Accomplishing Goals, Slowly

In my last post (yeah, longer ago than I meant to be, sorry!), I talked about my efforts to start exercising regularly, and how I'm keeping track of my weight and my workouts.  

My aim is to be more fit and healthier.  I'm not obsessing about my weight, though at my July appt with a cardiologist, he suggested that if I dropped a few pounds, it would be a help to my heart.  So I had a little bit of an extra push in that department.  Anyway, as I mentioned in that post, I know that my efforts are paying off because my clothes are fitting better for one thing, and I've been able to do a bit more in my exercising.  

So this morning when I weighed myself, I was happily surprised to see that I had lost three pounds.

This made me happy, since I felt that it meant that I was losing some weight but not losing too much too fast.  Which every doctor and every reputable health-advisor-type person will tell you is the thing to do.  

The other thing that makes this good news is that seeing and feeling these results has made me more committed to keeping myself on track.  And apparently in my case, making note of my weigh ins and workouts is the way to go for keeping me on course.

I'm posting about this, because it proves that you don't need to do elaborate things to be healthier.  My workouts are not all hardcore, believe me!  But what they are is MOVEMENT.  

Now - the week after this one, we have to return to work 5 days a week in our building.  This is going to really cramp my style, I must say.  You might say, well, Bridget, just get up earlier every day to exercise.  That means I would have to get up earlier than I already do, which is 4:45 a.m. during the week when I'm working.  So, I don't really want to do that.  

I do walk back and forth to work every day, but I think that after a while, my body just counts that as normal movement, not extra.  So at least at first, that will be helpful.  Also, on nice days, I plan to ride my bicycle back and forth, so that will move some different muscles.  If I can find the energy to do so, I can always do some of my lighter exercise routines in the evenings.  But I think I might need to up my weekend activity, to keep going as well as I can.

I have this week to figure out a "trial" schedule, so we'll see what happens.  I would like to stay friends with the scale.

(Spoiler alert - not me. Not even close. For one thing, this woman is too dressed up to be me before or after exercising ...)

And even more importantly, I want to keep feeling good like I do now.  I have so many things in my daily life that can get me down, especially at work, and if I can keep going with my exercise, it will be a huge help both physically AND mentally!

Watch What You Say, No Matter What You Say, Because You Will Be Wrong Always

Hi there - Yes, I'm still alive. I didn't mean to be gone for so long, I have just had some stuff going on that has made me busy and/or crazy. 

So What the F. Murray Abraham does the title of this post mean?  Well, it was just my snarky way of saying that these days, everyone but yourself knows better for you, no matter what you may think.  And why did this even come up?

A woman who is a meteorologist on a local TV station had a baby about 6 months ago or so.  She posted on Facebook today that she was having a harder time losing weight than she did with her first two kids, probably because now she was older, and also admitted she was not as active.  She said that she wanted to try and lose weight so she would feel better and be able to wear the clothes she has and not have go buy all new ones.  She was hoping that others would join her to get healthy.

Thing she did NOT say:

- she was planning to starve herself
- she was planning to ignore her family
- she hoping to lose more than her current body weight
- she was an overweight pig and hated herself
- she wanted to look 20 years old again

And yet, the comments almost all interpreted her post that way, and everyone explained to her that a) she was beautiful, not to change a thing; b) she should just enjoy her family; c) she should eat whatever she wanted to all the time; d) she shouldn't exercise because it would mean she was buying into the fact that everyone should be thin; e) she was setting a bad example for young girls by telling them they needed to be thin; f) she would definitely end up with an eating disorder.

Oy.  Here was someone who was just saying she wanted to improve her health and stamina, and feel better overall, and immediately it was just WRONG.  So many people had to man/woman/stranger-splain to her what she really SHOULD do because of course they all knew better. 

I really think that in a lot of ways, we are going too far the other way with things.  If she had said, "I think I'm ugly and everyone hates me, but I would be universally loved if I only weight 98 pounds," then maybe she would be showing that she was having problems.  And though it would be concerning, it is still none of the public's business to INFORM her that she was just wrong, wrong, wrong. 

