seeing it written stresses me out even more!  FYI, on top of all that, yesterday, I went in to work early so I could get off early, so we could go sell the Honda, before going to Girl Time at 5:30.  I ended up working an extra half an hour, and didn’t have time to take a lunch, so I grabbed Taco Bell (not so good, but OH SO GOOD!).  And we didn’t get home until after 10:30 from Girl Time. Today, I slept in a little (hey, sleep is as important as exercise, and I’m not just saying that as an excuse), then went to work, then home to make a grocery list, to the store, back to make dinner and then to work more on the ceiling so I can get the bulk of the mess it has left EVERYWHERE cleaned up (actually, another reason I haven’t worked out: all my tools and cut up ceiling tiles have been in my workout space and everywhere else).  Aaagh. Enough justification. Suffice it to say, I’ve not had a lot of down time this weekend/week.

BUT, it’s no excuse to not keep working at it all, and that is was I want to encourage you with. I don’t know if I can do the exercise, at least over the weekend.  I will try to get in 20 minutes tomorrow and Thursday, but I’m not going to beat myself up about it if I don’t. And my food goal is going to be not to overeat, and keep the indulgences moderate (while we have our visitors, that is…until then, going to do things weight watcher style, though I may not take time to count points, just stick to the foods I usually eat when I AM counting points.)  So you can definitely hold me accountable with my food choices.  As they say on The Biggest Loser when they have an injured contestant, if you can’t exercise, your nutrition has to be spot on.  I’ll do what I can!  Which leads me to need to confess that not only did I eat Taco Bell yesterday, but at Girl Time, the ONLY thing I ate was dessert!  I DID have a tiny bit of rhyme and reason, which I’ll not delve into here, but it gave me an upset stomach and MORE, so I did pay the price. So, yeah, gotta get the nutrition back on track!

Mostly I just want to say that keeping an intentional mindset is crucial. I have a tendency to throw in the towel completely when I have a week like this, and plan to “start over” next week.  I end up eating WAY over, because I figure I’ll try again next week, so I’ll just not care this week.  And that is how progressively you put on 10 lbs in 6 months. So, if you’re having a really busy couple weeks, like I am, recognizing that we aren’t even into the thick of the busiest season of the year, yet, definitely don’t stray from your commitments: we need to set goals and stick to them.  BUT, when it’s just not happening, despite your best intention, go to God first, and then control what you CAN control. And keep talking about it.  It’s when you shy away, hiding from your accountability, that it gets forgotten!

Checking in ;)

Today was better!  I worked out a few minutes ago.  (Well, I guess more like over an hour ago). And I ate well, though probably over my alotment for the day, because I neglected to count today.  But, suffice it to say, I’m working on the moving again!  Did you work out?

I’m learning: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Plain and simple. If you don’t think ahead, plan when you’re going to workout, plan what you’re going to eat, you’ll forget to workout until you’re too tired, and you’ll eat something bad for you or too much when you’ve gotten too hungry.

I wish I had more words of wisdom for tonight. I had been thinking of a few earlier, but now my brain is shutting down!  Let’s do something together tomorrow: Let’s drink more water. Maybe avoid soda or something.  I’ll have my cup of decaf coffee in the morning, but I’m going to try to drink water instead of anything else the rest of the day.  I’m notoriously a non-water drinker. ;(  Need to improve that!

I’m here…struggling, but here!

I’m supposed to be setting a good example here…I was all amped up last week, and this week has been HARD. More because I’ve been distracted than anything else.  I’ve fallen off the bandwagon. BUT I’M NOT QUITTING.  DON’T YOU QUIT EITHER!!

Diet has been so-so…no major catastrophe’s.  But not good enough to lose. And following the hormone regulating diet hasn’t been as easy as you think it will.  Not that it’s unbelievably rigid.  But I’m finding it difficult to do a few of the things that are really the main things in my regular diet that need to change in order to follow it.  That made no sense!

