Changing it up

I've been really bored with my workouts lately. So bored, that I haven't been doing much weight training at all. I've always like weight training, but I haven't really been into this year at all. Therefore, I need to change it up. Starting this week I'm going to switch to 3 days of weight training in the morning, 2 days of cardio in the morning (the elliptical or bike), and 3-4 days of running outside.

I really need to get back into serious weight training as I think it helps with the running. I recently read an article in Fitness magazine where a lady training for a marathon incorporated weight training to build her upper body strength for endurance during the marathon. I never thought about that! Reading her training for the marathon helped me to realize the importance of weight training in my overall routine, not that I didn't know it wasn't important, but I just wasn't focused or into.

I have a 10K I'm participating in next month, 5 weeks away. I have the opportunity to really make a difference if I focus over the next 5 weeks. That's my goal. To really focus.

Victory! 45 miles!

With 4 days to spare I logged 45 miles in 4 weeks! Yay!

No Comparison

The walking/running I do is a means of staying healthy for me. Personally, I'm not trying to win a 5K, 10K, or any other race. Therefore, I don't compare myself to what others do. I'm not interested in competing with what others are doing. Leading a healthy lifestyle is my aim.

I only make one comparison, to an earlier, unhealthier me.

I think about what I couldn't do in 2002:

• walk a mile
• run a mile
• walk up 5 flights of stairs without stopping
• complete a 5K
• complete a 10K
• spend 40 min on the stairmaster
• zero push-ups

To what I can do in 2010:

• walk a mile
• run a mile
• walk up 5+ flights of stairs without stopping
• 5K done
  
• 10K done
• 40+ min on the stairmaster
• 10 push-ups (though I don't like doing them!)
• and many other things....

Overall, I'm really happy with what I have accomplished and what I continue to do regarding leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, I don't need to compare myself to others. I know what I did and I'm doing is working. That is all that matters.

One day

...soon I will get back to posting in this place regularly. For now, I've got to get back in the swing of things professionally.

I was off for 2 weeks beginning May 28th. I went to London & Pairs! Here's a photo of me with the London Eye in the background:

We had a great time in London, Canterbury, Dover, and Paris. I'll have more pics at some point!

I returned on a Wednesday evening and by Friday I was traveling again to my college reunion. That was over the weekend. I got back fairly early Sunday afternoon and did a few things around town (like grocery shopping!).

I was all ready to go get back into the gym after a 2 week hiatus on Monday morning. I packed my gym bag, packed my lunch, and laid out my workout clothes. I awakened prior to my alarm clock at 4:15 (clock set for 4:30). I got up then and decided to get a head start. I was in the car and ready go go by 4:45 and the car wouldn't start. Huh? This can't be happening. I just had it serviced it on Thursday upon my return!

15 min. later and I was still at home. Mad! I was so looking forward to my gym workout. I resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen and I moved on. I used my mom's car as I'm in a training this week that I can't miss. It may not come around again for another year, and it is a valuable training. Therefore, I have yet to get my car back into the shop which means no gym workout this week before work. Booooooo!!!

On top of that, I haven't walked/run in the evening. By the time I get home, prepare my lunch for the next day, and prepare dinner, I'm whipped. I'm ready to go to sleep by 7 pm. I really think I'm not over jet lag or the time difference yet. The weekend trip to my college reunion didn't help as we up way late into the night and up really early in the morning. Plus, the training is quite intensive so I must be own the entire time I'm there.

Next week, I'm in New Orleans for another event. So I don't foresee a return to my regular schedule until another week or so.

CCC 10K Recap

I was a participant in the Crescent City (New Orleans) Classic 10K this morning. This was my 2nd 10K this year and my pace today was slower than the first one. No matter, it was the completion that was most important! Right? :~) Of course!

