For A Better Me Now – Start Small, Be Persistent

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Thoughts on the Blue Zones

I am completely fascinated by the idea of the so-called Blue Zones described in the book by Dan Buettner. I believe that even though much of what is described it impractical and simplistic (perhaps that is the reason their lives are so much happier!), there are aspects we can take to heart and apply to our own situations.

Quick recap in case you haven’t heard:

There are a few places in the world, referred to as the Blue Zones by the author: Okinawa (Japan); Sardinia (Italy); Nicoya (Costa Rica); Icaria (Greece); and Loma Linda, California. People living in those general areas tend to live longer and be far healthier. Many live to be well over 100 years old – a figure we can only hope to reach, let alone be in good health. They have fewer cancers and other “old age” diseases. There doesn’t seem to be a particular diet they follow, but there are general considerations in common.

It’s not that I want to live to 100, although it might be nice. But if I do, I really want to be in good health. My grandmother on my father’s side made it to 96 but she lived in a home the last few years and when I visited with my newborn son, she didn’t know who I was. It made for a nice photo of 4 generations, but it was also rather sad knowing that one day I could probably be there too. My mother is currently almost 87, but I see the very early signs of dementia setting in. It is terrifying to imagine living that way. I have decided that I’m done at 80 just to make sure that doesn’t happen to me.

Is it that they have better genes or is it that they eat that much better? Is it the lifestyle or their daily exercise habits? From what I have read, they don’t seem to eat one consistent diet. Some have a fish dominant diet, some meat. Some abstain from alcohol, while some enjoy in moderation.

While I describe a number of diets and compare them to each other in my other articles, the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the so-called Blue Zones seems to have a few things in common. Since there is no one solution fits all, the idea I get is that as long as you strive to follow a few of them as often as possible, it certainly can’t hurt J So where possible, I am trying to incorporate some of the principles as often as possible.

The 5 main takeaways for me are:

1. Activity

The locals are active. Not planned exercise, not in a gym, not crazy aerobic sweat-inducing exercise, just being physically active – keeping moving, picking and planting their crops, walking to the shop and home, and bicycling the longer distances. Being active at a moderate purposeful level is part of their daily routine.

This isn’t really practical in our modern busy traffic filled lives where most of us commute via public transport or drive a car to work. However, we can try to get up and walk around regularly. We can try to walk around the block a couple of times a day, perhaps at lunch or taking a morning or evening walk. Just get in your steps as part of your daily routine. Look for every opportunity to get moving and being active.

2. Having Purpose

Blue Zone inhabitants had meaning and purpose in their lives. Perhaps because they tend to live in small communities, perhaps because they are living off the land, those that live the longest seem to know what they are living for, what their purpose is, and their reason for being. Many live in family groupings where they help each other in defined ways, perhaps performing traditional roles doing chores.

These days, too many of us are constantly searching for purpose and meaning in our lives, feeling unfulfilled. The message I take from this is that I need to set myself small goals and aim for them. Consider taking a course at a local community college.

By knowing what you want and what you are striving for, you can set goals, and feel motivated. Most importantly you have something to strive for. As you achieve them, you can feel satisfied and accomplished.

3. Being Connected and Engaged

One of the factors that all the centenarians seemed to have in common is that they are socially connected, have strong family ties and are engaged in their communities. Small communities with families living together, or near each other, and having a strong sense of culture make this easy. Everyone helps one another, and everyone knows one another, stopping to chat or having family gatherings regularly. Loneliness isn’t an issue, and because of family roles, even as they get older they have purpose.