But she didn't say any of that.  She clearly said she wanted to be healthier, and wanted to feel better.  She wanted others to decide for themselves if they wanted to join her.  Personally, I thought it was a good thing, because she was admitting that even though she was on TV she wasn't perfect and that she thought it would be encouraging for others to join her.  Instead, people were up in arms.

I think it's terrible when people feel they must be a certain weight or size to be worth anything.  And I absolutely do not think it's anyone else's business (except possibly a health care provider) to tell anyone else that they have to lose weight or be a certain way. 

But I also think it's just as bad when people assume that anyone wanting to feel better, be more active, or improve their health is doing it for all the wrong reasons.

You may say, well, what did she expect when she posted it on Facebook.  To be honest, I think she thought she might have been able get some people to join her in getting into shape.  And perhaps she will as she continues to post about her progress or lack thereof.  I hope it works for her, and for those people. 

But I also wish that everyone else would just SHUT. UP.

Aren't you glad I'm back?  ;-)

Thoughts on Body Image

I have been thinking a lot lately about the topic of body image.  Probably  because lately I have also been thinking a lot about my body.  Some thoughts that are mine are below, and I am not claiming to have the answer, or be perfect.  But I just felt like telling you - of course, that does not mean you even have to read any more of this, but if you do, please know that I do not mean to sound superior, OK?

For as long as I can remember, I have been out of the loop, so to speak, on this topic.  I was fortunate as a kid and then again as a teenager to never, ever have my mother say anything about whether I was fat, skinny, tall, short, whatever.  I also am not aware of her ever saying anything like that about my sisters either.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like she was above saying, "Wow, So-and-So looks like she gained weight," or similar, but it was not something she was always talking about.

Now of course, I was surrounded by other people and their parents who seemed obsessed with weight, appearance, boyfriends, etc.  And who longed to look like certain movie stars or models.  Mostly I thought they were kind of stupid.

It really and truly never, ever, occurred to me that I was *supposed* to look anything like women in fashion magazines.  Oh, I would wish I had some of the clothes or shoes, and often I wished I had the hair/hairstyle, but I can truly say that I never saw those women as having anything directly to do with me or how I looked.  And it's not like I was super well-adjusted - trust me, I had (and still have) PLENTY of my own issues!

As an adult, it's definitely been a good thing that I have never been obsessed with body image.  I've certainly been on the cusp of overweight on more than one occasion, and I've also wished plenty of times that I could fit into last year's slacks or jeans.  I've been dismayed when I couldn't, and had to buy new ones in a larger size.  However, I've lived through this without a feeling of shame or devastation.

This has served me well, after several major surgeries.  My body is now a series of scars that look like a road map for medical students who have wanted to practice doing surgery!  Things are messy, misshapen, not the same size, and even puffy.  I always tell The Tim that I have no plans to donate my body to science, since at this point, science already has most of it!

Though I'm not in any way sure that it was a conscious action on the part of my parents, I am grateful that my growing up focused on things other than appearance.  I've never thought I am ravishingly beautiful, but then again, I've never been convinced that I am ugly.  Likewise, I've never worried about being "fat" or what size my clothes happened to be - particularly in relationship to anyone else.

I wish more people could feel this way.  I am not convinced that it's fashion magazines and advertising that are completely to blame for our society's obsession with looks, weight, etc.  I think it was a problem long before Vogue put super-thin supermodels on the cover, or before Kate Moss and/or others were forced on us as the epitome of beautiful women.  For anyone feeling self-conscious about themselves already, or who thinks that what others say about them is the most important thing, I think life must be a series of miserable days, and I wish that they were able to move beyond it.  I'm sure that the barrage of images and messages about body image needing to be a certain way doesn't help.
I don't know that there is an easy answer.  I think that the fault lies within ourselves, and until *we* let it all go, we're gonna keep passing it on to the next generation.  That is what bothers me.  When I think of the mothers of my friends who would tell them not to eat dessert so they wouldn't get fat, or the girls at school who would call others fat, or ugly, or whatever, I am amazed that so many years later, it still happens.  All the time.

