Saturday, January 2, 2010
Sunday, February 15, 2009
okay.....time to get serious
I've been reading about good plans for weight loss through lifestyle changes. They seem to be a good place to start. Reading is one thing, working it is another. I'm having a hard time getting to the gym. And walking around outside has not been very appealing (except for the few lovely days, when I was at work!) I do get more time walking now that I am working 12 hours a day. I hardly sit down. It does make me tired. Last time I checked, I was down 5 pounds, but I am worried it was a fluke and don't want to weigh again until I 'feel' thinner!
And I need to work out at the gym for real. I'm planning on Tuesday. I'd love to go to the yoga class at 7 am, but since I don't get home from work until midnight, I'm thinking that if I can make the 11 o'clock class, that would be wiser! :-) I could take the class, ride a bike for 20 minutes and then sit in the steam room. That seems pretty easy, right? The goal will be to GET inside the gym. The rest takes care of itself pretty much.
So, birthday is coming up. This makes the whole 50 b4 50 seem a little closer. I really have to have endurance to reach this goal! Good think I have to walk around so much at work, and it keeps me from eating very much while I'm there, too. Maybe I can meet this goal? I'm going to keep trying.
And I need to work out at the gym for real. I'm planning on Tuesday. I'd love to go to the yoga class at 7 am, but since I don't get home from work until midnight, I'm thinking that if I can make the 11 o'clock class, that would be wiser! :-) I could take the class, ride a bike for 20 minutes and then sit in the steam room. That seems pretty easy, right? The goal will be to GET inside the gym. The rest takes care of itself pretty much.
So, birthday is coming up. This makes the whole 50 b4 50 seem a little closer. I really have to have endurance to reach this goal! Good think I have to walk around so much at work, and it keeps me from eating very much while I'm there, too. Maybe I can meet this goal? I'm going to keep trying.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
smaRt
Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
__
The goal of improving time in the mini-triathlon is realistic!
First mini-triathlon
#1 Mini-triathlon!!
Yippee! I completed my first one. I didn't try to push myself, I just wanted to complete it. And I did. I started with 30 minutes on a treadmill type of machine (low impact). It was HARD work. I used 200 calories and went 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. My heart rate was between 120-145 the whole time. I'd like to get it lower, as I wasn't working THAT hard, but oh well.
Then I went on to the bikes. I did 20 minutes at level 3, which was pretty easy. I did 2.0 mile and I think maybe 100 calories?
Then I went to the pool and swam for 10 minutes. That was physically not bad, but I was starting to get hungry by then. I did drink two containers of H2O, so that's good. I swam 9 laps and walked/floated the 10th one, to finish just exactly in 10 minutes.
Then I hit the whirlpool for about 3-4 minutes and the steam room for 5 minutes, and the shower, and drying my hair, and home to EAT a bowl of oatmeal with raspberries and blueberries in it. And 1/2 a brownie from Noah's birthday lunch out with Grandma. Ouch! Could have skipped that part of it, but it was SOOO good!!!
Oh, and I went to a gentle yoga class before starting the mini-triathlon. Needless to say, my heart rate is still a bit too high, but my spirits are high, too. Now I am checking email and watching SG1, season 8, disk 2.
I saw a complete set of SG1 at Costco last night for $179.00, boy was I tempted!!!! That would be too much fun for one gal. :-)
Now I need to figure out how many calories I burn just by being awake, and what my total calorie intake should be to lose 1-2 pounds a week, with the massive workout schedule (aka mini-triathlon) twice a week. I don't know if I could do that 3x a week, but I'd be willing to. It wasn't as hard as I thought, so pushing myself to get better mileage is a good goal, eventually.
Yippee! I completed my first one. I didn't try to push myself, I just wanted to complete it. And I did. I started with 30 minutes on a treadmill type of machine (low impact). It was HARD work. I used 200 calories and went 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. My heart rate was between 120-145 the whole time. I'd like to get it lower, as I wasn't working THAT hard, but oh well.
Then I went on to the bikes. I did 20 minutes at level 3, which was pretty easy. I did 2.0 mile and I think maybe 100 calories?