While not all of us live near family and the friends we had growing up, it doesn’t mean we can’t make new connections and building a strong support network in our local area. Are there groups at a local library, or school you can join, or perhaps a local gym that has classes for beginners. Consider joining a faith group if you have a religious upbringing or are interested in learning more. What are your interests and how can you connect with similar people. Not all of us have resources to give, but most of us have time; perhaps once a month. Consider helping at a homeless shelter, delivering meals to the aged, making care packages for troops stationed overseas or volunteering at a hospital or senior center. Try building an office culture of collecting backpacks for kids or food items for Thanksgiving or starting a toy drive, you might get to know some new people. It doesn’t cost you much and really does give you a warm feeling when you see the smiles and realize how much difference you made in someone else’s life. There are a lot of people who need you and you can make some great friends while you are there.

4. Low Stress

A low stress level seems to be another consistent indicator of good health into the later years. Perhaps because of the level of activity that keeps them fit and healthy, perhaps because they live a simpler life living off the land and aren’t commuting back and forth to a stressful job or keeping up with social media and the news, they are able to disconnect and relax.

We may need to commute to work and the lifestyle they have is likely not practical for us, but it doesn’t mean we cannot try to mimic some aspects. By disconnecting from the constant barrage of information and taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty around you and stay connected with your friends and family, you can focus on having a less stressful life.

5. Diet

The most significant part of the study and where I see I can make the most changes are with my diet. These longer living groups follow different diets with some incorporating more meat, some eating more fish, but all ate a significant amount of vegetables, locally grown, likely organically. While some abstained from alcohol, most of the others enjoyed a glass or two of wine with their meal.

They enjoy their meals with family and friends and it’s more about the occasion and the company than the food. I imagine they eat less and slower because they are talking and laughing. They aren’t watching TV and reading their phones while eating, they are engaging with family and talking about the day. The mid-day meal is the big one, followed by a quick siesta in the heat of the day.

And you know they aren’t picking up soda cans and processed foods from that quaint market in the center of town. Perhaps I am romanticizing it and it’s definitely not the way my lunches are, hastily wolfing down a sandwich between meetings while sitting at my desk, but I do recall a friend who travelled to Italy for 3 months to study art history. She attended classes and as she walked home in the evening through old town Florence’s cobbled streets she would stop to get a carafe of wine, some handmade pasta and vegetables to stir-fry or cheeses, preserves and bread for her dinner. It sounds idyllic, and yes, completely unrealistic most nights when you are late home from work and rushing the kids to soccer practice. BUT… imagine once a week cooking fresh vegetables or sitting down to dinner and enjoying the flavors and talking. Start with one day a week trying a new recipe, or trying a vegetarian meal or sitting up to the table with family. Small changes.

Really, all the principles we see above, are obviously good practices. Whether it’s possible to do all of them, whether one or other is more important, they are all good ideas and unlikely to be bad for you. So take this time to try something new that might improve your health, improve your happiness and keep you living well into your 100s.

Check out: https://www.bluezones.com/

If you are interested in buying the book to read more, please click below, I may earn a small commission on your purchase.

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9 Ways to Get Up and Moving

Depending on what kind of person and what motivates you, these are some of the “tricks” I’ve used to motivate myself and get out there.

1. Talk Yourself Into It

My mantra is something is better than nothing. Even if I don’t feel like it, even if I am tired, do something. Just go around the block; or two blocks. I often find that once I’ve made the effort and got my sneakers on, and I am walking that block, I can talk myself into another one. Or two. Even if its half mile and I give up, I went somewhere and I did something. GO ME!

2. Listen to the Music ♬ ♩ ♫

I love music, especially music that makes me feel good or happy. If you are in the 40+ range like me (even if you are 50 or 60, that’s 40+… Right?!) that might be classic rock or golden oldies “Let’s get Physical”…, but newer music has a great beat so put together a playlist and get out there and walk to it. Lots of apps have playlists available or google songs to work out to and pick a few you like.

Of course, be sensible, if you wear earbuds, don’t play the music too loud that you can’t hear traffic or people yelling to you. I prefer to put just one ear in so I can hear what’s going on around me.

