Some Inspiration...

If you are keeping track, today is day 4 of the first week of the 6 week walking project (courtesy of Leslie Sansone - thanks Leslie and I will be more than happy to give you all the credit - well, you and me for actually doing the work - if I'm successful!).  This morning when I got on the scale, it seemed to have actually moved, but I couldn't sure.  Course, I would have loved for it to have moved by 10lbs, but I know that's not a reality - still would be nice though.

Part of the 6 week project is to keep a journal, for me an online blog is much easier and I force myself to do it each night after I have done my work out.  Mainly to document the fact that I actually did my work out.

However, first tonight I want to reflect on my day and a source of inspiration.  A couple of nights ago I wrote about one of my friends who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and had to make some real life changes.  Today I shared some time with her as she celebrated the life of her father.  It was a tough time for all of the family and a path that must be one of the toughest to travel as a child.

When I first arrived at the funeral home my friend greeted me with a hug and I realized how much weight she has lost.  As I looked at her today, she looked just fabulous.  While it was probably one of the saddest days of her life, she looked absolutely radiant.  Recently ordained as a pastor, she had requested some time during the service to share a few words.  While grief was obviously trying to show itself, she kept great composure and poise as she delivered some lovely stories from her life with her dad and some comforting words of scripture.

She made the comment that growing up she had been the shy one - and that is how I remembered her.  In college, she was still shy.  We were both theatre majors - me on the stage wanting all of the attention and her behind the scenes managing everything.  I learned so much from her.  As a stage manager she was NEVER without ANYTHING an actor could ever want - a skill that I utilize in my workplace, as a mother, and as a trainer - we just have 'stuff' in our bags that people might need.  She was always the voice of encouragement telling me 'good job' or 'you sounded great' - cliche to say, but the wind beneath my wings during some of those grueling rehearsals and show schedules.

As theatre majors at our college you had to learn to do everything, so while being on stage was not her cup of tea, she had to do it.  But she preferred to be behind the scenes quietly moving in the catwalks and behind the curtains in the shadows.  Fast forward to the past year when she was ordained a minister and has become a completly different person - she commands attention, she is confident, she stands tall and proud, she has found herself, she has heard her calling, she is strong, and she is beautiful.  Not that she wasn't all of those things before, but now the confidence just comes out of her pores.  She has also found true love and her partner is one of the best things that has ever happened to her.  With this combination, nothing can stop her!

There were many pictures in the funeral home of years gone by and it's not until you look at them that you realize how much weight she has lost.  I am truly amazed and inspired.  Thank you my friend. 

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So, today is Day 4 of Week 1 and I have officially logged in another mile or mile 4 on the treadmill.  Part walking, a little part running.  Some good tunes came on the ipod tonight (it's a shuffle you know and I really don't know how to work it, so I take what comes along).  We started out with:

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves

Really how can you not have a spring in your step when listening to this.

followed by:

My Own Worst Enemy - Lit

If you need a running song, this one will do it for you.

then:

Rock in America - Night Ranger (live)

The nice thing about live songs is it does sound like people are cheering for you - just sayin'.  The other nice thing about live songs is the tempo is usually a bit faster than studio versions, so the run continued.

ended with:

Forget You - C-Lo

Really - it's just a fun tune - you have to move!!!

Then for good measure, lifted a few weights and walked a slow pace to Proud Mary - Tina Turner

While I'm no expert in this or anything, good tunage certainly does make the work out more doable!   Tomorrow...day 5 - almost ready to rest on day 7!

3/4 of a FLIPPIN mile!

Here we are day 3 of the 6 week project and it is hotter than hell where I live, as it is in most places of the country.  Today it was so hot (how hot was it...)  that popcorn could've popped outside!  The idea of exercising, or walking, or really moving felt like it was an unmangeable task.  However, mile number 3 was on the 'to do' list - and when things are on the list - they must be completed so they can be crossed off!!

I came home from work absolutely fried.  My husband and I traded cars for the summer months because his does not have AC.  Except for the past couple of days, it really doesn't bother me.  I park in the shade at work. I roll down the windows...I encourage people near by me to listen to whatever I am blaring on the radio.  I enjoy it.  However, with a heat index over 100 it's a bit toasty.  Came home, made dinner, served dinner, played a card game with the family, and really could just put my jammies on and go to bed, but no the committment has been made, the walking must continue.

I had changed into my work out clothes as soon as I got home, one of the things that Leslie recommends as it is much easier to go ahead and exercise if you already have the clothes on, so I was good to go after a round of cards.  Got the treadmill out and fired it up.  Started out at a good pace and read my new issue of Family Fun that came in the mail today.  Quick read and the first song down and 1/4 of a mile had gone by.  Then, Michael Jackson came on...Don't Stop Till You Get Enough...it's a nice fast song, so I thought, let's just increase the speed and jog a little. Next thing I knew I was at 4 mph and another 1/4 of a mile had gone by.

Then a little REO...Roll with the Changes...I do love REO...oh, might as well keep running, I'm okay, still breathing, no problem.  Another 1/4 of mile went by and of course, I knocked the cord out and shut the whole damn machine off -stupid safety cord!  But without missing a beat, popped the card back in, fired it back up to 4mph and kept going.  Last but not least....AC/DC TNT - seriously, how can you listen to AC/DC and not run - and there you go...3/4 of a mile down at 4mph.  WOW!?  Not bad for a total couch potato!

