Rude Reminders and Weekly Goals
By body keeps sending me rude reminders that I am no longer 21. I’ve tried with no success the past couple of years to do something about my own health, to little avail. The truth is, I don’t need a diet, and I don’t need an exercise routine that will rip my abs…I need to overhaul my own lifestyle. I would like to not get winded when I walk up the stairs to tuck my kids in to bed, and I would like to not have to scour for whatever clothes I can find that will fit me in the big and tall shop.
I have decided to take a new approach to all of this. Instead of dieting, instead of coming up with an insane routine of exercise I know I will never keep, I’ve decided to try weekly lifestyle adjustments. You know, just little things that I hope will have a cumulative effect of boosting my overall physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health. Losing weight will be great, but I am seriously seeing that as a possible by-product rather than an end in itself.
Goal for this week: cut back on coffee and soda; increase water consumption to meet daily minimum guidelines for a person my size; take a daily multi-vitamin.
Wish me luck!
January 14, 2008 at 9:26 am
The Healthy At Any Size movement, which I’ve come to know through friends who do health psychology, is pretty helpful for this kind of stuff. The focus there is on sustainable improvements that focus on health, rather than crash courses to reduce weight. Exactly in line with what you’re talking about doing.
For me, eliminating soda was a really good step. I’m trying to get to where I’m taking a half hour walk every day, too — unfortunately, exercise makes me feel good while I’m doing it and after, but I can never seem to motivate myself to start!
January 14, 2008 at 10:48 am
I faced the same situation last year. Heck….I’ve faced it all my life and I still face it, but last summer my wife and I decided that we both needed to be healthier. we started by losing the potatoes, rice and pasta. That made a huge difference right there in energy levels and I even lost weight without even trying. Next we started going to the gym every other day to walk around the track or use treadmills. Again, it made a huge difference.
what I found to be the key is that you have to have someone to do it with. If you are anything like me, you will find ways of ditching all of the good habits and falling back into the old bad habits. Since returning to the seminary, I have not had the time to work out, but I have stayed off the potatoes and pasta and I still feel pretty good.
January 14, 2008 at 11:53 am
LP,
This is precisely the right approach in my opinion. Little changes are more likely to become lifestyle changes rather than leap into everything at once.
Honestly, one of the biggest things I’ve done in this new year is cut back caffeine to one cup of coffee and one cup of tea per day while increasing drastically water and herbal tea consumption. I feel and look much better.
The other huge change was nearly eliminating alcohol consumption. That coupled with increasing vegetable/fruit consumption and decreasing meat consumption has shifted my body already.
January 14, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Good luck.
I’d like to do the same but am sooooo weak.
January 14, 2008 at 5:37 pm
You’re on the right track – life change accomplishes far more than diets or anything like that. Not that I know so much about it myself: I lost seventy pounds on the “getting divorced and I’m depressed so I’m not eating” diet, and I’ve just kept working to keep it off. Wouldn’t recommend it in your situation, nor my own present situation.
January 14, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Best of luck, LP. It’s a heck of a challenge. I’ve personally had a lot of success with the RealAge program. Basically this looks at your calendar age vs. your real age from lifestyle and diet choices. The resulting recommendations are based on sound science and are put forth in easy steps. It helped my brother and me a lot. The book is great, but there’s also the Real Age website with a free test and free recommendations. Typing Real Age into google will bring it up.
January 14, 2008 at 11:09 pm
you can do it…i have been off coffee and pop for almost a year now. i don’t diet, but i do try to move everyday. here’s to our good health!
January 15, 2008 at 3:27 am
Good luck. Keep us updated and maybe send some encouragement out to those of us in the same boat. I’ve gained back all the weight I lost last year and am now approaching the size I was in ‘05. It sucks!
January 15, 2008 at 9:18 am
Baby steps are the key. Celebrate little victories and don’t get discourage when you stumble.
Personally…setting goals has help me. Also, I informed my congregation of my health goals and now I have a whole lot of people holding me accountable…which is great.
Drinking more water definitely helped me. When I eliminated pop and started drinking water instead, I started losing a lot of weight. I was amazed. Good luck and you are in my prayers.
January 15, 2008 at 9:57 am
“I have decided to take a new approach to all of this. Instead of dieting, instead of coming up with an insane routine of exercise I know I will never keep, I’ve decided to try weekly lifestyle adjustments.”
Hear, HEAR! Thanks for the added inspiration
Good luck and God bless.
……………………………………………………
http://genesiawilliams.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/random-thought-toast-to-crime/
January 15, 2008 at 10:50 am
Good luck,
At age 47 I’ve just been put on cholesterol tablets. Despite BIG diet changes over the past months my cholesterol actually went up slightly.
All the junk food & chocolate sacrifices for nothing….
Regards from Tasmania
Tony M
January 15, 2008 at 11:50 am
Good Luck.
I am working myself through welnness in ‘08 as well. I hope that you have success.
January 22, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I second what Christopher said–also, bag most of the “empty calories”–especially fat. Carrot sticks will fill in a lot of holes. I have friends who use the 10,000 steps a day routine–get a pedometer, and spend more time standing up and moving around. It doesn’t have to be mega exercise! But you know, you can put that baby in the stroller nad show her off! That’s a bunch of steps. As is taking more than one trip up or down the stairs to get whatever you forgot and think to leave for another trip. It’s HARD when there are other folks in the house, especially growing/horde eating adolescent types, but if it isn’t in the house, there’s NO temptation to eat it! Good luck! (and Lent is coming!)
January 28, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Good Luck! I posted about that same thing, sort of, last week. It’s tough realizing she just ain’t what she used to be. But man I’m lucky. I have a husband and kids who will LIE to me and tell me I am beautiful. I guess I would rather be loved than skinny. BUT, I am going to get serious. When I feel better, I am more loving back. Enjoyed your post and I truely hope you do well with your lifestyle changes. – Jennifer