Hubby likes these when riding the stationary bike but I would rather not block out that much sound when walking outside…

3. “Read” an Audio book

I love reading, but who has time to read these days? So I hit upon the idea of downloading some audio books from the library, or you can join something like Audible. And the only time I can listen to the book is while walking. There are times a story is so riveting I keep going to hear a little more. Or if I had to stop walking, I can’t wait to get back out and walk some more to hear the next installment. You could similarly listen to your favorite podcasts.

Again, don’t block out all sound, use one earbud or a device playing out loud.

4. Take Photos

I am using a workout tracking app (more on these in another post) that lets you upload a photo for your workout. The first month or so, I thought that was a bit silly and besides what would I put a photo of? Me sweating? But as I got past the point of having to talk myself into going just one step further, “ok just one more step, just one more block, you can make it to the corner…” I was able to look around and see the houses, the trees, the sky, and the flowers. And I took a picture. Now I try to take a few, then when I get home I pick my photo of the walk to post!

The sky on an evening walk. Take photos to remind yourself to appreciate nature and relax. — Evening Sky Colors

I find looking around, seeing nature, seeing the clouds and the flowers distracts me from the distance, the tiredness. It relieves stress, it reminds me of the beauty in the world that we tend to forget watching the news and staring at the computer all day. Mindfulness and living in the moment, which is very relaxing, and in the case of exercising, distracting. 🙂 And the benefit is when I look back I see the weather, the season, the giant toy tennis ball lying on the grass outside someone’s house, the holiday decorations.

I’ve even considered putting together a photo book of my Year in Exercise photos, so I can look back at the mini maps, distance and photos I see on my app. Just to remind me of how I started out and how far I have come.

5. Plan Your Day

When I walk in the morning, I find it’s a great time to clear my head and plan out my day. So instead of lying in bed reading my phone, Facebook and Twitter, I head out on a walk and take a few minutes to think of things I need to do that day. It gives me time to get my head in the right place and by the time I get home I have a plan for the day, or at least the morning.

I feel awake! And organized and proactive and that makes me feel good about myself. Knowing that’s how I will feel afterwards makes it easier for me to hop out of bed and get my sneakers on. I do sometimes make notes in my phone calendar as I walk, but remember to stop so you don’t trip or bump into someone or something. And you might want to stop in the shade because screen glare is just a hassle!

6. Use The Mirror

Get up and walk over to the mirror. If you are the kind of person who looks in the mirror and hates how you looks and sits down feeling depressed and overwhelmed, this might not work. BUT, you can change that attitude. Yup, if you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, then get up and get outside. Walk, run, ride, bike. It’s up to you to make the change happen.

7. Keep Track of the Numbers

There are days I just cannot go far, and nothing is going to motivate me going further or faster or longer and those days I just do what I can. Something is better than nothing.

But on a normal day, I try to motivate myself to doing one minute longer or one block further or reaching the corner a dash quicker than yesterday. Each week I have a different goal – this week I am going to go further each day, next week I am going to go the same distance but do it quicker. The following week, I increase my time by a few minutes each day. The next week maybe I alternate those or I try to do a different exercise each day of the week. Also fun: Go a different route each day for a week, or take the same route in the opposite direction. Small things, but it keeps things interesting!

But the biggest pleasure comes from knowing that a year ago I could barely walk a half mile without being exhausted, now two or three miles is no problem. Unless it’s hot, then I still struggle. Use the statistics to motivate yourself to do more.

8. Entertain Yourself with Pictures

I have an app that maps where I walk. It took a few accidental routes that were something other than a big circle or a straight walk out, straight walk back to start noticing some “pictures”. Ok, it sometimes takes some imagination, and sometimes it takes some planning, but on days when I am just bored with my route, I watch where I am walking and adjust my route to make it look like something fun. Even if only I can see it 🙂

Make pictures with your walking route - here an alien slug! — Make your own pictures! Alien Slug?

