Getting Steps vs Efficiency

I loved my Fitbit. That thing lasted 4 years before it died and I counted the hell out of some steps during those 4 years. But then, it died and so did my motivation for getting those steps in every day. I wasn't on overkill and getting 10,000 steps or more every day but I wasn't sedentary either as I believe my average was close to 8,000 and was enough to make me feel pretty good and shape up a bit until it was over.

Do Y'all remember the movie, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN? The original one? The one where the dad is an efficiency expert or something like that? Anyway, that movie pops into my head when I waste time or movement and gives me cause for thinking things like, 'Ok, I'm going into the bedroom what do I need to do along the way to save myself time and effort?' For example, I'll take my jacket and hang it up in the closet that's on my way to the bedroom as well as my keys and the toilet paper I just bought to put in the bathroom which is located in my bedroom. But this week this situation gave me cause for pause to rethink this whole thing.

Am I 'supposed' to be saving steps? No. I am supposed to be taking steps. Step after step after step until I reach 10,000 at the very least every single day. Do Y'all walk 10,000 steps every single day? Have you ever? Does anyone else out there realize how difficult it is to walk that much in one single day? Or is it just me?

I guess what it boils down to is this: which is more important, getting steps in or saving time? The answer depends on the mood of the day around here as do the answers to just about any question asked. I do like to save time because I cannot stand wasting time though I do enjoy just sitting in front of the television or computer sometimes but I call that relaxing instead of wasting time because labels can save me from being called lazy. BTW, I'm not a fan of labels. Sigh.

I like to be efficient when it comes to doing things I am not a fan of doing such as housework. UGH. I take as few steps and get it done as quickly as possible while still doing it well which works great for dreaded chores but not so great for getting in daily steps.

So what am I to do? If I obsess over being efficient in an activity, I will be efficient and not worry about the steps. If my efficiency obsession does not kick in, I'll go for the steps. This works out nicely in that it is somewhat supportive of my tendency towards laziness because I know I'll be obsessing over the efficiency instead of the steps. At least for now. 

Do any of you get 10,000 daily steps or more?

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Does Working Out Wear You Out?

A true workout usually leaves me feeling energized. If I've had an actual workout, I have a feeling of being worn out when I first finish but it is soon replaced by a feeling of being energized. When I first finish a workout (please note that actual workouts are few and far between) all I want to do is sit down. But I do feel better. I feel happier and recharged. My mood is most improved and I don't dread whatever is on my agenda for that day. Sadly, I rarely exercise. I walk the dog daily- twice, actually. Sometimes we walk quickly but it's not true exercise. I talk myself out of walking a long way nearly every time. I prefer to get a workout done quickly as I don't really care for it. 

Here come the excuses: 

1. I have allergies that flare up and when they do, I can barely breathe under normal circumstances must less while exerting energy. Of course, this is not year 'round. But it is difficult and leads to hacking my head off which I hate because my coughing feels violent at times. 
2. Another excuse is I am fearful of falling down which I've done twice while trying to run. I fell over the dog both times. Not his fault, it was mine for going into the supposed zone and not paying attention. Every time I fall, it's weeks or months before I can get back to it and, by then, I don't want to anymore because I have convinced myself not to or because I have to start all over again and that gets old. 
3. The heat in this area factors into my desire to exercise as well. It's difficult to breathe in this heat while sitting so, walking fast, running, or otherwise working out is close to impossible.

The main obstacle, the one that has me using the above-mentioned excuses, is a total lack of motivation due to laziness. I am one of those people who wants to be fit and trim without the effort. Which is why I am not fit and trim. I am the laziest person I know. I don't like it, but I am that way. Unless of course, it's something I really want to do. Then, suddenly, I have the motivation and the energy. Go figure. Regardless, I still hold out hope that one day, even though I am the age I am, I will change my lazy ways and get myself together and be fit and trim.    

All that being said, the bridge run was this past weekend. It was the 39th year of the Cooper River Bridge Run. I enjoyed the spectacle from my living room chair where I saw men and women in wheelchairs start the race and two people- a man and a woman- go the distance in their exoskeletons. I watched many overweight people either running, walking, or a combination of both. I watch the elite runners too. Everyone impressed me. They also put my excuses to shame. And so, my dearest and closest friend in the world and I are starting to train for next year. We're getting off our big butts and we're throwing our excuses out the door. And we're going to hold one another accountable because, without it, I won't stick with it. 

So, fingers crossed and excuses gone, here we go. 

Does exercise wear you out or make you feel energized?

Dang, I Forgot to go to the Gym Today

Which makes ten years in a row. Ba-dum-tss. (Or however you write a rimshot.)

The question on my mind is: would y'all rather workout alone, with a friend, or in a class at the gym?

I prefer to workout alone. Wait, does the dog count? Because he's with me every time. 

When I was younger, I mostly worked out alone though I would, on occasion, workout with a friend or in a class. I did not mind working out with a group, but it was exhausting. You see, I suffer from being competitive. In everything. So, when I worked out with a group, all my moves had to be just right and I had to last through each different exercise even though I was dying. This would have been a positive thing except the end result was, for the most part, me quitting. I can only keep up giving 110% in an exercise class for so long and then, it's over. Working to be better than everyone else takes its toll and takes it speedy quick. Forget about fitness. Forget about weight loss. I never just went to class to enjoy the company and social interaction with others. I went to kick their asses. And I am quite sure I was not the only one. 

I am much better suited to working out alone. I can listen to music or not. I can go hard or not. I can choose my own time of day without waiting for someone else. I can use a program or video or not. I can mute the instructor on a video. I am in complete control and that's the way I like it. The downside of working alone? I can't think of one single negative thing about working out alone. I'm self-motivated, so I don't need a class for that. I prefer the great outdoors to being stuck inside smelling other people's sweat. I prefer not to hear others pant and huff and puff. I can't stand it when someone tries to carry on a conversation during a workout- intense or not. Listening to an instructor count the number of times I have to kick or crunch drives me batty. I don't need to have a juice bar to visit after a workout. I do not appreciate fancy, expensive workout clothes. Best of all, I don't have to watch some 80 year old man out run me on the treadmill. 