If you think of it, and ever find yourself doing it, please stop.  None of us need that kind of criticism and pressure.  We all need a break.

Shape, Age, Health, Food

Last week, I read this blog post, and it really made me think.  The blog is one that I read regularly, and like most blogs (about anything) that I read, sometimes it "speaks" to me more than others.  The particular post I'm linking to was one that I thought made a lot of good points, and was accessible to most people.

I was not necessarily the world's  most well-adjusted kid, but I have to tell you, it never, ever, EVER occurred to me as a tween, teenager, or a young adult that I was somehow *supposed* to look like models or celebrities in magazines.  I would maybe like what they were wearing, or their hair and makeup, etc., but I truly never felt inadequate because of my body.  So although I can intellectually understand that it can be/is a problem for women of all ages today, I can't really relate to the whole issue.

As I got older, and became responsible for feeding, dressing, and being completely in charge of myself, my biggest desire was to be healthy and fit.  It didn't necessarily translate into me treating my body as the temple that health fanatics do, but it made me more aware that my overall health and fitness was my own responsibility.  I have been fortunate to be a person who is comfortable in my own skin.

So anyway, back to the post mentioned at the beginning of this post.  She points out that genetics and privilege make a difference.  Unlike the writer's mother, my mother was not one who made sure that we always had whole grain breads, and fresh vegetables.  We always had some kind of fruit, and there was always milk in the refrigerator, but my "deprivations" growing up were a result of my parents' coming of age when having convenience foods was such a wonderful luxury, that opening a can of vegetables, or cooking frozen foods were desirable ways to feed your family.  The other reason was budgetary.  We didn't have money for much, and although we were fortunate to always have something to eat, many of our meals would likely make people today gasp in horror.  Milk was rationed to one glass for each of us a day, since it was seen as necessary but not easily affordable.

Having said that, I thought a lot of the points raised in the aforementioned blog post were worth stating.  We all need food to survive, but in today's world, food and your individual relationship to it is such a sensitive subject that it can be hard to do what really works well for YOU and not feel that somehow you are wrong.  My relationship with food, exercise, and just life in general has been an ever-changing one, and I've always been fortunate because there has never been pressure from anyone who mattered to me to be any different than I am.

So yes, I directed you to one person's way of doing things, and talking about it, and it may not have any relevance to anything about your existence.  But when I read it, I really started thinking about ways that I try to "maintain my shape" and why I do what I do.  In my case, I have had so many health problems that were beyond my control, I want to do my best to be conscientious about the things I can control.

Just like in clothing, one size does not fit all.  It never will, and never should.

I do firmly believe though, that YOUR one size/shape/activity level should always work for you, and make you a happier and healthier person.  I hope by reading this post, as well as the one that started me on this topic, you will be able to feel good about yourself, and decide what you want to try for your health.  I truly believe that if you feel good, you look good, no matter how old you are.

Fresh Start

Last year, I had some goals for myself for the year, and though it wasn't perfect, I did OK with them.  I'm hoping that I can improve on that this year.

I think I mentioned here in previous posts, that I finally realized that making New Year's resolutions just didn't work for me.  Once I started to think of goals and intentions, I took a different approach, and even when I didn't exactly reach them, I didn't have the same feeling of failure as I did with failed New Year's resolutions.  On the one hand, it's the terminology, but on the other hand, my goals and intentions were things that were more or less baby steps, not all-encompassing.

This year, I am going to work on the following:

1.  Fitness.  I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, partly because of a few illnesses that knocked me out for weeks at a time, and partly because I got lazy.  I'm still more fit than I was in previous years, but this year, I'd like to be more active.  So I'm hoping to ride my bicycle more (though not in the snow!), and I want to try some low-key running through a Couch to 5K program.  My goal with that would be to run a 5K this year.  I'd also like to do some hiking, and am hoping to get The Tim involved in that as well.  (We'll see.)