I’ve also been having that normal female cycle interferences, so I’ve had next to no motivation for exercise. It’s been a couple days.  Not gonna lie. And I’m heading to bed now.

BUT I’m working out tomorrow. Check me on it!

Admitting the struggle is step one. What one thing are you going to do tomorrow that is different than today to make it better?

Will post later…

Hey, friends. I’m not feeling awesome. Going to head to bed early. (yeah, this is early for me lately…trying to shift that a little).  I admit that I did not get my workout in today. I’ve blown it more often this week than I said I would.  BUT, I know you all are there to keep up the health effort. And it’s gonna be good in the long run.  Don’t beat yourself up if you’re missing one day, or struggling with the motivation.  Just stick with us. We’ll encourage each other.

FYI, I didn’t start my extra stringent diet effort, yet, for circumstances that took lunch way out of my realm of control. So, things are ready for tomorrow. I will also be working out in the morning, and I do not know if I’ll have a chance to post any updates until Saturday.  Make your actions purposeful tomorrow (and tonight, if you’re tempted to snack!).  Love ya.

Oh, and try to get a little extra sleep if you can.  That’s probably as important (if not more than) as exercise.

Keeping up…

with the blog is almost harder than the workouts!  I’m sorry my long-windedness is dwindling (you may be happy!)…but I’m keeping up the exercise.  Are you?

Day one of 30 Day Shred.  Sore from last night’s workout.

But today I got asked if I was pregnant. Granted, I was wearing a long shirt, but I don’t believe I actually looked pregnant.  But to an old lady who wouldn’t have worn a top like that unless she were pregnant, I guess it symbolized pregnancy to her.  She then said, “Well, you look cute! You should be pregnant!”  Okay!

I also wore my stirrup pants.  I felt cute today.

Tweaking my diet for two weeks starting tomorrow, to see if the hormone balancing act is something I can do nutritionally to jumpstart my metabolism, which is pretty much off the rail right now. I need to get it chugging along, and maybe see if it helps other things in my system to work better.  Mmm…maybe even stop my skin from breaking out?  Wouldn’t it be nice…but I’ve dared to dream on that one since 4th grade!  Fortunately they only really make me self-conscious every now and then any more.   Aaah…but that isn’t why you got on to read my blog today. I digress.

Love you, friends.  Keep up the good work.

Hey, also, for snacks…Try an orange and a handful of walnuts or almonds.  Low glycemic fruit (I think), loaded with vit C, and all the good stuff in those nuts.  It’s what I’ll have on hand tomorrow. OOOOOH…and here’s an Angie tip. Now is a good time of year to find Valencia oranges…they are way juicier (the best for making fresh OJ, which is not really my recommendation for trying to lose weight), and sweeter than navel oranges (less tart).  If you’ve never purposefully tried one, DO IT.

Good and bad

Hey…I have plenty to write about, but I’m pooped.  Here’s the LD:

The Good: I worked out!

The Bad: it was 20  minutes, not 40.

The Good: It was one of my new Jillian Michaels workouts…not the shred yet, but the metabolism burning one. Thought I’d do the whole 40 minutes, but after 20 min, I knew I needed to work up to this. I’m more out of shape than I think I am.   And already, my legs feel like spaghetti, so I think it was a wise move.

The Bad: I’m a little bummed, though I shouldn’t be surprised, that there are a lot of risky moves for my easily dislocating knees in this workout. Don’t know how, but kickboxing is usually pretty tame for my knees, but full on plyometric jumps that require 180’s in the air do not offer me the promise that I’m going to land with my foot and knee going the same direction. You use your imagination for the rest. If there is one thing that I DO NOT EVER WANT TO DO AGAIN IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE is to dislocate my knees. I squirm at the thought.

(Sidenote…that would be another reason I often do not work out…fear of injury. See last post for other reasons.)

The Good: I didn’t eat horrible.

The Bad: I didn’t eat awesome. Haven’t been to the store yet this week, and we’re eating out a bunch….my choices have been less than stellar.