Given the choice of working out with others or alone, I'm going to chose alone every time. 

How about y'all?

    

The Fitbit Post

I finally decided to get myself a Fitbit. I ended up with the Fitbit One. Not really sure why. I guess it seemed to be the best 'fit' for me. (see what I did there? LOL)

So this is the Fitbit post I promised.

This is the one I chose:

 

Intentions. They were lofty, as usual. I was going to get this thing and it was going to change my life. No more sitting on my rear. I would be getting up and moving about the likes of which you've never seen! It was going to be great and the weight was going to fall off like the melting butter I love to ingest.

It arrived on Wednesday, July 2 in late afternoon. No matter. I charged that sucker up, set it up and put it on. I chose to wear it on my bra instead of my pocket since most of my lazy clothes don't have pockets (which is something I'd like to be a squeaky wheel about with the people who design workout pants without pockets). No problem except that I wondered if it was tracking my steps or my flopping boobs.

Reality: I got in about 2500 steps that evening by getting up and jogging in place during commercials. Not too bad.

The second day, I started out ok, but then forgot I had it. Once I remembered, I was right back up trying to get in those steps. I started out easy, shooting for 10,000. I figured 20,000 was just too much.

Apparently, so was 10,000. I made it to just over 4,000. However, the third day, I did make 5,000. Something like 5,247. But that took an entire day. In my defense, it was all inside walking around because that was the day hurricane Arthur was passing us by and Tucker and I couldn't get out and walk because, at that time, it was raining. And I never thought to get back out there.

The fourth day was about the same. And we did get out there and walk so, not so good. But the fifth day? By the time 10:30 AM rolled around, I had already hit 5,296 steps!

Basically, I discovered quickly that just getting in 5,000 steps. I also realized that I had, once again, set lofty goals for myself that were just not obtainable in the first days. I have no idea why I do this, but I do. Every. Single. Time.

I decided to use the food tracker on Day 3. It wasn't difficult because I really thought to myself that it was no big deal. I would just eat whatever I want to eat. But that was erroneous thinking as well. I actually ended up thinking that I had to log whatever I ate so, did I really want to eat it? Was it worth the effort to log it or to try and remember to log it later? Probably not.

I also quickly discovered that I didn't know if the thing kept counting steps when it was updating. Because it takes a few minutes to update, I sat down and waited because I wanted every single step I could get to count. This isn't so bad as you don't have to update often. Which I know because I check frequently since I do get to sit down and rest while it's updating. But it is bad if you forget to use the bathroom before you start so you have to sit there and wait because, well, steps that don't register don't count.

Five days in I decided that I would start adding a Walk Away the Pounds workout to my daily routine. I was doing this before Birdie's wedding and, since I was having trouble getting in my steps, this just seemed like a good idea. I also went out and cut the grass. Well, some of it. The mower (the machine one, not I) ran out of gas. At least it did add steps! By 9:30, I had reached 6,423 steps! 

The closest I got to 10,000 in the first week was 7,153. Oh well, never say die. I do realize that one thing I'm fighting (and it IS a losing battle) is the high humidity and oppressive heat around here. Even inside with the AC, it's not as easy to move around like it is when the weather is cooler. No, it's not an excuse. I mean, it does make it harder but my lack of effort is the real obstacle. If I cared enough, I would get up and get those steps in regardless of the weather. I think. 

Thoughts: the Fitbit is ridiculously priced. I am not happy that I had to pay as much as I did and I got it for less because I went to my old stand-by, eBay. AND, when you set up your online account, you find that there is one that comes with your deep pocket purchase and a premium one where you get to dig even deeper into your shallow pocket and give them MORE money. That being said, of all the trackers I've tried, the Fitbit is the best and most accurate that I've found. You really have to work to get those steps recorded. By this I mean, it doesn't track with every slight movement you make. You actually have to get up and walk or run. I also like being able to see the charts and progress on my FREE account. AND, it really is motivating. The closer I get to goal, the more motivated I am to walk further or find ways to be productive while moving around instead of sitting and wasting time. But I'm never going to be happy with that price. Never. 

I'll keep y'all posted as time goes on. 

Do any of y'all have one of these things? 

OH, and just FYI- I'm not reviewing this for Fitbit or getting anything for it. I'm just posting for those of you who asked. :)

A License To Go SLOW

Over the weekend, on my way to Trader Joe's, I passed three women 'running' down our main road. Coming back from Trader Joe's, I saw another one. These women were 'running' at my speed. Which I like to call walking, with finesse.

I thought I was the only one in town (or maybe even the world) who runs so s-l-o-w-l-y. It's a real issue with me, actually. A runner friend told me that it doesn't matter how fast or slow I go, as long as I keep moving and stay with it. I try to internalize that advice but, no matter how hard I try, I end up trying to run fast and then I get frustrated and/or injured.

I'm sure it doesn't help one bit that everyone I pass when I'm out there is in their 30s and 40s and their slow pace is faster than my fastest pace. Hell, they walk faster than I run. And, when I see them or hear them coming, I speed up because I can hear their thoughts-- "Crazy old woman, why don't you just walk so we don't have to call 911 for you?" Or, "Poor old thing, I guess she's taking the 'slow and steady' philosophy to heart." As soon as I speed up, I regret it. Now I have to keep this ridiculous pace until they catch up and pass me. What an idiot. By time they do, finally, pass by, I can hardly breathe. I want to call someone to come get me. Even though I'm less than a quarter mile from the house.

But now, I've seen them. There are more out there like me. And they're younger. And they're running MY RUN. I feel like I will be running everywhere I go now. It's like these women gave me a license to do so-- freely. Without care or concern about what anyone else has to say or thinks (and, really, I doubt they even notice me).

I just hope it works when that 70+ year old is coming my way. He outruns all of us.