2.  Food.  I eat pretty healthily, so there are no major changes for me here.  But I would like to put more effort into cooking things that will serve more than one meal.  It's nice during the week to come home and be able to have a nice meal without it taking hours to fix.  So I'm going to try and expand my repertoire of soups, casseroles, and other dishes that by their nature make more than just two servings.

3.  Clothing.  I'm going to try and make my wardrobe more cohesive, and wearable.  I want to go through my closet and only keep the things that I really like, will actually wear/still fit, and work with more than one other item that I own.  It's not like I have a vast wardrobe, but it's become a mishmash of stuff over the past couple of years, and I want to pare it down.  I may try to save some money and invest in a new winter coat or some other big item, but will try to keep my spending under control otherwise.

4.  Beauty products/habits.  I already have this pretty well under control, so I'll try to stay with my good habits here.

5.  Attitude.  For the past couple of years, I've tried the One Little Word for the year idea.  My word for both of those years was "kindness" and though I'm not through working on that, I can say that I have been successful in being conscious of the word and changing my behavior.  I hope that now it will be a habit, so I'm choosing another word for 2014, which is grace.  As in a quote I saw here: "I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection."  Which basically means to remember that perfect should never get in the way of good.  I tend to be an obsessive perfectionist, and though I'm better at letting perfection go than I used to be, I need to work on it more.  Plus, I would really like to live my life with more grace and graciousness, in the hope to make grace work with kindness.  Life doesn't have to be as complicated as I often make it, and I also need to realize how great my life is and can be.  I'm hoping that grace will be my inspiration and my result.

Onward!  :-)

Eating Clean

I really try to eat healthfully most of the time, though like everyone else, I'm not 100% successful all of the time.  Life is too short not to enjoy some things.

A few years ago, Wendy posted on her blog that she was making a conscious effort to eat better and feel better, through something called the Eat-Clean Diet.  I was skeptical at first because, well, it was a diet plan, and I find most of those unrealistic, at least in the long run.  But as I poked around the website, it seemed more like a way of eating rather than a specific diet plan, where you gave up so much for so long.

So we gave it a try, and really liked it!  At first, we followed it very closely, mostly to see if our habits changed, but also to see if we could do it reasonably.  Granted, since we try to eat well in the first place, it wasn't too hard to adjust, and we started in the summer which means that fresh fruits and veggies were readily available.  And honestly, it wasn't too difficult, and I for one felt a lot better physically.  As far as I know, I don't have any serious gastrointestinal issues, but let's just say that eating clean made me more comfortable and leave it at that.  My husband was really pleased, because he also lost quite a bit of weight.  (I did too, but that wasn't my primary goal.  It does help with that, though, if you are looking for something to try.)

Of course, after our three-month strict trial, we stopped being so very careful.  The interesting thing is that we had been able to change our eating habits somewhat, and we did add in a glass of wine or an alcoholic beverage to the mix, because we enjoy that.  In the intervening times, we've ebbed and flowed as far as our "dedication," but I can truthfully say that we keep with the Eat-Clean Diet overarching theme.

Why am I sharing this?  Because in the past couple of weeks, I've talked to people who are trying to think of how they can eat better, and consume less junk food or processed food.  And as I was thinking about it, I thought, why not share the info here as well?

I'm not saying that everyone should try it, or that everyone even needs to try it.  I just thought it was worth mentioning as an option for anyone who wants to give it a try.  Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Bon appetit!

A Lesson Reinforced

This past Tuesday, my sister-in-law Sheila died.  It was a surprise, in that this time last week, she was still alive.  But apparently, when she was leaving her office on Friday to go to her car, she fell in the parking lot and knocked herself out.  Turns out she had thrown a clot from DVT in her leg.  They sent her home Sunday, she fell in the house again, and was found by a friend on the bathroom floor, unconscious but with a pulse.  The doctors at the hospital said it was a massive brain bleed, and they were just keeping her comfortable.  She died early in the morning on Tuesday.

