I need to go back to doing what works
When I started this Hundred Day Head Start on September 23, I wanted to break some rules and see if it made a difference. I threw out the spreadsheets I used to plan my daily exercise and log my daily fat, carbs and protein. I didn’t want to be tied to anyone’s methodology, including my own.
That isn’t working.
I’m having too many bad days. I’m inconsistent, and scrambling to lose a pound a here and a pound there. I have to face it, I NEED structure.
So, I’m going to pull those things from the virtual wastebasket, dust ‘em off, and rebuild them. I’ll write more about them tomorrow, maybe see if I can make them available for download here as well.
Tags: exerciseIs there a blogger needing encouragement to start exercising?
My Google alert for ‘exercise motivation’ spit this one out at me today: The urge to try again.
I just thought I’d highlight it because it resonated with me. I think we all have been/are in this position - we want to make changes for the better, but are having problems getting start. Once we start, we do well, but it’s taking that first step.
Perhaps if we all dropped by this blog and gave her a little encouragement, it would help?
Tags: exerciseThere is better content to read elsewhere today
Jimmy Moore has a great interview posted with Jennette Fulda of ‘Half of Me’ fame. I was very interested to hear how she doesn’t expect people to do what she did (South Beach), and the role exercise played in her loss of 200 pounds. It’s obvious from the interview that this is a very smart, funny person, and she has a book coming out next year.
Go check out two great blogs!
Tags: exerciseWorking, or working out?
Oh Lord, I’m sore. I helped my sister-in-law and her husband move some heavy furniture from one $1M house they are selling to another $1M house they just bought.
You’d think with all that, they could afford movers. Or maybe that’s why they have million-dollar houses and I don’t.
At one point, I was standing in a stairwell with several hundred pounds of armoire balanced on my head while her husband literally climbed over a rail, onto my shoulders, and down my body.
No, there was no walking after that. Didn’t need it, either. 
Weigh-ins - it’s accountability time!
So, we’re 30 days into the 100-day Head Start. Don’t worry if you’re late to the party, just start today.
I’m the same as last week - again. 319. Started at 326, down 7 lbs. Honestly, I had to work to get there over the weekend, it was not a good week for me. But, 7 lbs per month is a nice, healthy rate to lose, and it will add up to 21+ lbs by New Year’s Day, when everyone else in the world will be getting 21+ lbs fatter. Looking forward to an 84 lbs loss over the next year, also.
Just keeping it all in perspective.
Ellen checked in, she’s down to 227. I think she started at 230, but her blog is offline right now (what’s up with that?). Three pounds per month will be 10 lbs by New Year’s and 36 lbs over the next year, so keep at it!
Marianne checked in with a 2 lb. loss - that will be 6+ lbs by New Year’s and 24 lbs over the next year, go, go, go!
Some of the other “regulars” around here:
Jenn is down 5 lbs since she started, despite a week that sounds like mine - can she get to 15 by New Year’s and 60 over the next year? Inquiring minds want to know…
Lady Rose has been at this so long (77 weeks and counting), it’s no longer a diet, it’s a lifestyle - she was down 4 lbs last week, and I noticed she hit ONE-derland in the past few weeks. Outstanding!
Anyone else want to check in? How are YOU doing?
Tags: dietLifehacker has some great tips to enjoy exercise
Lifehack published an article recently titled “13 Tips to Actually Enjoy Exercise“. It has some solid idea, things I used to do but I’m not doing right now. It might be time to take a look at things that worked for me in the past and start replicating them.
Here’s Lifehacker’s tips:
- Make it a Habit
- Get a Partner
- Tune Your Challenge Level
- Set Goals
- Get Past Your Comfort Zone
- Experiment
- Music
- Short Workouts
- Daily Challenges
- Reward Showing Up, Not Weight Loss
- Make Exercise Your Stress Relief
- Record Improvements
- Make Time
Check out the original post, there’s some good stuff there.
Tags: exercise, tipsFair Warning - Weigh-Ins
Ok, we’ll be coming up on the 30-day mark for the Hundred Day Head Start in a couple days, and it’s time to check progress. I’m going to be surfing around Monday or so and checking for weigh-ins, so let’s have a good weekend. Get your exercise, stay away from the bad stuff, and let’s try to be at least one pound under what we were a month ago!
I’m not above public ridicule and humiliation! 
Staying away from comfort food… mostly
Man, I had the worst day yesterday. The subject is most definitely NFB (not for blogging), but when I got home I got into a contest of “I love you THIIIIIIIIIIIS much” with my youngest daughter, which I desperately needed.
Looking back, though, I did pretty well with the food - not perfect, though. If there was ever a day for comfort food, that was it, but I didn’t go there. It was Raisin Bran for breakfast, a protein shake for a morning snack, a salad with boneless chicken breast for lunch, and the worst was dinner - an awesome cheeseburger from The Loop (if you’re in Jacksonville, you know what I’m talking about!). Not a great dinner by any means, but it could have been worse - much worse. They also have my favorite barbecue chicken pizza on the menu. Mmmmmm, but oh-so-bad. But, I stayed away. Yeah, I should have had the salad. No excuses for that. I wasn’t thinking straight at that point, and the Cheeseburger was at the top of the menu.
No desserts though, and the last meal was at 6 p.m., which is always my goals so I’m not sleeping on a undigested food.
How are you dealing with comfort food?
No tag for this post.How I strengthen my core
Starting exercise after a layoff, I always have back trouble. The muscles in my lower back hurt and the pain radiates down my butt to my thighs, because the back is compensating for weak abdominals and hip muscles. So, I focus on the core muscles for several days when starting back to exercise, then work them twice a week. Here’s what I do:
- Crunch - Just a standard ab crunch, no muss, no fuss, done til I can feel it burn.
- Air Squats - When I was a kid, we called them ‘deep-knee bends’, but I guess we aren’t allowed to refer to knees anymore. Knees offend easily.
- Stairs - No, not “I must have walked the stairs 20 times today”. It’s lacing up the shoes and heading up and down the stairs ten or twenty times without stopping. The heart pounds and the sweat drips.
- Lunges - I typically do these before my walks a couple times each week to warm up the muscles.
After a couple weeks, I add a few more varieties of crunches - twisting, raised legs, etc. Trying to work and balance the muscles more. I also focus on “Balance” with a big “B”. Place an object on the floor. Stand on one foot. Pick it up. Stand straight up, still on one foot. Put it down. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs. You’ll feel it.
What do you do?
Tags: exerciseI need to kill the Forum, and a weigh-in
Seriously. The spammers won’t go away. They’re signing up faster than I can delete them. Since there isn’t much activity going on, I’m going to simplify my life, and this site, a bit and kill them. If you linked to them, thank you, but you can go ahead and delete the link.
Now, for the weigh-in: down two pounds! 319 lbs.
So, it was nice to get back on the negative side of the scale this week. I walked 5 out of 7 days. I’ve been getting horrible headaches the past few days, so bad I’ve been in bed quite bit. I have no idea if last night’s was the end of it or not, but I feel better this morning.
Any other weigh-ins out there?
No tag for this post.