9. Think About How You Will Feel

This one is a little less successful when you are first starting out because you are going to feel tired, sweaty and well, just tired. But it gets easier, really it does. I try to push myself so I still tend to come home tired, but I am proud of the fact that I went, proud that I went a little further and a little faster. I know that even if I get on the scale and it hasn’t budged, I am a tiny little bit fitter. Yes, there are days I didn’t go as far, I took it slow, but you know what… I went. That is an achievement, and that is me sticking to my goals and overcoming the negative attitude about exercise.

I want to vlog my walks

5/24/20

For the last month or two I have been mulling over learning new skills and re-motivating myself to keep going. The idea of a GoPro to film my walks was my first thought. I sincerely doubt anyone will want to watch them, but it will be fun to look back on the scenery and the seasons. So today after looking at all the options and prices, I am jumping in and buying a new toy.

Options

Hero7

Hero8

Hero Max

Accessories

This is what I decided on

And if you should chose to buy something similar, please use this link I might get a small return from Amazon. Thanks for looking!

Coming soon…

Links to my walks! Perfect for days you are indoors on the treadmill, or even riding your bike)

Are You Sleeping Enough?

Most studies recommend 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Obviously there are people who need less and people who need more, but that is the recommended amount. More importantly, the sleep you get needs to be of a good quality. You can sleep 10 hours a night but if you are waking every hour and never get any deep restorative sleep, you’re not going to feel refreshed.

10 Consequences of Not Sleeping Well

If you are struggling with sleep quality, and none of the tips below are helping, you need to discuss it with your doctor. If you aren’t sleeping well, your long term health will be affected: your body becomes stressed and puts you at a much higher risk for having a heart attack or developing other health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, as well as increasing inflammation that increases the risk of cancer and can lead to premature aging!

You will find yourself struggling to lose weight or gaining. Not being rested means you will be more like to make bad choices for snacks, snack more to provide quick energy boosts and you’ll grab fast foods for lunch or dinner instead of making time to cook nutritious meals, and additionally feel exhausted and have no energy for exercise. Whether the bad choices or the lack of sleep, you’ll also find yourself depressed or anxious.

You might find yourself unable to remember things, can’t focus and feel more stressed. Sleep is the time we rest and recover. It is critical for proper functioning of the body and repair of the major organs and tissues, while allowing time for the brain to process experiences and give us the rest we need to face the next day, unstressed, with more energy and more productive.

3 Stages of Sleep

While you sleep your body goes through a number of sleep cycles that are thought to last approximately 90 minutes moving between light and deep and REM stages, waking briefly between or during stages. Light and deep sleep can be subdivided but are generally groups as NREM (non-REM) sleep.

Light sleep

Initially as you fall asleep you might experience some muscle jerks or spasms, and can be easily awakened by sound or movement. Slowly as you lapse into light sleep, your heart rate slows and your body temperature drops slightly and eventually you become harder to wake as you are about to enter deep sleep. Light sleep is less refreshing than deep sleep, but is important not only as a step towards deeper sleep but because it allows the body the opportunity to unwind, and begin cell repair and the processing of memories from the day. As you get older you tend to have longer light sleep periods, which is why the older you get the more tired you are when you wake.

Deep sleep

This is the sleep phase where the body is at its quietest, not easily woken. It is more likely to occur earlier in the night when you are most tired, with deep sleep phases becoming shorter as the night goes on. During deep sleep, your brainwaves slow, the body repairs and regrows tissues and muscle, bones grow and your immune system begins to restore itself. This is the stage of sleep most beneficial to restoring your mind and ability to learn, and especially your body.

During REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, your brain processes experiences, thoughts and memories, usually in vivid dreams. If you are woken during this stage, you are likely to remember dreaming. Aside from your eye movement, your breathing and heart rate increase. Periods of REM tend to increase through the night, replacing the periods of deep sleep as you become more and more rested. Interestingly, the body is largely immobile during this time. The theory being that a body able to move would be likely to thrash and move quite significantly in response to dreams. Aside from memory processing, perhaps storing memories in long term memory, REM is helpful in regulating mood levels and refreshing the brain for learning.