Last summer, Sheila's husband Dave died from congestive heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver.  He was four years younger than she was.  From all accounts, she just gave up and didn't even try to move on, other than going to work every day.

About ten years ago, Sheila was asked to be the matron of honor in her younger sister's wedding.  She and Dave embarked on a mission to get into shape.  They showed up, both the picture of health and fitness, and apparently were able to keep up with that for years.

Until about two years ago, when Dave was laid off from his high-level publishing job.  From what I can tell, it sounds as if he became broken.  He stopped caring about taking care of himself, or making any effort to be active.  It sounds as if at some point Sheila thought that if he was giving up, she might as well give up too.  My husband's younger sister told us this week that Sheila was huge - losing 60-75 pounds once Dave died, and it didn't make much of a difference.  But she also said that Dave was incredibly obese when he died.

I was sad to hear this, not just because I loved both of them dearly, but because they had been able to remake themselves into healthy and fit people for several years.  Unfortunately, they could not get the incentive to keep going when times got tough.

So now they are both gone, and there is a huge void in our family.

But as strange as it sounds for me to say this, there is a bright side.  My husband has decided that he needs to get back to his activity and healthier eating.  He told me that he sees their lives in the past couple of years as a cautionary tale.  He is now recommitted to a healthy life, and has been inspired to get moving and paying more attention to his health.  This is a relief to me, as he had become pretty lazy in the past 8 months or so, and I was worried.

In the end, then, the deaths of Dave and Sheila made a point in his life that will likely stick.  I just really wish that the lesson didn't need to be learned this way.

Rest in peace, Dave and Sheila.  We love you, and will miss you.  Here's hoping that you are both happy and at rest now.

No More Slogging

I managed to get through February without getting sick.  Granted, I spent the month still dealing with respiratory and energy issues from being so sick in January, but at least none of it got worse.  I did lose my two pounds - though again, not from any real effort on my part, but because I didn't feel that great most of the time to want to eat.  I got a few small things accomplished, so even though the progress is painfully slow, it's still there.

March offers new opportunities, as well as being the month when winter becomes springtime - at least according to the calendar.  Personally, I love March because besides my own birthday, there's a lot of other fun stuff that happens.  And this year, on the very last day, we even have Easter!

So, what am I hoping March will be for me?  Well, I really hope I can feel better enough to stop slogging through my life for one thing.  I plan to try really hard to get back to physical activity, even if at first my respiratory issues can make my endurance low.  But since in theory the weather will be improving, even just something like a walk or bicycle ride can happen, and I know myself well enough to know that I shouldn't overdo it when I have the chance to start again.

I'm still hoping to lose another two pounds, and now I have extra motivation, since one of my nieces is getting married in June, and I'd like to show up looking healthy.  I also want to continue on some organization projects around the house.  If/when the weather starts to cooperate, I also want to clean up outside in our garden.  I'd love it if I could plant some flowers and get it looking nice again, so we could sit outside as much as we used to.

Of course, in a perfect world, I could accomplish everything and then more, but I'm perfectly content to do what I can and keep going.  It's not a race, and as long as I remember that, I'll be just fine.

Happy March!

Keeping Up with Myself

We are now a whole week into February, and a lot of the country is either covered by a snowstorm, or about to be.  Not Philadelphia, though.  We are getting rain, will maybe get 2 inches of snow according to the local weather people.  Unlike most people, I love snow, and am totally sick of these wimpy winters.

But I digress.

Remember back in January, I mentioned that I was hoping to lose 2 pounds a month to get back to a healthier weight?  Well, I accomplished that and then some, but not due to any conscientious efforts on my part.  Nope, it was from being sick.  When you don't feel like eating for a week, you tend to lose weight.  Anyway, my appetite is still not great, but that's OK, it's not like I'm in a contest or anything.

