Monday Motivation

Every day there is a new struggle to beat. The calves hurt, new blisters have appeared in places you didn’t know you had. The television continually shows commercials of juicy hamburgers, fried chicken and all the chocolate covered rabbits for upcoming Easter baskets. Even the scent of bacon and eggs finds way to your nostrils when you get out there for the morning walk.

Does it ever get easy? No! Every day brings a new challenge to face. Every day is a new chance to change your life. If it’s not challenging you, it’s not changing you. It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.  “…let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us…” The secret to succeeding is changing daily routines. Eventually the hard part will be your warm up. You can do this. 

Just a little Monday motivational speech. It’s a brand new week. Let’s do it!

Until next time, 

Wood Chucking

How much wood can a woodchuck chuck? Woodchucks don’t really chuck wood, but beavers can fall a tree like nobody’s business. Most people can’t endure a triathlon without extensive training but everyone can do something. Some days the obstacles we have before us seem too overwhelming. Some days seem like there is too much on our plate to clear. We all experience these hurdles. It’s normal. Do not be discouraged.

Develop positive self-statements, such as “I’m getting stronger and better every day.” Okay, my cows don’t believe that every day because they hurt. But it’s true. “Every day in every way, I’m getting better and better.” If you need more affirmation, take a look at the first day you recorded your weight. Think about how much better you feel.

Listen to your body. Take a look in the mirror. Hey, I actually was able to get the Levis over my butt. Still can’t zip them yet, but I can get them on! Wooop – wooop! Stay positive, stay motivated.

Think about other changes you have faced in your life. How did you adjust to them? The strengths you relied on then may help you now. Use them. There are no rules. It’s all about making changes we can integrate into a permanent lifestyle transformation. You are doing great. Keep up the good work.

See ya next time!

Preparations

 

One of the best ways to stay on track with our walking to fitness journey is preparations. Prepare for things that you know are going to happen. Midnight cravings or after-dinner-movie-watching munchies. A handful of grapes and trail mix is nothing like the pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream. It’s better for you and in the middle of the night, the craving is just that. Sometimes it is satisfied with a glass of water and counting to ten, or one hundred sheep.

Plan the week ahead. Make a list of what you need and shop for the week. Only buy what you need for the meals you have planned. Incorporate the snacks in the list. Make time to prepare quick portion-sized snacks to grab when you need it. Grapes are a great sweet treat and 20 equal 36 calories (opposed to 20 M&M’s or 60 calories).

Sometimes it’s hard to prepare a meal after working all day, so plan ahead. Cut up veggies that you will need for later in the week. Salads are great because you can include lots of vegetables and fruit and maybe a piece of chicken or some tuna fish on the side. Quick and easy.

Preparations aren’t only for meals. Be prepared when you are out walking too. On our longer walks that we do on the weekends, I bring a little backpack to include a bottle of water. Must stay hydrated. That will be even more important as the temperature rises.

Yesterday while we were on our walk, I tried a different pair of shoes. Not a good idea. At the half-way mark I had to take a break to empty my shoes and shake out my socks. Luckily we were at a nice spot near the lake. As I was going about the task of taking care of my feet, Joe disappeared out of site. A few minutes later, he reappears in nothing but a pair of “sexies”. OMG I love that man! He just makes me smile. I was not expecting that at all. And yes, I did get pictures and no, I’m not sharing. ♥

Be prepared for anything and everything. You never know what’s going to come up.

Until next time,

Weigh In

We have come to the three week mark. Today take a deep breath, lose all your clothes and step on the scale. I bet you will surprise yourself. If you have been doing everything we have talked about for the last three weeks, you will see a drop it the numbers. Even if it is just ounces, congratulations! Losing is better than gaining! And every little bit helps. It took us years to get where we are, it will take us a little more effort to get where we want to be.

We are a third of the way there. Look at it this way: multiply what you’ve lost by three. This may encourage you. It may make you work a little harder. If you keep on track, you can’t go wrong. Changing bad habits and creating good habits is what we all need to do. We are here to help each other. It’s a life style we are learning to live, not a diet.

There are going to be days that we are not able to get out there and take our walk. Truth be told, we had the last three days off for different reasons. God willing, we will be back out there tonight, and Joe will push us to do extra because of the days we missed. If you have someone to push you to do extra, hug them, and love them, and praise them for wanting you to be healthier and get fit. It’s hard to stay on track. It’s hard not to eat all of that chocolate I bought at 50% off. (It really is better to not put the temptation in the house.)

I know it is going to hurt after taking the short hiatus. It’s a lot easier to not take a day off and keep going than it is to take a day or three off and get back into it. But keep doing it. Keep pushing yourself. No pain, no gain. Some people think that is the wrong attitude to have. To achieve great things, there must be great sacrifices.

Stay real. Until next time,

Food Stuff

My feet hurt! If yours do, be sure to look into getting a good pair of cross training shoes. I have yet to find a pair that’s really comfortable. I keep searching. If anyone has suggestions, do share. Comfort plays a big part into your daily movement routine. Be comfortable.

Today I want to share some ideas about food stuff. Remember calories in vs. calories out equals how much you lose or gain. I’m sure a cheese burger and fries sounds a lot better than a Cesar salad. You will have to make these decisions. Are you prepared to make the right decision? I’ll be honest, sometimes I don’t do it. One day at a time. If we mess up, we brush it off and keep going.

Little changes in your diet can help a lot. It might not seem like much, but cut back one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee every cup. Say you have two cups of coffee each day, that’s 210 calories per week. Imagine the calories saved drinking it black.

I know it’s hard to get all those glasses of water in especially when it’s cold. I add some lemon to mine. Sometimes I drink sparkling water (that counts too), just be aware of the labels and make sure to get one without the added sodium. If you have a gallon jug, slice up an apple, a lemon and toss in a few cinnamon sticks for a flavorful water.

We purchased a Spiralizer to use for pasta replacement. It sounds weird and seemed like it wouldn’t be satisfying. There’s nothing quite like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. That was always a big comfort food for me. Trust me when I tell you the flavor the butternut squash added to our dinner was outstanding. The zucchini will be better with an Alfredo sauce, but I will definitely do the butternut again.

Make up some fruit K-Bobs for a quick snack. Cut up carrot and celery sticks to grab when you have a craving for something crunchy. I fill up single servings of almonds or other trail mix munchies so they are ready for a quick snack. Sometimes when we get that craving, lack of options will turn into bad choices. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.

Keep it real and stay on track. You got this!

Until next time.