Stagnant

Well...it's Monday again and here I sit! I'm the same weight today as I was a month ago! And using the same excuses--it's too hot to exercise and too difficult to eat right without a real frig.

I have been somewhat contemplative lately. While I haven't figured out how to get past them, I have realized some of the things that trigger my eating. "Finding Sarah" and "Why Not?" (Shania Twain's story) have helped me to consider my childhood and the choices I made then compared to young adulthood and the poor choices I made then. I find it easy to ignore the poor choices I make now! (LOL) But the truth is that I am still eating to please my taste buds!

I can't blame my weight and lack of exercise on anyone but me. My problem back then was just not thinking. It never occurred to me that I needed to eat with the purpose of feeding my BODY. Exercise was not what it is today--there were no gyms, no fitness centers. At least, not where I lived.

Each time I have put my mind to it, committed it to God and worked at it (probably 10 times in the past 35 years) I have been able to lose weight--10, 15, as much as 30 pounds--but as soon as I start to look and feel good, the bad eating starts again and the weight comes back.

So, right now, my yo-yo is stuck in the up position! I know I need to get down (weight-wise) but history tells me I'm going to be back up here before too long anyway--so why leave? :)

Sorry--this is not very entertaining. What I face is a mental block and all my contemplation hasn't helped me past it. I suppose I need a Niki sign to wake up to every morning--JUST DO IT! In the meantime, I will try again today to make wise choices in what I eat and try to motivate myself to get out and walk. Here's hoping...

Pain hurts!

There is a reason they call it a WORK-out! Not only does it take effort to do, it takes WORK to even get started! And when I hurt, it takes even more effort. I have to exercise my mind--convincing myself that I will feel better after.

Today, though I was hurting, I walked. I was slow and I only walked a little over a mile, BUT I don't feel better. I DO feel a little smarter.

In considering pain, I see three types--1) the pain felt when working, 2) the pain felt with a physical problem, and 3) the pain felt psychologically.

The pain felt when working-out is about gain--about being stronger tomorrow than today. Our muscles need to be used in order to sustain us. The pain of sore muscles is the 'good' pain of growth.

The pain felt with a physical problem is an alarm that something is not right. That's the pain I am feeling today. Something is not right with my neck. I keep hoping and praying that it will straighten itself out, but it may be time to check with a doc.

The pain felt psychologically can stem from physical pain or it can be caused by emotions. It is too complex an idea for me! I can't get my head around all the ramifications.

What I do know is that I would rather have the growth-pain than the other two. But, usually, if you have one or both of the first two, you have the third also. Depression, anger and fear are all intertwined with physical pain.

And pain hurts! But there is a "balm in Gilead" (Jeremiah 8:22) whereby the pain can be soothed.

Lately, I've been walking 30-40 minutes and then spend hours seeking the "balm" and soaking in it.

May the Lord deal with your pain (and mine) according to His will--using it to accomplish His desires. Amen.

Woo--whoo!! The doc's scale said I've lost 5 pounds! That gives me the incentive to do at least one more 2-mile walk!

My dad used to say that his get-up-and-go had got up and went. That's how I'm feeling lately. Seems like about the time I turned 61, I lost my zip! If I exercise in the morning, I feel better all day and usually get more done. But lately, I'm having trouble making myself exercise every morning. I'm remembering a sign I once had--"Lord, give me a push!"--I need that sign right above my bed!! LOL

I also need to get a grip on why I sabotage myself every evening. I am strong (eating correctly) until about 7 or 8 and then I look for (and usually find!) something sweet. That's when I'm thankful the frig doesn't work--no ice cream!

Plan for today:

2 mile walk

toast

cereal bar

turkey sandwich

fajitas (no rice or beans)

In proofreading, I noticed how much bread I will be eating today. I need to find a farmers' market and get some veggies and fruit! "Man cannot live by bread alone..." A gold star to anyone that can finish that quote--and give the reference!

Let's get out there and MOVE, people!

Does this count?

No 2-mile walks, no exercises for 2 days now--but I feel like I'm running a marathon! Keeping up with my grandsons is an all-day workout! And I love it. It has been a whirlwind of restaurants, swimming, hot dogs, bike-riding, funnel cakes and fireworks.