So for February, I am hoping to lose another 2 pounds, and that I will get enough of my energy back to return to the gym.  I'm also hoping that I can get some more things organized as well.  Granted, I could spend the rest of my life cleaning closets, the basement, etc., but as with my weight loss, I'm hoping to accomplish things via baby steps.  First up will be my closet.  Since before Christmas, I've just been stuffing things in there for a lack of anyplace else to put them.  It's gotten pretty bad, so that will be my first organizing project.

Also, I owe people thank-you notes for Christmas gifts, and I don't want to get any later sending them than I already am.  So that's another February goal.

And hopefully, getting sick won't be part of the February experience.

:-)

A Couple of Intentions

You may recall that I mentioned a couple of posts ago that last year, I toyed with the idea of "intentions" rather than resolutions for New Year's.  I've been sick since the day before New Year's Eve, so I haven't spent a lot of time on thinking about it, but there are a some of things I already know I want to try.

First, I was reading a blog the other day (God forbid I remember which one), where the blogger said that she was in fact making resolutions, but only a month at a time, and her January resolution was to lose weight, and declutter her closet.  That got me to thinking, and I recalled that when I first started this blog, I vowed to take baby steps to reach my health and fitness goals, so that - theoretically at least - they would be more manageable.  It all worked pretty well, so I want to try that.  So one of my intentions for this year is to try and lose 2 pounds a month - and preferably, not the same 2 pounds each time!  This strikes me as a reasonable, doable, intention.

Then today, I was thinking that when I feel better (oh please let it be soon!), I should try to plan ahead with meals a little bit better.  I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning - oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, and sometimes slivered almonds, along with a side of fruit if at all possible in the cold months; cold cereal with a side of fruit the rest of the year - so breakfast is not really an issue.  Cooking dinner is something I share with my husband (he cooks one night, I cook the next), so I want to try and fix one dish at least twice a month ahead for the next week during January.

Then there is lunch.  I usually take my lunch, since a) I don't want to go broke, and 2) deciding what I want can take the better part of my lunch hour.  But as much as I wish it were, it's usually not anything I think too far ahead about.  PB&J is a favorite, but sometimes I just want something different.  So my other intention for January is to plan my lunches, and where possible, fix the ingredients ahead of time.  Even if it's just a list that says something like:  Monday - PB&J.  Tuesday - cheese and crackers.  Wednesday - soup.  You get the picture.

This seems as if it could actually work.  But at least if it becomes undoable/a failure/whatever, I can re-think things for February.

I'll keep you posted.  :-)

Holiday Time!

I just realized it's been too long since I've posted here.  But I didn't want to pass up the chance to post on 12-12-12, the last symmetrical date we will ever see in our lifetimes!  And it's happening right in the thick of holiday time, with Hanukkah underway, Christmas very close, and the end of the year within sight as well.

I absolutely love Christmastime.  And though I haven't been as diligent about my exercising as I would like, at least I have not abandoned it altogether.  If I can even go to the gym once a week between now and the end of Christmastime (in our house, January 6 is the last day of Christmastime), I'll consider it a success.  Though I haven't really lost any weight since we got back from Ireland in early November, I also haven't gained any - I'll take that, thank you very much.

I know for a lot of people, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is when they lose their motivation, time, and desire to remember to stay healthy.  It's so easy to do, since even if you don't go crazy with parties and celebrations, there's usually something on your calendar that keeps you running around.  I'm doing better this year than I have for quite a few years, and it's actually making me more thoughtful about eating and exercising.  I grab some steps whenever I can at work, and on days when the weather cooperates, I try to walk around the block at least during lunchtime, or take the slightly longer route walking home.  I haven't made myself give up any goodies, but I try to not eat as much and/or have a smaller meal next time.  I enjoy this time of year too much to become a martyr.

And tomorrow, I have my annual mammogram.  I don't look forward to it, but I know it's necessary, and have been fortunate to have been able to avoid even more drastic measures down the road since my cancer was caught early.  Every year, I think my luck is gonna be up again, but so far I've had a good report each time.  Hopefully tomorrow will be the same result.