From Healthy Every Day

I completed this race the same as the other one. My plan was to do this one the same way as the last:

run 3 km
walk 1 km
run 3 km
walk 1 km
run 2 km

It didn't quite workout like that due to the sheer number of people. From where I was in the pack, it took me 6 min. to get to the actual starting line. Once there, I really couldn't get a good running pace until well into the 2nd km. I probably should have just walked the 1st km. There was a lot of people and a lot of walkers. Nothing wrong with walking, but it was extremely hard to maneuver around them at times. I walk as well, but I move to the outer portions of the street so as not to be in the way.

The first time I did a 10K was the Peachtree (Atlanta) Road Race. One good thing about the Peachtree is they encourage the walkers to stay to one side of the roadway. The Crescent City organizers should do the same.

I think the slow start really prevented from keeping a good pace. The other 10K I did, in February, wasn't quite as crowded and it thinned out pretty fast.

Overall, I'm still excited about the finish! I mean, that is what it is all about! Finishing what I start and I did it!

22.89

I didn't reach my monthly goal of 40 miles during the month of February.



As you can see, I only earned 22.8 miles. Not too bad considering February, to me, was a cruel month. I had a lot of personal stuff happen that really impeded my walking/running. Additionally, the weather didn't help. It was brutally cold here in the South and I just could bring myself to get out in it.

I'm happy with what I did, although it was all toward the end of the month.

Today begins a new month and I've recommitted to 40 miles for the month. I've already set a goal:



While I won't log any miles today (rain!), I will over the course of the week and Saturday will be topped off by a 5K. I'm also participating in another 5K later in the month. I have every intention of earning those 40 miles and possibly more!

Investing

Earlier today I read Pat Barone's post titled The Olympic of Permanent Weight Loss. Do check it out if you get a chance. I read through her 8 elements of what it takes for permanent weight loss and the 5th one called out to me with bells! It reads:

5. Investment. To reach their goals, world class athletes invest in themselves by finding excellent coaching, support, training, education and equipment.

I am totally in agreement with that statement. If you aren't willing to invest in your own health, then what are you willing to invest in? You only have one body (yes, cliche, but oh so true)! Why not take care of it?

One way I invest in myself it is by trying to be a mindful eater. I am not a dieter. In fact, I don't like the term diet. I see it as limiting or eliminating foods, and that's something I can't get with and will not do.

I just do my best not over indulge. I am a self-described cookie monster. They are, by far, my favorite sweet. I can't pass up a warm chocolate chip cookie. It makes me happy just thinking about them...but I digress. Even with cookies, I can eat them without going overboard.

For example, the evil goodness of Girl Scout cookies arrived yesterday. There was a point where I could open one of those sleeves of cookies and devour the entire sleeve in 20 minutes flat. Not anymore. The cookies were delivered about 10 am yesterday morning, and I didn't open the box until 8 pm last night. Even when I opened the box I didn't eat one. Instead, I took out 1 serving (5 cookies) and placed them in a baggie for my lunch. I then placed the remaining cookies back in the box.

It was that easy!

I'm investing in myself by controlling what and how I eat.

Mantra: Make the Effort

Diane, at Fit to the Finish, asked the following question on Twitter yesterday:

Here's my response:

I think it is a great question, and it is one that I didn't have to ponder on. In fact, on my personal e-mail account, and facebook page that is my tag line. When I communicate with friends and loved ones about becoming more healthy (I'm all about changing your mindset long term so no diet talk around here), I encourage them to make the effort.

Make a small change one day. Do that for at least 5-7 days, then add another change. Keep making the effort and eventually you'll reach your goal. Yes, it take dedication, time, and a mindset change, but it can be done. One just has to make the effort!

What's your routine?

One day my nephew asked me, "Auntie, why do you come home and immediately make your lunch? Why don't you rest a little while and do that later?"

He's right. I come straight home and prepare my lunch & snacks for the next day. Then I immediately unpack my gym bag and repack it for the next day. My answer to my nephew was that if I do it as soon as I get home, then I'll have more time to rest later. I don't have to worry about doing it at 8:30 or later and pushing back the time that I want to go to bed. Basically, it is not a task that I have to do later.

Doing so keeps me on my toes and insures that I am going to make the gym the next day and eat healthy throughout the day.