6 Tips for Improving your Sleep

Dark

Make your room as dark as possible, perhaps investing in blackout curtains if your bedroom faces east. The body is well trained to wake with the sunrise, but that was only a good idea, when we went to sleep shortly after sunset!

Quiet

Keep your surroundings quiet so that you are more likely to stay asleep. Even small sounds can disrupt your sleep, especially during the lighter sleep phases. If you live in a noisy area, consider a “white noise” machine.

Cool

Try turning the temperature down as the body tends to sleep better when it is cooler.

Avoid things that prevent you falling asleep or wake you during the night

Try to minimize your late night exposure to the blue light of mobile devices like cellphones and tablets, as well as the flickering images of television. Remember tea and coffee both contain caffeine that will keep you awake, as well as waking you to go to the bathroom during the night. If you find yourself waking regularly for bathroom visits, consider how late you are having your last beverages of the day.

Another consideration might be avoiding a heavy meal right before bedtime as this can make for an uncomfortable, unsettled night, and also rich and acidic foods that might cause heartburn. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep patterns; although helping you fall asleep, it has a stimulant effect later in the night.

Routine

Perhaps more important, or at least equally important is having a routine and consistent schedule. This is pretty much what I suggest for exercise too. Exercise regularly at a set time, it doesn’t matter what time suits your routine best, just do it regularly and don’t skip or you will lose momentum. It’s the same with sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night, or at least within an hour of a regular bed time. So if you decide 11pm is your perfect time, be in bed between 11 and 12 every night. Ideally between 11 and 11.30 if you can! Don’t stay up late on weekends, don’t sleep in too often. I have to admit I go to bed about half an hour later on Friday and Saturday, but I sleep in about an hour later as catch up for the week. Not ideal, but I really don’t get enough sleep during the week (around 7 hours, whereas I love my 8 hours).

Also if you struggle to fall asleep try to have a pre-bedtime. The body learns the routine and starts expecting sleep so it makes it easier to fall asleep. Depending on how much you want to have in your routine, about an hour before lights out, put your phone aside and turn off the TV, fill the coffee pot, and make lunch boxes. Do whatever you need in the way of having a bath, brushing your teeth, getting into your pajamas and maybe get into bed. Try listening to soft music, or reading a book or magazine. If you regularly wake up during the night remembering things that have to be done (I call it stress waking!), then maybe you can try spending 10-15 minutes making a list of things you need to do in the morning so you can let go and sleep through, knowing you are on top of things; although for some people that might just get them thinking and worrying, so see what works for you.

Talk to your doctor about a sleep study

If you are waking up tired even after 7 to 8 hours sleep, consider seeing a doctor and doing a sleep study. My husband was always tired and I complained he snored a lot, so he went to find out and came home with a device to wear to measure his sleep quality. We found out he was suffering from sleep apnea and was spending the entire night going through phases of sleep, snoring, stopping breathing, then startling awake to catch a breath. Most times he was completely unaware but as a result he was never reaching the restorative, restful sleep stages. He reluctantly signed up for a CPAP machine. He tried the over the nose one, but because he often has congestion and needs to breathe through his mouth he late upgraded to the full nose/mouth mask. It took a while to get used to, but he now sleeps considerably better and wakes up feeling like he got some sleep.

Go get some sleep!

If you do end up doing a sleep study and needing a CPAP and if you happen to have the same sort as my husband, these are the replacement parts he finds the best. Also a great book on the topic of sleep! If you happen to buy something, I may earn a small commission on your purchase.

I want to do a Mini Triathlon

12/20/19

About a year and a half ago (late May 2018) I heard about a mini (and I mean mini) triathlon for beginners. I almost signed up. It was about 3 weeks to the race, and I was fat and unfit. I bought a bicycle and rode for the first time in 20+ years. I had been walking, but no way on earth I could run. I occasionally went to the pool but being that it was the beginning of summer I was out of practice and besides, I can only swim breast stroke.