I don't have any idea how many calories I've taken in (too many) but I'm burning them off in kissing and hugging. Of course, I have to catch them to do that, because they don't stand still for long!

Eating plan for today:

toast & banana

grilled cheese sandwich

spaghetti & meat sauce

watermelon--hey!! It's the Fourth of July-gotta have a watermelon-eating contest!

I'll get back to 'formal' exercise in a day or so as soon as I get the s'mores marshmallow stuff out of my hair!!

Day 14

The end of week finds me weighing about the same as Day 1! :( Not to worry! I plan on staying positive and to keep on keepin' on. I could make a list of reasons I am not losing, but those situations and temptations are going to be present everyday. I am strong one minute and weak the next. With consistency in exercising and eating right, I will have more strong moments and fewer weak moments. Father God, help me to be consistent

BREAKFAST!!! When am I suppose to eat breakfast? I have always waited until after my workout to eat. But, because my workout is not until 9am or so, I'm not eating until 11am. Yesterday, it was almost 2pm before I had anything to eat. That can't be good--I don't care who you are! Calorie-wise, it was an okay day. I had a grilled chicken sandwich for lunch and chicken fajitas for supper. Yes--the sweet tea and the cheese dip added some unnecessary calories. AND--I gotta think that eating the same number of calories over 16 hours would be better than over 6 hours.

The people on the TV show "Extreme Makeover--Weight-loss Edition" (or something like that) inspire me. The woman on last night's episode lost 202 pounds in a year. That's more than I weigh (at least today)! Chris Powell, the trainer/coach, told her that if you don't eat in the morning, your body holds onto the fat. Eating breakfast tells your body that your are going to take care of it and that it can release it's grip on those fat globules!! (That's me editorializing Chris!)

So---tomorrow, I plan on eating a bowl of oatmeal as soon as I get up and exercise an hour later.

Lunch: chicken noodle soup

Supper: grilled chicken & veggies

If you are a praying sort, (and I pray you are conversing with God everyday) please pray for me as eating wisely is more challenging without a refrigerator. (Repairs won't be done until August.)

OH--I added quad stretches to my workout, too. This week I'm doing 12 burpees, quad stretches and a 2 mile walk each day.

What are YOU doing??

A rainy day not only limits my workout, it dampens my motivation to workout. BUT, this morning I did 10-12 burpees. I'm not sure how many because doing them takes up so much of my brain, I can't count! From a standing position, put your hands on the floor and 'jump' your feet to a push-up position. Jump your feet back to their original position, stand and jump. One burpee completed! I used to do these by moving my feet one at a time instead of 'jumping' them backward. So I guess I'm progressing. I think that while you are in the push-up position, you are suppose to do a push-up! Maybe I'll try that next week!

It wasn't much of a workout, but it made me breathe hard. It also made my thighs ache and my head hurt! That must be part of the "no pain-no gain" philosophy.

Now for breakfast: pb & j on toast

Lunch will be grilled chicken & veggies.

Supper will be chicken fajitas. (I may mention this often because the only good restaurant around is a Mexican one. Remember--I don't have a working frig.)

Until next time...don't forget the goal is to do better today (at eating, exercising and everything else) than yesterday.

Glorify God in all you do!

confession time

Lying is not something I'm good at. So, I confess, my eating habits over the past 2 days have been less than ideal! If you can read between the lines, you'll know when I fudge--I don't blog!

I'm blaming the exercise! It's suppose to curb your appetite, but I find myself thinking, "I worked hard, I deserve to eat." Maybe so--but that kind of thinking is not conducive to weight loss!

Breakfast for the past couple of days--and again today: peanut butter/apple butter on toast

Lunch yesterday was late. (Waiting too long between meals is not good for me either.) We went to the buffet at a local casino. Buffets are NEVER worth the calories!

Lunch today: grilled chicken and salad

Dinner tonight: chicken & shrimp fajitas

The positive part of the last few days is that I have increased my walk to 2 miles and I feel strong doing it. The praise music I listen to on my iPhone helps to keep my pace up.

Thank You, Lord, for a time of exercising my body and my spirit!