I am surprised at how good I feel.  The thought of hurling didn't cross my mind or my lips as I thought running would make me do.  I did have sweat running into my eyes, I won't lie and now my legs are a little bit sore, so I'm betting I will pay for that tomorrow.  But  my back feels incredibly good despite the muscle that I pulled back there.  So...hmm....there maybe something to this walking thing.  Something about it really making you feel better.  Something about it helping your body. 

I must say that Leslie Sansone is also correct when she says the more that you walk, the better you will eat.  Today an apple and oatmeal for breakfast.  Lunch - salad, carrots with the remainder of the salad dressing - I mean, really c'mon, you've got to add something to make the carrots more digestable, baked chips, and some tuna.  I forgot to pack bread to make a sandwich, so a co-worker shared some oyster crackers and I added them to the tuna - wasn't delicous, but downable.  Chased it all down with a Special K chocolate pretzel bar and bam - healthy lunch.  Snack on the way home and apple and a banana.  Drank lots of water.  Who am I?  Had a lean burger and bun for dinner with a few pretzels.  Avoided Dairy Queen on the way home despite the fact a blizzard was calling to me in the heat.  My husband said...'you are eating like me' - shudder - he's so healthy!

I'm not sure if this whole jogging/running thing will repeat itself.  Most of the time it just stems from the face that I get bored on the treadmill or am short of time and if I run it goes faster.  Time will tell.  However, tomorrow, I think I'll stick with walking if I am even able to get out of bed. 

Getting Fit, Slowly, but Surely...

It's been a while since I've blogged and have completed two 5K's in that time frame and then went quite sedentary - which happens from time to time.  I had a wake up call the other day or a motivational call as I got on the scale and it registered at a weight I have seen four times in my life.  Twice moving up the ladder of maternity weight and twice moving down the ladder of maternity weight.  It depressed me, as weight gain often does and I thought, 'hmm...really need to do something about that...' and as usual...did nothing.

As many of you know I love to bake and I'm quite good at it, not to sound boastful, but I am.  I've won ribbons and awards for casseroles, cakes, pies, cookies, and candies.  The problem is when you have a hobby like that it leads to weight gain if you continue to 'eat' your end product.  So, I also needed to find a new hobby.  We'll talk about that later.

Last week while at the library I found some fitness books, it is a real insult that they put the fitness section right next to the baking section.  Seriously library people?  Really?  You don't find that mean on a lot of levels?  But I bypassed the bakery books (pause to twitch) and headed for the fitness books. 

I found a boot camp book, that looked promising.  A Jillian Michaels' book, she's so mean she scares you to get into shape - I'm okay with that - I'm afraid of her and willing to work hard for her.  Must be an amazing feeling to have that power over people who you don't even know.  A book all about women over 40 running and walking - that seems right up my alley - sigh.  A food book that has all kinds of suggestions for good foods to eat - why is that you have to find that book in the fitness section rather than the cooking section?  And lastly, a Leslie Sansone Walking book.

I brought my treasures home and they sat in a pile for several days as books should. They would call to me every now and then when I would walk by, but I could never hear it over the crunching of chips.  On Sunday, the house was quiet and I could hear them calling me or mocking me, not quite sure which.  I started leafing through the books and I found the Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds: The Breakthrough 6-Week Program That Helps You Burn Fat, Tone to be the easiest to read and understand and quite honestly, the most doable.

It's interesting and I digress...several of my life long friends have had weight battles over the years.  Not anything really drastic, but weight battles.  One of my friends just made the decision he didn't want to live that lifestyle anymore and started working out.  He toned up and got into shape and looks fabulous.  While he says he falls off the wagon every now and then, he's still in great shape and overall good fitness.

Another friend was diagnosed with diabetes and it was a wake up call for her.  She realized she needed to make some changes in her diet and fitness levels.  She started really watching what she ate, following a diabetic diet, and started an exercise routine.  In what seemed to be no time at all, she was dropping the weight and was so excited to move down pant sizes.  She emails me..."I have to go shopping because my clothes are too big".  Atta girl!

My childhood friend has battled with weight for a long time.  Recently, she started a weight loss plan through the local hospital and has had a huge success.  She is almost down 60lbs.  She looks absolutely fabulous and feels great.  She's started exercising and thinking healthy thoughts.

These three people in my life have given me motivation in recent months to really make a change in my life.  After reading Leslie's book, she gave me motivation too because as she says...I deserve to be healthy.  And I do.  As a mother I feel the need to take care of everyone and everything, to finish uneaten food on children's plates, to give up doing something for me so I can help someone else, and I've come to realize that I am important too.  And let's face it, without me...who would take care of them, so I might as well take care of myself so I can take care of everyone else - right!?

So...here we are day two of the 6 week program.  The goal is to walk 100 miles, but there is a plan.  For the first week, it's 1 mile each day and a multivitamin - seems easy enough.  Week two we increase the distance and add in 8 glasses of water.  That's it.  For now, it's all about exercising.

Give it a try.  What do you have to lose?  In the words of my friend, Doc Adolph Brown..."Whether you think you can or think you can't...you're right!"  So know what...I think I CAN!