Thirty Minutes a Day to Achieve Your Goals

I've been working really hard to stay motivated with my weight loss.  I think I mentioned I gained 10 pounds, and now I'm trying to take it off...AGAIN.  For me, for my lifetime, it will be a never ending battle. I am just not one of those girls who can eat whatever they want, exercise when they feel like it, and stay skinny.  I'm big-boned, which is really just a nice way of saying "thick." 

But, I don't mind.  I like my curves.  I like that I have hips.  Not very much of my weight is in my stomach, so I know that plays out well for me in regards to heart disease.  I eat well, and I exercise, and I sometimes splurge, so I know I'm setting a healthy example for my family.

I have been logging into MyFitnessPal every day and logging my food every day, in part from my sister who has been texting me every day if she doesn't see my Food Diary.  I love the accountability.  I actually think what her reaction will be if I ate a Super Size Cheeseburger meal and fries.  And, we tell each other when we cheat, the struggles we have staying within our points system, and our exercise achievements.

Speaking of exercise: I'm dying to go back to Taekwondo.  It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning.  I miss it so much.  I like the discipline, and I like having someone motivate me.  Plus, I miss my friends from there.  We all just have so much fun.

If I'm sitting at home, I can always find a "valid" excuse to avoid exercise.  I need to read, or clean out the closets, or play with the kids.  All of these are noble, but they shouldn't take the place of daily exercise.

Today, I jumped on the trampoline for 15 minutes with Darling Daughter.  I don't think that burns many calories, but I did hurkeys and toe-touches, and it felt great.  I also don't know whether I should be doing that with my leg, or whether it is considered "weight-bearing" exercise, but I would think not since you are not banging down on heavy pavement.  After that, I came in and did some strength training exercises with the medicine ball.  I did sit-ups and dreaded push-ups.  I don't think there will ever be a day when I LOVE push-ups.  They are just not for me. 

I felt so good to be using my body.  I can always feel a difference in my happiness level when I exercise.  I can always feel the benefits of it, no matter how little I do, and every time I exercise I think: why did it take me so long to recommit to doing this for my body?  There's nothing like looking at your body and feeling so good about coming so far and realizing the reason you achieved your goals was because you put your mind to it. 

And to top it all off: I stepped on the scale this morning, and I lost THREE pounds.  Tangible benefits.

So my goal is to do 30 minutes a day of exercise over the next week.  I have to build back up somewhere, and now that the bronchitis is exiting my body and my stress fracture is feeling better, I know I will achieve my goal.  I will just think of this guy, when I am sitting on the couch and trying to find someway to make up excuses...

The 30 minutes do not have to be in a row.  You can find exercise by looking for it: gardening, taking the stairs, CLEANING. 

Never Quit.  Achieve your goals.

Motivation Strikes Again

I've had a few weeks of ho hum.  A few weeks of, "I can't do what I really want with this stupid leg fracture, so I'm just going to sit on the couch and act like a baby." 

Then I tried on a pair of my jeans, and they were getting tight. Everyone knows that feeling, right?  You slip into your jeans, expecting them to fit the same way they did last time you put them on, but instead they are hard to button.  Your belly fat hangs lasciviously over the rim of the denim fabric, and you justify it to yourself, "That's because I just washed and dried them yesterday.  Denim tightens up, it will loosen up as I wear them through the day."  But then it doesn't loosen up, and you realize something (like Trixie!!!)..."I've gained weight!!!"

Yes.  Ten stupid pounds.  Ten pounds of, "I can't do what I want, so I'm not going to do anything and I'm going to sit here on the couch and read books, watch TV, and stuff my face." 

Enough of that.  That's stupid (the word of the week, Miranda Grace).  That doesn't get you anywhere except for maybe two or three sizes up. 

I really have my oldest sister to thank for the motivation.  She signed up for MyFitnessPal, and I added her as a friend.  She messaged me and said, "Input your food, girl!!!"  So, I did.  I started on Saturday, and then I input it again on Sunday, and already I'm feeling better.  I can tell I was eating too much.

Yesterday, I did my own strength training class at home, complete with medicine ball, sit-ups and push-ups.  Then, I picked up my bike from my parents' house, and I rode it home.  I'll tell you riding a road bike after years of not doing it is not as easy as it looks.  It took me nearly 30 minutes to go 4.59 miles!  The wind was pushing against me, and I pedaled and pedaled, but I really wasn't getting anywhere fast.

Still, I woke up today, and I could tell a difference.  Not in pants' size yet, but in my attitude.  I simply feel better when I exercise and eat right.  It makes a huge difference in my moods, and I know I have to incorporate it in my life in anyway I can. 

www.citegrade.com 

Injury Purgatory

Ok.  So, I'm injured.  I'd been sort of half-ignoring the nagging feeling in my leg since the end of January.  I mean, it HURT when I ran, so I took about a month off then started running again.  I think I went at it too quickly, full force, because after my 5K it started hurting all.the.time. 

The 5K was on Saturday, so I'm not talking weeks here, just days.  I'm sort of aware of why I felt like I was going to throw up after the 5K now...not because of adrenaline but most likely from the pain of the injury.  The few days of torture, pain, and the complete swelling of my leg to about twice it size after Taekwondo on Tuesday night finally sent me to the doctor.  Stress Fracture.  In my Tibia.  Most likely cause.  I declined being sent to an orthopedist just for them to do a bone scan to tell me so.  My doctor is a runner, and he has had one before, and he said all the symptoms I'm describing and the spot tenderness = stress fracture. 

He was nice though.  He didn't put my leg in a boot or cast.  He told me I couldn't run or do Taekwondo for at least six weeks, but I can cycle.  I think I'll be breaking out the old bike and trying to get my exercise in that way.  I've come too far just to completely stop exercising cold turkey.  I need the stress relief, and I need to burn calories so I can actually EAT.

Hubby looked at me yesterday, and he said, "I guess this means we really need to start watching what we eat again."  Um yeah. 

I do have to admit: Lately I've been horribly inefficient at watching what I eat.  I've been eating a lot more than I should, loving ice cream and brownies and all sorts of goodies that are actually terribly bad for you!  Plus...beer.  I love beer.  It is probably my downfall, and Hubby just bought me a whole pack of Sam Adam's from Costco.  I will have to put in some serious miles on my bike before I allow myself to drink those!!!

Things are always changing, and you can't let it get you down.  I'm disappointed I have to take off from Taekwondo and from running for six weeks, but I just have to throw myself full force into my alternative and not feel sorry for myself or say, "Woe is me I can't do what I want to do."  I really think that is the key to feeling happy: taking a negative situation and turning it into a positive instead. 

Remind me in six weeks to start off slow, ok?  I can't just start running three miles again or doing crazy jump spin side kicks right away.  I have to build back up so I don't reinjure myself.