The Good: I am starting to incorporate Jillian Michael’s 2-week diet from her Master Your Metabolism book into my weight watcher plan, effective tomorrow. I’m excited to read the book…looks packed with interesting info that is more than most generic weight loss books.

The Bad: I have to get to sleep…so no more blog for tonight ;(  Love ya!

Confessions

1. I did not work out yesterday. I’m making a new rule for myself: Sunday is Sabbath, and workout is optional depending on how our weekend goes. Now, key rule of accountability (and self-control) is to not make up new rules at it goes. But to be honest, our weekends are usually not very relaxing, and often, depending on Andy’s sleep schedule, whether or not we’re on worship team at church, and whether we have Bible study or not, Sundays are nutty. And it was for us. Actually, Saturday was nutty, and Sunday was half-nutty. We both decided to take a nap Sunday and ended up sleeping close to 3 hours.

2. I did not work out today. This should not be acceptable. My reasons: Barely a moment at home. I went to work a little late, but it was because we are having some serious marital discussions about some MAJOR decisions we are making. So no workout then. Came home for about 30 minutes, before going back out with Andy to get dinner, and go shopping. Shopping for what? I’ll tell you in a minute. We just got home, and I have a TON of housework that needs to be tended to, and it’s already almost 10 pm. So, accountability partners, here’s my plan: tomorrow, I’m doing a 40 minutes kickboxing workout, as opposed to the 20 minutes. Now, if I don’t do that, you really need to remind me what our goal is.

So, for the shopping? Well, despite my determination to lose weight so as to not have to buy a whole new wardrobe, I had a very discouraging day yesterday (and Friday and Saturday, too). Granted a lot of my clothes are in the laundry, but I had the most depressing time trying to find something to wear. Switching to fall clothing is not good, as I think I’ve grown out of much of my fall wardrobe. I only own 2 pairs of jeans, and one now has holes in a not-trendy location, so I’m down to one pair. And they’re not good looking any more. And all of my sweaters and long sleeve shirts are getting too short because I’ve gotten wide enough that they do nothing but ride up my sides. Now, I truly don’t care if I look like a fashion bug when I’m going to be on stage at church, but I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard either…and I definitely don’t want to be up there pulling on my clothes the whole time, because that will send the message that I’m too worried about how I look, or at least that I’m uncomfortable.

So….after much deliberation, we decided to go get a few things. I’d like to have a lot more pairs of jeans, but because I’m GOING TO LOSE WEIGHT, I only bought one pair (Old Navy, so not too overpriced), and I bought something I vowed I would never buy after the eighties ended: stirrup pants!!

Anyway, I got some shirts and a sweater and a couple dresses to wear over leggings or jeans. And I plan to get a couple pairs of shoes tomorrow hopefully. I figure, I’m not doing my self-esteem any good to be frustrated every day that I get dressed, and the only thing that I won’t be able to wear even when I loose the weight is the pair of jeans. So that is what we were doing tonight.

To follow up my question: Why don’t we work out? Good answers, Jodi

My answers:

1. If I have to work out between outings as my only time available, I really don’t want to get sweaty and have to redo everything.

2. I didn’t get enough sleep the night before to make it happen before work.

3. It’s too late in the evening.

4. I’ll wake up Andy if I have to go in and rummage for workout clothes after I get home from work, but it’s before he’s awake. (Um, plan ahead, Angie!)

5. I don’t like it. Even though I always feel good afterwards.

6. I feel really comfortable, and don’t feel like getting uncomfortable. It’s called laziness.

7. The only workout I’ve ever REALLY loved, is turbo-kickboxing at 24 Hour Fitness. But I can’t afford the membership there only to go for classes…and I end up not going to the classes because they are at inconvenient times. If they would offer one before work, I’d get up early enough to go, absolutely. It’s worth it. Oh well….the videos are only half as fun.