A Few Lessons Learned

This is not all about those life lessons I've learned along the way. Not that it would take me so long because I've learned so much rather, it would take more than a blog post or ten to discuss the frustrations of the lessons that I stubbornly refuse to learn.

No, this is about the lessons I've learned regarding empty nest fitness. Hey, at least I'm learning something.

What I've learned about personal fitness:

• Having a fitness buddy doesn't work for me. I prefer to workout by myself because I work at my own pace and I change, frequently, what I am going to do each day. Right now, I'm working hard on running and having someone doing it with me would be fatal to my efforts. I probably enjoy running because it's such a loner thing to do anyway. 
• No matter what workout I choose, the process is long. It takes a LONG time to get fit once you've been sedentary for years. 
• Noticing the little changes on a daily basis is much better than setting a long term goal for myself. I need to see positive differences as quickly as possible or else I'll get frustrated and shut down. When I run and notice something fitting looser, for example, I am very motivated to run the next time. And I feel good all day long.
• When I do start to get winded or tired while running, I remind myself that there was a time when I could only run about 30 feet before I had to stop. Seriously. Thirty. Feet. This memory drives me to keep going. 
• I can overcome challenges to fitness. At first I had to overcome being so overweight that exercising was rough. Really rough. But I kept going. Now, I'm still overweight (though not as much) but my fitness level has increased a ridiculous amount. I can run up the stairs at school whereas a few years ago I could hardly walk up a flight of stairs. I can for 27 minutes whereas, a few years ago, I couldn't run more than 30 feet at a time. I can walk anywhere for any distance. I can complete a Julian Michaels' workout and feel refreshed instead of doing a half-assed job and feeling like I was dying. There are so many things I can do now. Like, live. 
• I have control over my negative self. I can take him down quicker than the blink of an eye. Seriously, as soon as I even have a remote feeling that he is about to sabotage me, I shut him down. He doesn't even get the first word out of his mouth anymore. 
• I am not one to pick a workout and stick with it. I have changed my workouts so much that I wonder if I could remember them all. And that's ok for me. Right now, running- whether Couch 2 5K or interval-- is working and I enjoy it. But, with my track record, it's subject to change. 
• I finally learned to take a break as soon as something doesn't feel right. This has made a huge difference in the amount of time I have to stay away from working out. Before, I would just go until I was hurt and had to stop for a month or so. Now, it's no more than a day or two. 
• I've learned that ice is my BFF when it comes to working out. 
• I have learned to slow down and appreciate the journey. 

This whole fitness thing has been a long journey. And it's far from over. Once you start it, you never stop. But, really, why would you want to? It makes you feel so much better. It leads to self discovery. It wards off illness. It makes you look better. It will make you life longer. What's not to love about getting fit?!

Work Out Moms

When the first two lovelies came along, Breezy and Deanie, I was pretty good about walking for exercise. I also made use of a few exercise channels- Denise Whatshername was on Lifetime and so was that dark haired guy- forgot his name...oh yeah, Gilad, or something like that. Anyway, I did work out.

Then Birdie and DoodleBug came along. Was I still working out? Sort of. I moved on to the videos- Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies and such. I even teamed up with a friend to do some self-made exercises. There were the two times I tried a gym that provided child care and the Body and Soul workout offered at our church.

I sweated to those oldies about three times. The friend team up workouts lasted less than five months. The gyms lasted less than one month each. Everyone quit the Body and Soul classes.

My biggest problem? Commitment.

My biggest problem now? Being overweight.

Now it's going to take way longer to get into shape and get fit than it ever would have when the lovelies were growing up.

Sure, life got busier and busier the older each daughter got. Their involvements were so time consuming that I ran herethereandeverywhere every day of the week. But that should not have been used as an excuse. I could have fit some sort of exercise in every day had I just put forth the effort. I did not.

It seems, these days, that there is a myriad of ways young mothers can take advantage of getting/staying fit. My suggestion is that they latch on to the way that works for them (or multiple ways) and never let go.

Start a group where you all go for walks/runs together and, if there are multiple children in each family, take turns watching the kids while the others go for the walk/run and then switch. No one would have to watch the kids more than once a week if you work it out right.

Partner with your spouse- take turns working out while the other watches the little blessing(s).

Find something that works and then get out there and DO SOMETHING.

Don't fool around and wait and end up in the shape I'm in now.

Plus, you'll be much better examples of healthy, fitful living for your children than I ever was for the lovelies. The pay off is HUGE for you and all those little eyes that are watching your every move.

Did you take time to workout while your kids were little?

The Fitness Path is HARD

How can we make a conscious effort to get fit? What, exactly does it take for us to take the first step and keep stepping on a regular basis?

I have to wonder if the answers lie within each of us, individually. I mean, what works for one might not work for another. But it's still good to know what others are doing- just in case something sparks that fire within us to get up and get started. And then, keep going.

I've tried many, many (manymanymanymanymany) different ways to get started on a fitness path consistently for the last 3.5 years (inconsistently before that). I've only recently discovered something that I have been able to stick with.

I remember clearly the days of excuses.

• I don't have time (I wouldn't want exercising getting in the way of watching television of sitting on my duff with the computer)
• I'm tired (of course you are dummy, you're sitting on your duff all day)
• I can't afford the gym membership (and, apparently, you can't afford the free stuff like walking either)
• I'm busy with the kids (no you're not, the kids are all grown up--and, even if they were still little, it would be great for them to see you working out and maybe even doing it with you)
• I'm working (not 24/7 you aren't, fit it in)
• I don't want to (guess that's what will go on your tombstone)
• I'm surrounded by unsupportive people (so what, do you seriously let the attitude and opinion of others influence what you do/say/feel/believe?)
• The weather is too hot/cold/rainy/windy/etc (so do it inside, duh)
• I don't have anything to wear (right, like you don't have any clothes that you can sweat in)

The list of excuses went on and on and on and on... 

There are a gazillion excuses out there for NOT getting started. We all have them. We all use them. Of all the  excuses though, MOTIVATION (or lack thereof) is the big mama. 