Then I went to the pool and swam for 10 minutes. That was physically not bad, but I was starting to get hungry by then. I did drink two containers of H2O, so that's good. I swam 9 laps and walked/floated the 10th one, to finish just exactly in 10 minutes.
Then I hit the whirlpool for about 3-4 minutes and the steam room for 5 minutes, and the shower, and drying my hair, and home to EAT a bowl of oatmeal with raspberries and blueberries in it. And 1/2 a brownie from Noah's birthday lunch out with Grandma. Ouch! Could have skipped that part of it, but it was SOOO good!!!
Oh, and I went to a gentle yoga class before starting the mini-triathlon. Needless to say, my heart rate is still a bit too high, but my spirits are high, too. Now I am checking email and watching SG1, season 8, disk 2.
I saw a complete set of SG1 at Costco last night for $179.00, boy was I tempted!!!! That would be too much fun for one gal. :-)
Now I need to figure out how many calories I burn just by being awake, and what my total calorie intake should be to lose 1-2 pounds a week, with the massive workout schedule (aka mini-triathlon) twice a week. I don't know if I could do that 3x a week, but I'd be willing to. It wasn't as hard as I thought, so pushing myself to get better mileage is a good goal, eventually.
Friday, January 23, 2009
5 lbs by Feb 22
Okay, so my smArt goal is to reach 180 by Feb 22nd, my 49th birthday. I hate that it's such a high number...so maybe 179 by 2/22. I like that one better. I am silly! But if it works, it works!
This is smArt in that it is Attainable. I can do this, so I will set that as a specific goal. If I reach it, it will be goal number two. The first will be losing 5 pounds, the second 179 by my birthday. Hmmm, does carrot cake count as a healthy choice?
This is smArt in that it is Attainable. I can do this, so I will set that as a specific goal. If I reach it, it will be goal number two. The first will be losing 5 pounds, the second 179 by my birthday. Hmmm, does carrot cake count as a healthy choice?
keeping track
The other thing I've been thinking about is how to record progress. I can weigh myself, and I will, but I think once a week is enough time to obsess about the number stuff. I like the morning, before shower, after voiding. No clothing, tile floor. And even though my scale does those 1/2 pound things (186.5!!) I don't like tracking 1/2 pounds. So the question is, do I round up or down????
Saturday mornings sound good to me, especially because this is Friday night, so I can start tomorrow with the whole recording thing.
The I need to record the amount of exercise I do. And if I don't start losing, the amount of calories I eat. PAIN IN THE BUTTON. But I guess I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help me make the positive weight loss/be healthy changes that I need to make.
And I will try to EAT breakfast everyday (and not just a soy latte!)
Honesty seems to be a part of this whole trip. Honest to myself and in some remote way, to another person...who I hope will interject words now and then to encourage or kick butt as needed.
I'd like to reduce my risk of bad outcomes in my long term health as well as in my success at trying to improve it. I know that at times I like to eat for emotional reasons that have nothing to do with hunger, and I need to make those times go away. Or channel them into something more productive.
I have always hated that losing weight required so much effort, but that need not stop me know. I will make the necessary changes in my life to accomplish my goal. 50b450450!!!! Rah!
Saturday mornings sound good to me, especially because this is Friday night, so I can start tomorrow with the whole recording thing.
The I need to record the amount of exercise I do. And if I don't start losing, the amount of calories I eat. PAIN IN THE BUTTON. But I guess I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help me make the positive weight loss/be healthy changes that I need to make.
And I will try to EAT breakfast everyday (and not just a soy latte!)
Honesty seems to be a part of this whole trip. Honest to myself and in some remote way, to another person...who I hope will interject words now and then to encourage or kick butt as needed.
I'd like to reduce my risk of bad outcomes in my long term health as well as in my success at trying to improve it. I know that at times I like to eat for emotional reasons that have nothing to do with hunger, and I need to make those times go away. Or channel them into something more productive.
I have always hated that losing weight required so much effort, but that need not stop me know. I will make the necessary changes in my life to accomplish my goal. 50b450450!!!! Rah!
truth
I saw a photo of me from Thursday, and I am amazed at how fat I actually am. It's hard to imagine that I still think of my self as thinner than I am, but I do. How can that fatty be me? I was like, "Oh how nice" when I saw it, but inside I was "God, kill me now!"