What's your routine? How do you keep yourself accountable?

What's your motivation?

I'm at the point in my journey to being healthy that one could easily lose motivation. In fact, many people lose motivation at the very start. They go really good and hard for about 2 weeks and slip up. That slip up can lead to a downward spiral that takes them right back to where they started. It is unfortunate, but a lot of times if we take that wrong turn we think it is pointless to try to get back on the right road. So how does one keep it years into that journey? How does one continue to lead a healthy and active lifestyle? I think it is important to have some sort of motivation.

Well, I have 2 motivators.

1. I want to live a long life. I basically outlined all of that in this post.
2. I never want to go back to this:


Yes, that's me back in 2004. Those were my favorite, favorite pair of jeans. I think they were a size 20 (or maybe 18). I still have those jeans and they are my motivation. Though I loved wearing those jeans, I never want to fit into them again. I keep them in my closet so that I see them each time I go in there. I see them catching dust and not being lovingly worn like my other jeans, pants, skirts, etc. They are just hanging out with nowhere to go, and that's the way I want to keep it!

Walking Break

I, along with 2-3 co-workers, take walks during the workday. We try to walk 1 mile at 10 am and 2 pm. Eight times around the 2nd floor of our building is 1 mile and the goal is to do in 15 minutes. That doesn't always happen and that is okay. We are making the effort and that is the most important thing. We are getting in activity during the day and the walk breaks up the day. For me, it gives one more bit of activity and it gets my juices flowing in my brain and throughout my body.

One young lady started with us, but lately she has been complaining that she is overwhelmed and doesn't have time. She is stressed and there is not enough time for her to do what she needs to do and take a 15-min. walking break. I guess you may think the rest of us are slackers because we take the break. In actuality we have just as much to do, but the walking break is a plus. For me, it sometimes helps to provide clarity. If I'm working on a task that is a bit daunting or causing a problem, the 15-min. break away from the task is sometimes just what I need. When I get back to my desk, I'm able to revisit the issue and generally resolve it quickly. I'm not the only one that thinks that as one of the other ladies has stated that as well.

We can't, for some reason, get her to understand that or even try. She complains about how active I am (I post my daily workout and step-count on Facebook) and she doesn't understand how I get it all in. Well, I make it a part of my day. It is on my daily to do list, as TeeTee_71 stated the other day on her blog, herself is her most prized possession! I couldn't agree more and I make taking care of self something I do daily.

One way I do so are the walking breaks during the day.

So here are the walks I've done over the past few days:

No diet for me

Personally, I don't care for the term diet. It has a negative connotation to me, and seems to a temporary thing. The reason I selected the name for this blog, Healthy Every Day, and the same for twitter is because I try to live that each day. Am I successful each day? No, but I make the effort. I try to that on a daily basis. It is not a temporary change.

My eating habits have changed 360 degrees. Not just 90 degrees or 180 degrees for a short period of time. I'm in this for the long haul Therefore, I don't use the term diet. When someone asks me if I'm on a diet I tell them no. I tell them that I'm living a healthy lifestyle and that includes healthy eating.

Some folks don't get that, but that's okay. I'm doing this for me. And that's what is important.

This is why

Folks have commented, in many places (especially on Fb), about the amount of exercise that I get in. Well, I have a specific reason for exercising and eating healthy. In a sense, it can be answered with two medical conditions that are related.

STROKE

A total of 3 persons on my maternal side have suffered the effects of stroke. Two of them were fatal at the onset and one lived (if you can call it that) for 6 years. Each of them didn’t follow through on what they were supposed to do to maintain their health. That is, take medication properly to combat high blood pressure.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Personally, I refuse to become a statistic. I refuse to be among the great number of persons in the black community taking high blood pressure medication to maintain my life.

I refuse.

Therefore, I exercise. I eat healthy. I am doing my part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that I don’t have to a drug each and every day.

I inform my Fb family of my daily exercise with the hopes of influencing one person to get active.

To move.

To get active.

To want to be healthy.