No one, not one single soul, can motivate us to get fit other than ourselves. It takes self motivation. That's my take anyway. 

I've begun because a friend was doing it and looking great. It didn't take.

I've begun because a special event was forthcoming and I wanted to look good. It didn't take.

I've begun because I didn't want to be fat anymore. It didn't take.

I've begun because I wanted to enjoy going places and doing things. It didn't take. 

I've begun because I wanted people to think I was really awesome working out at my age. It didn't take.

I've begun out of boredom. It didn't take. 

I've begun because of how I looked in pictures It didn't take.

Blahblahblahblah. Some of you have probably heard it all before as well. 

I've started and stopped so many times I ought to be darn fit by now! I am more fit now than I have been in YEARS. AGES. EONS. Since college probably. Undergrad because in grad school, I partied A LOT. 

I've got a library full of DVDs and VHSs---yep, I've been at this whole start/stop thing since we used VHSs. I've worked out inside and outside. I've gone to the gym (yuck) and to classes (double yuck). I've bought the treadmill and I've bought the cute workout clothes (yes, they come in large, lard ass sizes). I've probably done about all there is to do. Including Richard Simmons Dancin' to the Oldies. 

So what finally happened that put me on the fitness track to stay? 

I think it was when I decided I wanted to get fit just to be fit and not to lose weight. And to do it for myself and no one else. 

I also stopped stressing over it. I just decided I was going to do it. I think it also helped to find something that I could commit too with relative ease --the Synergy plan. 

I thought the running was going to do it for me but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get my breathing to cooperate. I know it's still a problem because I'm still trying every so often and the breathing is still an issue. 

After committing to the Synergy plan for 8 weeks (well, 7 actually because I got sick that last week) I noticed a HUGE increase in my fitness level. When I started back three weeks later (I hate being sick) my fitness was at an all time high. Which was odd because I thought I'd have to start all over again.

I'm still working out daily. I walk Tucker every single morning for at least one mile and, on the weekday afternoons, I alternate between Sprint 8/weights and plyometrics/stretching.

This plan is working for me because--

• it's doable
• it doesn't take a long time
• I don't have to leave home
• it's FREE
• I enjoy it
• I'm sticking with it
• MY FITNESS LEVEL IS STILL INCREASING
• I've gone down two sizes since I started it

So, yes. It took me starting and stopping for years before I found something I can stick with for longer than a  few weeks. And yes, I still think how far along I would be had I not gone through all that starting and stopping. 

I guess it was all necessary- though I can't see it right now. Other than my motivation was WRONG. And then there were the times it was MISSING. All that led to where I am now- my body is used to the working out and it craves it. I doubt I could stop if I wanted to. Luckily, I don't want to. 

Not right now anyway.

What gets you motivated and keeps you that way where fitness is concerned?

Working It Out

I discovered, during my three weeks of an awful hayfever attack, that even allergies- if they're severe enough--can interfere with my fitness plan. And I did not like that one little bit.

I had to stop exercising for three weeks. THREE WEEKS. But I couldn't do anything that required exertion because I was certain that I would cough up a lung. Or two. And I kind of need those things. 

This meant I couldn't walk the dogs for a couple of weeks either. But that was ok because Birdie took my place. I started walking them again last week and it went fine. Even though I hacked most of the time. No worries, my lungs remained intact.  

This week, I started back on my Synergy workouts. And I realized just how much I have missed working out. NOT because I had a difficult time. On the contrary! I was back at it and doing even better and working harder than I was before that blasted allergy attack.

I actually missed working out. Hush you say! I know! But it's so true. I was so used to working out on that Synergy schedule, I missed it when I couldn't get it done. But I'm back. I'm stronger than before. The stamina is much better. The motivation returned. It's just fabulous!  

There is a change, however. This time, I have put my own spin on the Synergy plan. 

• Monday/Wednesday/Fridays are for Sprint 8 and weights. 
• Tuesday/Thursdays are for plyometrics and stretching. 
• Then there are the 7 days/week of walking pups one mile in the mornings before school. 
• Saturdays and Sundays are my down days. Unless I miss a workout during the week, then I make it up on the weekend. 

I feel like this is a doable plan not to mention an enjoyable one! BUT, regardless of the plan, I believe the key to this whole fitness thing is developing the habit of fitness.

I've tried so many different ways to get fit. Some of you have read about them on the blog. And I've enjoyed most of them but they didn't stick. Which I thought was due to my short attention span and the fact that I get so bored so easily.

But now that I tried the whole 8 week commitment to the Synergy plan, I can see how it was more about getting into the habit of working out. Once the working out becomes a habit, it really doesn't matter what you do. Your body just HAS to do something. I like this! I wish I had discovered it sooner. But I'm glad I know it now!

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get your fitness habit going! I can't even begin to tell you how much better you'll feel!

If you're already in the habit, what's your best fitness advice? 

Summer Sizzle- And a Rant

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 12 and the beginning of Week 13! And guess what Week 13 is? Our final week! WooHoo!

I really did begin my Synergy workout this week. I even made a page devoted to keeping a Synergy journal. It's at the top of the blog if anyone wants to see how the first week went, or you can just click here. I thought that keeping the journal right here on the blog would help keep me accountable. We'll see.

I would love to tell y'all how I have enjoyed rocking the hell out of this challenge, but that would be a lie. I haven't- as far as weight loss goes. However, as far as fitness is concerned? I think that I might have. Remember those 3 flights of stairs? And now that I've started the Synergy workout, I have to say that fitness has become a major goal.