I never intended to become a fatty. I guess these things happen when we don't exercise, eat a lot, sit our out butts, and eat some more! It doesn't take too much overeating to gain weight. Damn!
So, my plan is to take measurements of my stomach and other offensive parts of me 'for the record'. IF I do lose weight, I don't want to underestimate the amount of weight I've lost. I know I can look at a scale, but I think the inches are important, too. I did read an article that said stomach measurements greater than 36" on a woman has a huge increase in risk of heart disease. Bummer.
On the more positive side, I'm thinking that I will break down the whole weight loss thing into smaller bites (pun intended). LOL By that I mean, I want to take the 50 lbs and break them into 10 five pound mini-goals. My first mini goal would be 180 lbs. Right now, that seems like a mountain top, unassailable goal! But really, that would be 2-3 weeks of work or maybe 17-18 days of being very conscious of my eating patterns and choices and increase in burning of calories.
I am trying to establish what is enough exercise for me to do in a 'work out' or a day. I have several options. I like walking, so that is an easy one for me. I'm not sure HOW LONG I need to walk to make it burn enough calories, get the heart rate up, etc. I need to research this one. I'm open to suggestions/ideas/input. One idea that I heard at Lifetime this week when I was in to goof off was a mini triathlon. The suggestion goes like this...
SWIM - 10 minutes and count the laps
BIKE - 20 minutes and record the mileage
TREADMILL - 30 minutes and record the distance
TOTAL time is 60 minutes of work (? calories?)
TOTAL distance is the goal to increase over time. This would mean that if I did 4 laps, the next time I'd try for 5. If I rode 3 miles, the next time I'd try for 4. If I walk/jogged/ran for 2 miles, the next time I'd try for 3. I like the concept and I think it is more up my alley than anything else for the moment. I do realize that I'd need to be in the club for over an hour...probably more like 90 minutes, but it would be a good workout and the challenge would be solely against myself.
And I could set new records all the time! Hey, that is setting up for success. :0)
When the weather is not too cold, I like walking. Poor weather is not my favorite to walk in. Walking with a friend is the best, though. ;-)
I never intended to become a fatty. I guess these things happen when we don't exercise, eat a lot, sit our out butts, and eat some more! It doesn't take too much overeating to gain weight. Damn!
So, my plan is to take measurements of my stomach and other offensive parts of me 'for the record'. IF I do lose weight, I don't want to underestimate the amount of weight I've lost. I know I can look at a scale, but I think the inches are important, too. I did read an article that said stomach measurements greater than 36" on a woman has a huge increase in risk of heart disease. Bummer.
On the more positive side, I'm thinking that I will break down the whole weight loss thing into smaller bites (pun intended). LOL By that I mean, I want to take the 50 lbs and break them into 10 five pound mini-goals. My first mini goal would be 180 lbs. Right now, that seems like a mountain top, unassailable goal! But really, that would be 2-3 weeks of work or maybe 17-18 days of being very conscious of my eating patterns and choices and increase in burning of calories.
I am trying to establish what is enough exercise for me to do in a 'work out' or a day. I have several options. I like walking, so that is an easy one for me. I'm not sure HOW LONG I need to walk to make it burn enough calories, get the heart rate up, etc. I need to research this one. I'm open to suggestions/ideas/input. One idea that I heard at Lifetime this week when I was in to goof off was a mini triathlon. The suggestion goes like this...
SWIM - 10 minutes and count the laps
BIKE - 20 minutes and record the mileage
TREADMILL - 30 minutes and record the distance
TOTAL time is 60 minutes of work (? calories?)
TOTAL distance is the goal to increase over time. This would mean that if I did 4 laps, the next time I'd try for 5. If I rode 3 miles, the next time I'd try for 4. If I walk/jogged/ran for 2 miles, the next time I'd try for 3. I like the concept and I think it is more up my alley than anything else for the moment. I do realize that I'd need to be in the club for over an hour...probably more like 90 minutes, but it would be a good workout and the challenge would be solely against myself.
And I could set new records all the time! Hey, that is setting up for success. :0)
When the weather is not too cold, I like walking. Poor weather is not my favorite to walk in. Walking with a friend is the best, though. ;-)
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