I have no desire to make someone feel bad about what they are not doing. Quite the contrary. My aim is to subliminally influence people to move. Make the effort. Bury the excuses. Think about your health. Think about your family. Think about your spouse/significant other, children, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, etc.

It doesn’t have to be what I do. I didn’t start out going to the gym 5 days per week. I started by taking a pilates class twice a week. From there, it increased over time. It was not an overnight process. But the process has changed my life.

I feel better. Plain and simple.

The easiest, simplest thing one can do is go for a walk. So many people sleep on the benefits of walking. It is the one exercise that doesn’t’ require a gym membership. A good pair of tennis shoes, and be on your way. Start small. 5 min. 10 min. 15 min. Just move.

I can’t say that not leading a healthy lifestyle caused my family members to suffer a stroke. I do wonder, however, if they had led a healthy lifestyle could things have been different.

No weigh-in & plans

I've been out of town this week preventing a weigh-in at a meeting. In all honesty, I'm thinking about going back to online only membership as I am back on track now. I needed the past 3 months to relearn the program and the accountability of someone else weighing me each week. Now, I think I've progressed, with blogging & twitter, to not needing that anymore. That is a good thing for two reasons: 1) less dollars to shell out to WW each month and 2) the online support is awesome. I feel accountable to those that read/comment on this blog and those that I interact with on twitter.

I'm not going to renew my monthly pass this month, but I will keep my online membership. I like the points tracker and that is really what I need. I'm not really a user of the WW online forums, but I do like to peruse the recipes online and use the recipe builder. So there are some aspects of the online membership I like.

While I don't post on here as often as others post, I have this space for when I need to. For some reason, I just can't find the time do so each and everyday, but it is useful when I do. I appreciate those of you that read & comment when you can. Your support is valued! Being healthy is not easy to do and requires support. This is one of my outlets and it truly works.

Are you a member?

Are you a member of the clean plate club? I'm not!

I was forced to be a member as a child. You may have heard the same thing (or a variation):

there are starving children in Africa, India, China,etc.

I paid a lot of money for that and you better eat it all!

Carrots are good for sight; Broccoli is good for you; Liver gives you iron, etc.

All of those were reasons that my brother and I had to clean our plate even if we were full. Now what did that do to our waistlines over the years.

I still hear that, at times, from my guy. We eat out on occasion and we all know how much food restaurants provide. Entirely too much! Since I've changed my eating habits, I'm determined to only eat until I'm full. There is no need to eat e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. on my plate! None whatsoever.

Therefore, I'm not a member of the clean plate club. I think making a child or an adult eat everything on their plate because of X, Y, or Z is ludicrous. My eating all of that food is not going to help that child in whatever foreign country or even a child that is in need in my own community.

So I leave so food on my plate at times. That extra food will go to my hips, stomach, thighs, etc. Why do that to myself? Why make myself feel miserable?

It has stopped. I'm not doing it. I'm no longer a member and I'm proud to be a non-memmber of the clean plate club. How about you?

It takes work

Being healthy is something that one has to work at. It will not spontaneously happen by:

• watching sports
• watching an exercise video
• passing by a health club
• shuttling children from one event to another

or

• having a child to run after
  

That last point is one that I want to focus on. A few weeks ago someone made the comment that all you have to do to lose weight is run after a child. Sorry, but that is far from the truth. If that is the case then we would be a nation/world of individuals with kids that are extremely healthy and those of without kids just the opposite. In reality, that's just not the case.

Folks with and without children struggle with being healthy. In fact, I think many of the women (yes, I'm generalizing) that struggle with weight loss due so after pregnancy (and do so for years). Therefore, the notion that having a child will help one be healthy doesn't equate for me. Yes, it can serve as motivation in that you want to be as healthy as you can for your child's sake, but simply having a child to run after will not do it.

It takes work. For all. It also takes sacrifice. Trying to get healthy is a mindset that doesn't come easy and people struggle with it for years. There's nothing wrong with that.