Weight loss stopped being my main focus a while back when it switched to healthy eating. I can't tell y'all how much better we feel now that we're eating only organic foods- veggies are certified organic and from local farms; dairy products and meats are from small, family owned farms that don't use machinery or give growth hormones or antibiotics to their livestock; grass fed beef, free range chickens/turkey, wild caught fish (fresh from the docks I might add); sugars are only organic cane sugar or honey; flour is unbleached and gluten free; we buy spring water that had to be researched just so we could be sure it was actual spring water with little processing (OH, and there are natural springs right here in our state and one is close to us so I'm going to start filling up there...it's FREE); soaps and shampoos, etc. contain no chemicals... And I know it makes a difference because, two weeks ago, we were out of conditioner and I had some left over from when I bought any old thing from Wally World. I didn't stop smelling that stuff for 3 days and it gave me a headache and made me all itchy...yep, won't be buying anything like that ever again.

And now for the rant portion of the post: I've learned so much about fitness and healthy eating. I've learned which manufacturers to avoid because they claim 'natural' but are not organic and which ones are affiliated in any way whatsoever with the Monsanto Corporation. I've learned that it is nothing less than a complete and utter travesty that our government is allowing big business (and this has been going on for AGES) like the Monsanto Corporation to produce GMO crops and tell the American public that our food is safe and nutritious and even the supreme court who enables Monsanto to run the small, family owned farms out of business. Disgusting. And I don't even know the half of it, I'm sure. But that's enough to make me sick and tired of it. And scared, to be honest. It's not good when our food supply is not only being tainted but being allowed to be tainted--dare I say- encouraged to be tainted.

So, yes, I've lost weight. But that's not the best thing or even the most important. My fitness level has improved tremendously and I'm completely motivated to boost it even more. The foods I feed my family and the products we use are healthy and chemical free. There's no turning back now! And we're all the better for it! And we are more encouraged than ever before to go off the grid. It's time to say, "ENOUGH."

Week 12 - (begin August 19) - SURPASS YOUR FITNESS/WEIGHT GOALS FROM WEEK 10
I definitely surpassed my fitness goals from Week 10 by beginning the Synergy workout!

Week 13 - (begin August 26) - LOW CARB WEEK & NO EATING OUT
We don't eat that many carbs in a day or week and we rarely to never eat out, so this really shouldn't be a problem.


Have a great last week of Summer Sizzle y'all!

Summer SIZZLE...In the Rain

Believe it or not, I'm on time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 11 and the beginning of Week 12! It MUST be a miracle! :)

No wrenches thrown into the mix this week, thankfully. I've been running again- in 100% humidity. That has NOT been fun at all but it's been doable. And, now that summer has rounded the corner and might actually leave (PLEASE, PLEASE leave!) before we all suffer extreme consequences, I'm acclimated. Figures. It has been nice having some rain though. And storms. I love storms.

I decided to step on the scale just to see- and I'm three pounds down. I'll take it. Though I have no idea how much I've lost during this challenge. Way to keep up, I know.  Anyway, that means there is no picture of my weight loss in terms of food which was our challenge from last week.

Everything pretty much remains the same here with eating only organic foods and nothing processed. And water is my only drink except for that cup of coffee in the mornings. I've never been a coffee drinker but I found this espresso blend at Trader Joe's and I AM HOOKED! Oh how I LOVE that buzz burst of energy morning cuppa! Although I am looking for a recipe to make my own organic ginger ale. Anybody have one?

The challenge for this week is to surpass your fitness goals from week 10. Since week 10 had me down with hay-fever, I'm thinking this won't be that difficult. :) Tomorrow is the first day of Synergy for 8 weeks (I know I've said before that I'm starting it but I am this week for real because I just can't put it off any longer). I'm expecting big fitness improvements and will also be incorporating some 5k training in there thanks to Birdie.

And there you have it. Hope everyone has been enjoying a fantastic weekend!

Two Weeks Behind- YIKES!

It's past time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 9 and the beginning of Week 10 BUT I'm just in time for the end of Week 10 and beginning of Week 11. Confused? Me too.

I had a couple of wrenches thrown into play the last couple of weeks. During week 9 we had family visiting and, while I did plan the menu and kept it organic/natural/healthy, I paid no attention to how much went into my mouth. We were having way too much fun for that! We also did quite a lot of sight seeing so when you couple that with walking/running the dogs first thing in the morning- I walked many, many miles that week.

But the BEST thing of all that week? Well, besides the fact that we had family visiting? Ok, get this: we went to the farmer's market on Saturday morning and we parked on the third level of a parking garage across the street. Of course, we NEVER consider taking the elevator so we hit the stairs. Three flights. Going down, not a problem. Going up? Are you ready? NOT A PROBLEM!!! What?! That's right folks! I had no trouble walking up those three flights of stairs! This is a FIRST!!! The exercise is paying off! I am getting fit! I was leading the line going up too so the pace was not slow. And I made it! And I didn't have to stop or think I was going to pass out or have to stop and rest at the top before walking to the car! AND I could still breathe and talk! 

Then Week 10 hit and so did a MAJOR case of hay-fever. UGH. It has interfered with EVERYTHING except walking the dogs. It's rather difficult to exert oneself when you're hacking up a lung and stopping to blow your nose every 10 seconds. My hope for this week is to begin the Synergy plan which is an eight week commitment.

Nothing will change with the food as that has become our daily nutrition at this point.

I'm still staying off the scale because I'm sick of letting it rule my mood about losing weight. I hate being ruled by anything, especially a inanimate object. There's no sense in setting myself up for failure. However, just knowing that my fitness level has increased has made for a tremendous uplift in the mood!

That's it in a nutshell! How are y'all doing?

I'm Late! I'm Late!

For a very important date! I'm a day late posting the Summer Sizzle- Week 8 Update: Week 9 Deets! Sorry!

Well, kind of sorry. It's not like it wasn't crazy around here all week with the 21st birthday and Birdie coming home from London and all 4 of the lovelies and their boys being here all weekend! Whew! It's a wonder I'm still alive!

It's also a wonder I didn't gain any weight this week because I didn't really pay attention- I was just too busy. Although, everything I did eat was healthy. Unfortunately, we still have to watch those stupid freaking calories.