In the meantime, I'll be right here, enjoying myself.  Why don't you do the same???

Well, That Was Longer Than Intended ...

as far as when I would post again!  A couple of times during our trip, I thought about posting, but to be perfectly honest, we were so busy and having so much fun, I really didn't communicate with anyone much at all.

Our trip was fabulous - good food, good drink, nice people, beautiful places, good weather.  The longest, most annoying part was actually when we returned.  Our flight arrived at JFK 45 minutes early.  We waited ten minutes until they could find a slot for the plane.  Not bad.  But apparently a lot of other international flights arrived about the same time, because it took 1 1/2 hours to go through Customs!  Then, the mini tram that takes you to and from Long-Term Parking to the terminal was put out of service by Hurricane Sandy, so it took another hour or so to get to our car.  I think the fact that we were actually just heading home made it bearable!

I must tell you - I drank a lot of tea with cream, a lot of beer, and ate a lot of brown bread and scones with butter while I was there.  It was delicious, and I was on vacation, so I didn't feel one bit worried or in any way guilty.

Now that we are home, I am more than ready to get back to my healthier routine.  Fortunately, even though we failed to actually go to the gym in any of our hotels, we did tons of walking around, so it wasn't a lazy or sedentary trip by any means.  I even lost more weight, which I have to say amused me greatly.

I did, however, come home with a cold.  My husband had one when we left, but after a couple of days seemed to feel better.   Then a couple of days later, I woke up, and there it was, glomming on to me.  I have tried to actively head it off, and though I don't feel a lot better, I don't feel worse at all.  I'm taking that as a good sign.

So anyway, onward and upward to see how I do between now and the end of the year.  I don't think my optimism is unrealistic.

Short-Term Goal Deadline Arrival!

When I first got started on this blog, I posted about my short-term goal here. Well, later today, the reason for my short-term goal will be a reality - I will be getting on a plane to go to Ireland until November 2!  And the best part is (well, actually, the best part is that I'm getting to go in the first place), is that I have accomplished my goal of being fitter and healthier by now.  In six weeks since I started, I've covered  a total of 43.41 miles more than my "normal" everyday activity, by walking, bicycling, and staying focused.  I did get myself into the gym  at least twice a week, and also during that time, I've lost 4.9 pounds, a change which I can actually feel and see in my clothes and my energy level.

And I've done all of this without doing anything crazy or desperate.  I'm actually kinda bummed because I haven't been able to make it to the gym this week so far.  However, the places we are staying all have gyms, and needless to say, we'll be doing A LOT of walking, so I have confidence I'll be able to keep things going well while I'm away.  (My gym clothes and sneakers were the first things I packed.)

I'll try to post while I'm away, but if I don't get the chance, I'll certainly post when I return.  Bye until the next time!

Fall, Arthritis, Exercise

It finally feels like fall here in the Philadelphia area!  I've been enjoying the cooler, more pleasant weather.  This is such a great time of year - besides the weather, it's a time when so many things are coming up - our trip, our anniversary, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmastime - and I love them all!

This week, my osteoarthritis on my right hand has really been acting up.  I've been wearing the brace I have, but it's not really helping that much.  Of course, it probably hasn't helped that I've been going to the gym and also knitting quite a bit.  Usually, exercise helps, but I think that I just haven't been careful enough with other activities, so OUCH!  I'm going to try to baby it a little bit extra this week - since the last time, the doctor told me that if it didn't let up, only surgery would help.  And I'm not anxious to have surgery anytime soon.

I've been able to keep my gym time going, and even got in some extra walking this week.   Having said that, I've apparently also gained 1.6 pounds.  Sigh.  Though I like to think that maybe at least some of it is muscle weight, since my eating has been much better this past week.  Time will tell.

So there have been some small bumps in the road this week, but I still feel like I'm on the right track, and doing well.  Since I'm the only one I have to please, it puts things in a much more reasonable perspective.

That's it until next time.