Personally, I dislike it when individuals belittle one's attempt to be healthy in whatever manner they pursue. To me, that person is not providing the positive support that is needed, and possibly (just my thought) they are struggling themselves and see an opportunity to attack.

I do hope I'm never perceived as such. I work each and every day to try to be as healthy as I can. I try to encourage family and friends to do the same. I also recognize that we all have to do it in our way because my way may not work for you and that is perfectly fine. The goal is to be healthy. It matters not how you attain that goal. Work at it the best way for you.

Why Healthy?

Why not healthy? is the better question, I think.

Shouldn't we want to be healthy? Yes, I know it is a hard road to follow, but it is what we should strive for.

We should want to be healthy for our own sake.

We should want to be healthy for our family.

We should want to be healthy for future generations.

We should want to be healthy for our friends.

We should want to be healthy just because.

Being healthy has any number of benefits and they far outweigh being unhealthy.

My goal is to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes a well-rounded eating plan and exercise. I believe by incorporating those two entities into my life I am extending my stay on this planet.

Some days are not so good...

or sometimes it is the entire weekend or a few days. I think we all have those days, and they are to be expected. The thing is, we don't want those types of days. When they happen for me, I try not to dwell on them and get back to it the next meal or the next day. I just read a post about eating horribly and I left a comment about today being a new day. That is how I have to look at it. Otherwise, I will never see progress. I have to recognize my faults, learn from them, and move on in a positive way.

My previous post, up & down, really speaks to how the past 10 days of my life have been. One day I am totally on program - I eat all of my points with healthy filling choices and consume an abundance of water. The next day, I'm all over the map. I use too many points or too few points. I'm just so inconsistent. The thing is, I aim to get right pack on program the next day. That is key. I have to stay focused on the long term.

I'm resolute with the knowledge that I'm likely to not have lost a pound this week. That's okay, overall I'm leading a healthy lifestyle. That, to me, is what is most important. I'm willing to make the changes needed for my overall health.

Still here

Okay, I'm back in the mix. I was out of town all last week, and I didn't really follow my plan. Oh well, such is life. I'm back on it this week though!

I've started out by going to the grocery store over the weekend and stocking the kitchen with healthy, filling foods. I made it to the gym yesterday and today. I'm drinking plenty of water, and staying positive.

I'm staying healthy every day!

Not a Competitor

There’s a meeting tomorrow in my building for a Biggest Loser competition. I’m not participating. I don’t’ believe in competing to lose weight. That is not what I’m about. I’m about living a healthy lifestyle.

While I applaud those who’ve lost weight on The Biggest Loser, I don’t think it’s realistic. I watched a few episodes a few years back and quickly became a bit disgusted with the show. Losing weight, to me, is not only a truly personal decision, but one that is quite emotional. The emotions displayed on that show (and other reality shows) doesn’t appeal to me. I’m not really impressed with the manner that is taken to losing weight on The Biggest Loser. Everyday persons don’t have the opportunity to do what they do on that show.

Yes, it takes support and encouragement, to lose weight which the participants gather from fellow contestants, a trainer, and a nutrition person (I think). The trainer that is constantly pushing them with various exercises and the nutrition person helps with selecting better foods.

What I don’t like is the banishment of a person that is just beginning to lose weight. I’ll admit, I’ve never watch an entire season of the show, but I am aware that individuals are sent home very early in the weight loss process. I think those persons are done a disservice. I’m not saying that those persons aren’t successful once they go home, but it is highly likely that they struggle and go back to their old ways. They have truly adopted a new lifestyle. I think that is my biggest issue: focusing on a number and not a lifestyle.

Back to the competition that will occur at my job. I have a strong feeling that many of the participants will do so for the competition, not to change their lifestyle. I’ve come to that conclusion based on the chatter that I’ve heard. They can see themselves making changes for 6, 8, or 12 weeks, but not long term. I’m not of that philosophy. Therefore, I know that I will not participate. I’m going to continue about my way with healthier eating and plenty of physical activity. I’ll also indulge, on occasion, but it will not defeat my overall person of being a healthier and fit person.