For our weekly challenge, I joined up with Julie who was kind enough to take time out of her incredibly busy days to set up a virtual 5k for us! I can't sign up for an actual 5k until the fall because the one I hope to walk/run is on Thanksgiving day. Anyway, I did get a 5k in even though the time was far from great. It has motivated me, though, to get out there and get my time down!

I mentioned before that I was planning on implementing the Sprint 8 into my exercise routine. I tried it a few days and it's not bad BUT I decided to buy the book that tells more about it and I'm glad I did. There's way more to it than just running (or whatever) sprints.

The book is Ready, Set, GO! by Phil Campbell. He lays the whole thing out for you including the science behind the theory. He gives you exercises WITH pictures (cause y'all know I have to have a picture or I won't understand) and schedules. He also gives detailed instructions so that you can get the best out of the workouts and avoid injury. I'm digging this book.

My dad and stepmom are coming this week with my two nieces so I will put this program into practice beginning NEXT Monday. I just hate doing things like this with an audience.

I saw a piece on Olympic race walking this morning and am going to work on my pace trying out some of their techniques. Though I'll probably look more like the Today Show team than anything resembling an athlete of Olympian proportion. I am not a Today Show fan but prefer the NBC local team over the others so I just happened to catch this. I found a video of it HERE if you want to watch. It was cute!

I'm still sitting on my exercise ball while at the computer- well, I WAS. Until I pulled my back out on the dang thing. That's right. I finally understand that engaging the core means torso NOT abs. Sheesh. I don't know if it's all the groovin' I'm doing while sitting on it, the fact that I'm on there having such a time that I don't realize 2 hours have passed OR a combination.

Ok, this week's challenge: Week 9 - (begin July 29) - NO SUGAR (unless it's all natural) AND NO SNACKING AFTER DINNER The sugar part is not an issue. I already only use honey, Turbinado or Coconut sugar. NEVER refined sugar and always organic. But the snacking after dinner? Well, I've gotten back into that bad habit. So it's good that it's included in the challenge this week.

That was my week. How did y'all do?

It Takes Big Balls To Do That

Most of y'all are familiar with how brilliant some of my ideas are. I've had another. Two, in fact. And they turned out to be just as brilliant as my past brain storms.

The exercise ball already in my possession seemed perfect for my first particular plan. 'Seemed' being the key word there. The lovelies had all been sitting on it without any trouble so, why shouldn't I be able to? Because I'm taller and much heavier than the lovelies, that's why. So when I sat on the ball, my knees came to my ears. This is NOT a comfortable position. Though it did get a rousing roar of laughter from said lovelies.

Armed with determination and my debit card, I headed out for Wal-Mart. Surely they made exercise balls for tall people. They do.

I could hardly wait to get home and pump that thing up so I could start engaging my core immediately. I pumped (and pumped and pumped and pumped) until the ball was just the right size and took into the study where I threw the desk chair to the side and carefully placed my new seat in its spot.

As soon as I sat down I could feel my core engaging! "I must have music," I thought to myself. So I plugged in my iPod whereupon I began ball grooving to the music. For a couple of hours. Those hours went by so fast what with the music and all--seriously, it's way big fun to move around on that ball to the beat of the music. But I needed to get up and move about and do something other than work intensively on the computer (i.e. read blogs).

Lesson number 1 when using an exercise ball as a chair: it's not just your core that engages. Apparently your entire body engages---a fact that does not become apparent until one tries to stand up from said exercise ball. Thus, my legs were wobbly and my back was so sore I could hardly move. Or sit. Or lie down.

OUCH!

No worries...once I got my legs back, I sat on the desk chair and decided that, when I was sitting on the desk chair instead of the exercise ball (which I stayed off of for two days) I would use my 8 lb hand weights and lift while reading blogs doing important work on the internet.

The only problem was that my arms were so sore from all the lifting of the hand weights that I could hardly type. So, if you're have not been getting comments from me, it's not because I wasn't reading. It was due to the fact that I couldn't really move my arms which meant that my fingers couldn't get to the keyboard.

Did I stop using the exercise ball and hand weights? Nope. I did take a break---I had to, I couldn't move. But I'm back. And it's better.

And there's nothing quite as fun as ball grooving to your iPod!

Summer Sizzle- Week 6 Update; Week 7 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 6 and the beginning of Week 7-

Anyone else HOT out there? And, by HOT, I mean sweating buckets upon buckets every single day even when not exercising? Yep. Me too.

On to the update-

• I tried the Sprint 8 three days. It's fine- but too soon to tell how it's going to affect any fitness/weight loss so I will continue until I figure that out.
• I'm still walking/running 7 days/week every week- even in the heat/humidity and even when it rains. I walk Strider, come back to get Tucker and then walk him. After the dogs it's ME time- I walk/run another 2 or 3 miles- except on the Sprint 8 days. I average about 5 miles/day.
• Still drinking the hell out of some water every day. It can't be helped. Did I mention it's HOT outside?
• Still not counting calories but still keeping food intake healthy only (except for those darned dark chocolate edamame that jumped into my cart at Trader Joe's. Again.). 
• Still juicing daily.
• Was successful with this week's challenge of eating vegetarian. 
• I lost 1 pound.

Week 7 - (begin July 15) - COMMIT TO AND SIGN UP FOR A 5K
Ok this one will be easy on the commitment part and difficult on the sign up. I plan to run (maybe walk) a 5k on Thanksgiving Day in Charleston--the Charleston Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble. We can't sign up until the fall. Besides, just signing up for one doesn't do one thing for making me commit to actually DOING it. So, I'll just continue training and sign up when we're allowed to do so. 

And there you have it. Short and sweet!

Hope everyone had a great week and has an even better one coming up! 

Summer Sizzle- Week 5 Update; Week 6 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 5 and the beginning of Week 6-

The heat is still ON but I am SLOWLY acclimating myself to it. I've even been running a little! WooHoo!

The exercise is going well. I walk Strider (mostly it's a run) and then come back and take Tucker (still a pretty fast clip but not a run) AND, starting this week, I am adding Sprint 8 on my own 3 times/week.