Anyway, sorry for my two day absence, and my unfortunate performance. But I’m not done, not giving up. Thanks for sticking in it with me! Let’s do what we need to do tomorrow!

Day 4: Kickboxing, finally ;)

Don’t have time to elaborate, ‘cuz I have to hit the shower and get to work!

I did 20 minutes of kickboxing. Refreshing.  But it was tempting not to.  Made me want to ask a question:

“What are reasons/excuses you give to keep you from exercising?”

Throw them out there. I’ll give you mine tomorrow.

Yes, I ate at Denny’s. For some reason, this Denny’s does not have the whole wheat pancakes advertised in the menu. What a scam   But I ate 2 regular ones with most of the butter removed, sugar free syrup, egg whites and chicken sausage. I KNOW the sausage isn’t low fat, the eggs were probably cooked in butter (they were too yummy), and of course white flour and sugar isn’t good, not to mention that pancakes are fried on oil or butter…

But it was good. It was a treat. And I’ll make sure that the rest of my weekend accommodates for it.  That’s the key…finding balance.

Tonight: I think we’re picking up salads on the way to visit Grandma. Should be easy to keep healthy.  Wish I had time to make my “secret weapon” cupcakes, as my husband calls them.  I’d tell you the secret, but then I’d have to kill you…

Day 3: You guessed it–yoga!

Ok…so I started this every day workout thing on the most busy 3 days of the most busy week of my month. I literally haven’t been getting home until LATE, have not been having time between work and having to be somewhere, and haven’t been able to pull off getting up BEFORE work, because I was up so late the night before.  So I did one more night of yoga, which is relaxing, but also painful. I’m so tight and out of shape, so most of the stretches are awkward and uncomfortable. Oh well.

Tomorrow will be busy, but a little less so. I won’t be going to Zumba after all, because I got called with a request to work over the weekend because there are NO therapists available, so I’m giving them a half day.  So, I’ll sleep in a little, get up and do 20 minutes of kickboxing, go to work for a few hours, and then go to church for the worship team, and then to my grandma’s for a little family gathering.  They usually get take-out for that Sat. evening gettogether, so I don’t yet have a plan for how I’ll eat.  I’ll have to take it as it comes depending on where they get food from.

But, FYI, I am going to splurge here in a few minutes. I’ve been really good today, even though I haven’t journaled and tallied all my food…I’ve kept it pretty clear in my head. I may be a tiny bit over, but I have an allowance of extra points I can use, and exercise adds points, so I’m not in the red yet.  But, in 40 minutes (12:30 am), I’m going to meet my husband on his ‘lunch’ break, at Denny’s.  I’m really in the mood for pancakes. So, I’m planning on getting whole wheat ones, with sugar free syrup.  I should get oatmeal, or something, but this will be my one indulgence for the weekend.  I may get eggs or turkey sausage, so I can balance the carbs with protein…but that’s added calories, so I’m debating.    Maybe I’ll do MORE than 20 minutes of exercise tomorrow, so I can get more points to balance this treat!

Love you, friends. Keep up the good work, and I’m loving the communication.  You’re doing great…if we get a rhythm now, we will have an easier time keeping the rhythm through the holiday season.  That will be a challenge!  But we’ll gear up, have a plan, and be accountable.  Maybe we can get through Thanksgiving and all the pre-Christmas stuff and actually lose weight up until Christmas!

Day 2, late night exercise!

Sorry for the LAAAATE night post. I just now did my workout for the day.  I got home from worship rehearsal shortly before 11pm, and I ate a little more dinner (because I ate only part of it in a rush before leaving for rehearsal), and then did 15 minutes of yoga.  I promise, I won’t be doing yoga all the time.  I just can’t pull off kickboxing at 11:15, and then try to go to bed.  I’m so delirious, I’d probably injure myself.

I’ll either do yoga or pilates tomorrow (I’ll have even less time to do it than I did today), and kick it into high gear Satuday.

SOMEthing is better than NOthing.  What did you do today? (yesterday by the time you may read this!)