#83 Weekends are an Achilles Heel (06/25/12)

The past few weekends, I’ve been averaging about a lot more steps.  This weekend was a bit more relaxing.  The downside, I was eating the way I have been, when active.  End result, went over my calories.  Reviewing recent weekend habits though, active yes, eating healthy, not so much.  Why so?  On week days we plan our meals, cut up veggies for the week, and know what we are doing.  Weekends, we have been flying by the seat of our pants trying to get errands done while trying to finish up getting my mother in law’s house ready for sale.  The house is now up for sale, we still aren’t sure what we are doing next weekend.  It is a long weekend technically, however my wife doesn’t get the day off.  New house possession should be sometime this week, therefore this weekend we should be cleaning it out.  I think the big lesson of this past weekend, is plan your weekend food too.  No planning leads to Poutine Fries.  Not a good thing. 

This past weekend I was in an emotional funk, and I couldn’t figure out why.  Overall I’m doing better, but still feeling a little blue.  It almost feels like I’m being a brat having a temper tantrum.  But I still can’t pull myself out of it.  Maybe it is just that I’m not getting enough activity, I’m down about 10,000 steps from the previous weekend.  I just went for my lunchtime walk, and feeling a bit better.  Downside was, I got into a coughing fit a little ways in, and didn’t have my inhaler, so I came back sooner than I would have.  So much for my asthma NSV.  

Lesson learned though, this coming weekend whether we are cleaning or on a mini vacation, we need to plan activity, and what we are going to eat.

Over the past 3 months, I’ve gotten my weekdays under control, now it’s time for the weekends. 

#82 NSV – Asthma (06/22/12)

During my lunchtime walk, I realized something.  Last night I had an extensive walk with a little jogging.  I didn’t need my asthma inhaler, before, during or after that jaunt.  It used to be, I would take a puff before working out as preventative measure.  I haven’t done that in a while now.  Last night was a bigger workout than normal and I still didn’t need it.  YAY.  I do still take my morning/evening stuff, but maybe I can go from 500 to 250 soon.  However, no rescue inhaler for a workout is a great NSV.  Yippee. 

#81 10,000 Steps on a work day (06/22/12)

I made it, 10,200 Steps on a work day.  Even though I didn’t get a long walk in at lunch, I got a lot of Ninja steps in at work, so when I left I was all ready at 4,500.  Cooking, walking around the kitchen, and doing faux marching steps while at the stove got me to somewhere over 6,000.  Then I walked, and I ran (well jogged) I was on an interval setting on my treadmill.  Note to self, wear a better bra when attempting this.  So for two, one minute sections of the 27 minutes I jogged.  It was exhausting, but I did it.  At one point my wife comment, “Don’t have a heart attack.”  For the last minute before cool-down, which was uphill, I jogged again.  It was a little uphill, an incline of 2, but uphill just the same.  So of the 28 minute walk, I ran for 3 of them, truly pushing myself to do so, but I did.  In the cool down of five minutes, I was going to stop after two, but I kept going. 

During the walk, I had thought I would only be totalling just over 9,000 in the end.  But when I finished and looked I was at 10,012 steps.  The smile on my face was ear to ear. 

This is the first time I have reached 10,000 steps on a desk job work day.  The closest I’ve gotten is 8,500 steps.  So now, to reach my goal steps this week, to pass last week, I need to get 9,200 steps in today.  I think I can do it. 

#77 Last week review (06/18/12)

I actually jogged over the weekend.  I was on the treadmill, and kept upping my speed.  I got to a point (4.0 mph, I have short legs) and found it hard to walk.  So I started to jog.  It was only for a minute, but I actually jogged.  I didn’t kill my knees, it was tough but I did it.  I can’t wait to try again.  Running/jogging is something I thought I would never do.  But it was exhilarating.  Maybe, once life settles, I can try the C25k training.  I never thought I would say that. 

Steps this week were a little short on my goal, but I topped my overall weekly performance, and got over 54,000.  In order to get my steps needed on Friday, I was stepping on the spot while cooking.  It was like I was practicing for marching band. 

As of Saturday, I lost another 0.6 pounds.  I was hoping for more, but any loss is a good one.  This is the week I need to kick but to be able to tell the doctor how much I have lost next week. 

#75 Three months in (06/15/12)

Today is officially 90 days in.  What have I accomplished?  I’ve upped my daily steps quite a lot.  On weekdays, having a 3,800 step day was an average day.  I haven’t had that low in weeks.  In fact I haven’t had below 5,000 over two weeks.  I have lost the first 10 pounds, which in my head my mantra was, “The first 10 pounds and the last 10 pounds are the hardest.”  Let’s hope this holds true.  Based on evening Wii weigh in, I am hoping I have lost about another pound at least.  This weekend will show where I’m at I guess. 

One of the non measurable victories is, my wife and I are now on the same page and doing this together, and this has brought us back to a better groove.  We went through a rough patch at the beginning of this year, which was a lot due to her quitting smoking, and trying to lose weight at the same time, but luckily that tsunami has ebbed. 

Once again, I can feel the skinny me trying to get out.  Slowly her voice is getting louder so that is good.  Also with her voice getting louder, she is learning to tell Amy to shut up.  Amy is still here, but slowly getting defeated. 

I used to think, I don’t eat that bad, why am I this big.  I was WRONG.  Yes, I made a couple good choices here and there, but for the most part it was crap calories.  I’m now eating a lot better, not 100% denying myself everything, but calorie wise I’m coming under majority of the days, the bulk of my calories are from nutrient rich foods. 

Next theory that is running through my head is, now the food is under control, I need to start moving the body more.  Yes, overall I’m more active, and working on reaching higher average steps.  I think I need to get a bit more focused workouts, constant moving to get the calories burning.  I had debated trying to get up early and work out, but in reality, I know that isn’t going to happen.  I am not a morning person, and on average I’m getting 7 hours sleep, which is good enough, but if I am waking up with the roosters, an hour earlier, that would be cutting it to 6 hours, and I don’t do well long term with that amount of sleep.  Once this move is done, and the renos are finished and my mum is settle in the new house, our lives will be a bit more settled where I can contemplate this again. 

#44 Non Scale Motivations (05/08/12)

This past weekend my wife and I went to the ballet.  We didn’t have good seats but it was a lot of fun.....for the most part.  The downside was, the seats were too small.  Let me rephrase, our bottoms were too big, especially mine.  So now for the next week or two or three I will be sporting, fall colours of Purple and Blue on my hips.  It is so out of season being spring an all, lol.  The bruise on my right hip is the worst.  It is about 4” wide and about 1” tall.  When I bruise is doesn’t heal quickly, so it will be a reminder for a while now. 

I guess I’m still waiting for my NSV, but will use my NSM as a reminder to one of the reasons I am doing this.