What is Sprint 8? It's simple. After a 3 minute warm-up, you just push yourself at maximum effort for 20-30 seconds and then rest for 90 seconds. You then repeat this cycle 8 times.

Why am I going to try Sprint 8?

• It can be done with any exercise- with or without equipment. 
• It doesn't last an hour so it saves time and the sprint part is only for 4 minutes
• You only have to do it 2 or 3 times/week; any more than that can do more harm than good

Basically, it's short and sweet.Well, I'm not so sure about the sweet part. But it IS short.

Here's a video of Dr. Mercola doing Sprint 8 on an exercise bike. I'm going to be running during my intense part and walking during the rest part.

The food is going well also. I'm not counting any calories I'm just eating healthy. My recipes are from the Gerson recipe book and/or from the RAW recipes I get from various blogs (you can find them listed on the page marked Health and Fitness Sites on the tabs at the top of my blog). I am also juicing every day and making my green smoothies as well.

Our challenge for last week was to lose 2 pounds. I lost 3.5. AND I didn't hold back on July 4th. Of course, we did have mostly healthy foods. Everything was selected and prepared carefully. All meats were grass fed/free range/certified organic/etc. All sides and the dessert was organic and prepared without gluten and with organic ingredients.

This week's challenge is:  VEGETARIAN WEEK. This is not going to be a problem since I'm already doing it. Of course, you just never know until it's over.

Recap: I did lose 3.5 pounds last week but that's not THE thing. THE thing is that I am feeling better and I do NOT attribute this to the lost poundage. I attribute it to the healthy diet which has led to an increase in exercise intensity- I am running in this OPPRESSIVE HEAT! :)

Weight loss has become the proverbial icing on the cake. Getting fit is the goal!

Hope y'all had a great week and have an even better one this week! If last week sucked, don't let that stop you! Get up and get moving!


Don't forget: I have TWO giveaways going on right now! One for 250 FREE business cards from UPrinting and one for 3 bottles of flavored liquid Stevia from NuNaturals! Just click the buttons at the top of my sidebar to enter!!! Good luck!

Summer Sizzle- Week 4 Update; Week 5 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 3 and the beginning of Week 4-

It's been a crazy week! Stripping and painting furniture, the garden and then there's the OPPRESSIVE HEAT that made it's appearance on Friday and has failed to leave. UGH.


The bad news (besides the OPPRESSIVE HEAT) is that I only checked in on myfitnesspal.com a couple of times.


The good news is- I lost another pound.


The bad news is---there is OPPRESSIVE HEAT and my running self is not acclimating to it.


The good news is- my speed walking self has acclimated to it.


The bottom line is:

• I felt quite liberated not checking in to myfitnesspal.com every single day.
• I ate only healthy foods with the exception of those dang dark chocolate covered edamame they sell at Trader Joe's.
• I'm not running right now but my walking is SPEEDY QUICK and  I get at least 3 to 5 miles in every single day!
• I did drink the weekly challenge water.
• I did lose another pound.

I did track my exercise via my GPS on my phone----

• Monday: forgot to track but I'm thinking it was about 50 minutes
• Tuesday: walked 56 minutes; burned 624 calories
• Wednesday: Walked 54; burned 591 calories
• Thursday: walked 69 minutes; burned 755 calories
• Friday: walked 39; burned 427 calories
• Saturday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories
• Sunday: walked 31 minutes; burned 339 calories

The weekends are not about exercise around here- they are my recovery days. And I plan to keep them that way.

My focus now is NOT on tracking. While it works well for many (and it did for me about 2 years ago) it has now become a tool for making me obsess about my weight. This is not healthy. I've decided to obsess on the things that make life grand instead of that which holds me back and makes me feel bad about myself and my life. That is not what this journey is supposed to be about. At all.

One thing that this journey is about is learning more and more about myself and so I count this lesson learned as a blessing. Sometimes we just have to change things up to keep it fresh and keep it from being a downer.

I do enjoy tracking my walking (and running when the OPPRESSIVE HEAT lets up AND when I lose another 50 pounds or so) because I like trying to beat my time.

I'm not really disappointed that I'm not running right now. It's all good. For those who are not 130 pounds overweight I'm sure running is not that big a deal. For a 54 year old who is 130 pounds overweight, it's frustrating as hell when you factor in the OPPRESSIVE HEAT. I'm not quitting. I'm postponing. I still plan on being able to run that 5k. It's not until November. 

I'm not suggesting that anyone else stop tracking- I'm saying that I have to keep finding what works for me and implement it which sometimes mean stopping something else. The main thing is that I keep going!

Week 5 - (begin July 1) - LOSE 2 lbs THIS WEEK (and post pics/measurements if doing so)
Yep, holiday and all - this is the goal.
Don't question it - just do it. The reason this is the goal this week is to help us remember that the 4th of July doesn't give us free license to abandon all our diet and fitness goals. Yes, it's a holiday - but it's not a holiday meant to celebrate how many hot dogs and hamburgers our bodies can consume. This week will hopefully redirect us a bit - knowing the goal is a 2 pound loss, maybe we can steer clear of old habits of overindulgence during the holiday and make good on our promise to ourselves for better health ALL 365 days of the year!

I'm not as concerned about the 4th as I would be if this was Christmas...or Thanksgiving- because the food I have planned for the 4th is on my Gerson/RAW daily plan for July! Of course, time will tell, eh? :)

Thanks, y'all, for putting up with my constantly changing attempts at losing this weight and getting healthyhealthyhealthy. I am feeling fitter- I can do so much more than I could last year. It's all working, in it's own time. But I do so appreciate all of y'all sticking around with me! Your support and encouragement means more than you will ever know!

Also, I won a book from Cindy at For One Another and it arrived last week. AMAZING. WONDERUL. THOUGHT PROVOKING. LIFE CHANGING. All of those words describe this book. I definitely recommend reading the book whether you have weight to lose or not. And no, I'm not getting anything for mentioning this. It's just a really good read-- My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon. Get it. Read it. It's great!

OH! I almost forgot- you can see my healthy recipe HERE!

OH AGAIN! Don't forget to check out my giveaway! Just click the button at the top of my sidebar!

Have a fantastic week y'all! Happy 4th!

Summer Sizzle- Week 3 Update; Week 4 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 3 and the beginning of Week 4-

More like the summer fizzle stay the same. Again.

Except for 2 lbs that are MIA- and I am NOT going to be looking for them. And the 1/2 inch from my neck, the 1/2 inch from my waist and the 2 inches from my hips. Won't be looking for those either. They can just STAY GONE. Good riddance!

I did a little better with my calories but forgot to track ON TIME a couple of days----

The missing calories for Monday totaled 1671. Today's isn't on there for obvious reasons.
 
The exercise is about to get serious this week. I never made it over to the senior center to join but, in my defense, I was rather occupied with a HUGE project that involved stripping down and painting an entire bedroom suit so...

BFF is going over to the center with me tomorrow- we hope anyway. I may have mentioned that she's sadistic ruthless a personal trainer. I am AND am not looking forward to this. All that to say- I will be late on last week's weekly challenge. Sorry y'all.

The challenge for this week: Week 4 - (begin June 24) - 100 oz OF WATER AND SHARE A FAVORITE HEALTHY RECIPE---Well, considering our humidity is around a gazillion percent now and our temps in the 90s, the water shouldn't be an issue at all. Sheesh. I'll be sharing healthy recipes on Tuesday and Thursday!

 That's it for me- I can't wait to see how the rest of you sizzlers did this week! Keep on keepin' on ladies! 

Summer Sizzle- Week 2 Update; Week 3 Deets

It's time for the Summer Sizzle update for the end of Week 2 and the beginning of Week 3-

More like the summer fizzle stay the same.

I'm over it people. It's time for a drastic change. I think I've come up with it, but that's for tomorrow's post.

I'm staying under myfitnesspal's recommended daily calories. But I'm not staying at 1200. O, hell no. And I have no idea why it won't put 6/11 up there- the total that day was 1726. Today's is missing for obvious reasons.

I didn't have any trouble with the 7 hours of exercise- that was a cinch. Though, for the most part, it was just walking and/or running.

And except for today where I missed it by 15 minutes--- oh well...

Next week's weekly challenge is to try a new fitness activity or exercise equipment. I hope to do that via joining the senior center (you can read about that HERE) and/or a new DVD I just purchased- The Biggest Loser- cardio max.

I didn't stick to the menu that I planned last week for two reasons- a couple of those recipes were ridiculous with the prep time being all day long and part of the night AND, I didn't want to. Stubborn much? Oh yeah. Definitely.

Anyway, there's a big change coming soon. Stay tuned.

I'll leave you with this clip from The Cosby Show- love me some Bill Cosby! Now, you can watch the whole thing, but the best part begins at 6:45- where Cliff talks about his Father's Day gifts over the years and then about how mothers get better gifts because they are better at promoting themselves! Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

App Analysis

A little comparison today on a couple of health/fitness sites/apps...

First, for tracking food and exercise, it's myfitnesspal.com vs livestrong.com.

I've used livestrong.com for tracking my food intake and exercise for about three years--here and there (whenever I did track my food and exercise during those three years). I liked it fine. I mean, there's nothing exciting or glamorous about tracking one's food intake or exercise but, for what it is, livestrong.com was fine.

This time around, I've decided to give myfitnesspal.com a go and I really do like it so much better. It seems more user friendly than livestrong.com and I like the way it shows you what you've done. I also like how easy it is to find your friends on there and leave them messages- it's so nice to know we're not alone.

The only thing I like better about livestrong.com is that their data base is far better than the one on myfitnesspal.com. Regardless, I'm sticking with the latter.


Both sites offer apps for your phone which is great. I still like the myfitnesspal app better- it's free and user friendly--and that's that.

Next, the running trainer apps situation. These things are driving me nuts.

The first one I tried out was the Personal Running Trainer. I looked at the ones for 1 mile and 5k. It was ok although the guy talked my ear off before it was time to start the warm up. Seriously, I don't want to hear all that crap, let's just get started. You can use your own playlist on this one- which is ok but all my playlists are on my dead ZUNE and I haven't quite gotten all this worked out on my phone or my iPod. So, I use Pandora for running. Anyway, when it's time to switch from walking to running or running to walking,  I do like that the numbers and buttons are large enough to see without my glasses--HUGE plus. This app also keeps your schedule for you. BUT, if you want DAY 2, you must PAY for this FREE app. It's only like $2.00 but that's not the point. It's advertised as a free app but, to get past DAY 1, you must pay for it. Seriously guys, let's be honest up front for a change. Also, the dude just talks too much throughout- when it's time to change AND the voice volume is so low you might miss him telling you to stop or start something.

The second app I tried was Learn to Run.  There are two problems with this one that make it not the one for me- even though it really is free. 1. You can't hear the sound for stopping/starting your running or walking and 2. When you walk, the music doesn't play-and it has to be your own playlist. The music also doesn't play when your session is complete nor does the app let you know (ok, so that's really 3 problems). You just have to figure that out. No thanks.

I'm on my third app now and, after just the first day, I think this is the one I will stick with. It's the C25k app. This app lets you listen to your own playlists OR Pandora and it's user friendly. Really, the only thing I don't like about this app is that the volume on the signal to switch from walking to running is so low it's difficult to hear. This seems to be a problem with all three of the apps. Actually, if you read the user comments on the running trainer apps, it seems they all have this problem. Regardless, this one has nearly all I want in a running trainer app so I'm sticking with it.




Of course, they all offer a 'Pro' version which runs only about $1.99 but, so far, I see no need to upgrade. And the Learn to Run  and C25k apps don't try to trick you into upgrading like the Personal Running Trainer does. 

It just boils down to personal preference so give them a try and use the one that works best for you!

Anyone tried a different site/app that works well?