Regrets

I went to the pre-race meeting the day before the race and had about 2 hours to decide if I wanted to try. I chickened out. Not because I minded coming last, that would obviously happen, but because I was scared. I couldn’t run and I was a slow swimmer and cyclist. I think my fear was that I wouldn’t finish or that I would come so far last that everyone would be standing waiting for me after the race was done. I regret that I didn’t try.

Fast forward to April 2019. I had been active, walking every day, and swimming once every week or two at the gym. I was still fat and mostly unfit, and still intending to come last. Then life happened, our dog got really sick and as he went downhill so did my mom who lives with us. I lost my motivation and, my get up and go. When my dog died, it took me a while to get back on my feet, and competing and having fun were the last things on my mind.

It’s now almost the end of December, and I see that the early bird pricing for April and June 2020 races expires on December 31st.

Should I or Shouldn’t I?

On one hand, I definitely seem to work to a goal better than just going along day by day. That’s the same reason I sign up for virtual run/walks and MapMyWalk challenges and Fitbit challenges. It gives me a target and usually when I am behind, I do what I need to, even at the last moment to make the goal line!

And I really don’t mind coming last… but, am I wasting my money, will I look stupid, can I get up early enough to get there, what about my mom, what if someone else is sick, what if I can’t finish.

12/31/2019

It’s the last minute again. Here I am at 3 pm walking 4.5 km (almost 3 miles) just to finish the MapMyWalk 1019 km (637 miles) of planned walks in a year challenge, but I did it! I have signed up for MapMyWalk 1020 km of planned walking and a virtual race of 2020 miles of general daily steps. I managed only 1,400 miles this year and 1,300 the year before so that’s quite bit of extra I need to do…

On the strength of that, knowing I can do it if I make myself, I have decided to sign up for that mini, mini triathlon in April. I thought that aquabike (swim and bike) might be more sensible, but well…, I noticed that all who participate in the triathlon (swim, bike and run) series get points and if you do 4 races, your points accrue. And there is a winner in each age group. I also noticed that very few people do 4 races a year so coming last in each race would give almost enough points to appear in the standings for my age group.

Ok, yes, I know what you are thinking… Considering I haven’t done and finished one race it’s kind of funny to I think I might do 4. But… set a goal and see what happens!

I have only entered one race. If I finish and I enjoy the experience, I will do another in June. In theory that will be easier to finish because I will have April and May of warmer weather to get outdoors! The main thing is to use this to motivate me to exercise more, to lose weight and to hopefully at least finish.

And maybe, just maybe, I will come second last… Time will tell…

January 2020

The first 2 weeks I just kept telling myself “Keep something in the tank for the swim. Don’t exhaust yourself too early. Pace yourself.” But, by week 4 I was really pushing myself and I didn’t know if I could do more in Week 5.

* means just swimming laps, not snake swim laps. Snake swim is required in the race. Moving up the pool in lanes snaking up the the pool and down the pool. Takes practice to get used to going under the lane line and setting off.

Gym Times	Bike 4mi	Walk 1.5mi	Swim 250m
1/3	18:51	30:52	11.09
1/10	18:28	28:40	8:58*
1/17	17:15	28:11	9:16* / 10:22
1/24	14:58	27:46	8:54*
1/31	16:02 (+mi hill)	27:59	8.47* / 10.45

February 2020

I have been struggling to get away from work early enough on a Friday to go to the gym before the crowds or if home, to get away later in the evening. For February, I am going to try Saturday evening. Its going to be hard to get out and get going. In March, I’ll try Saturday mornings to get into the morning routine and figure out what morning snack gives me the biggest boost.

Also, the race is going to start with the walk/run, followed by cycling and swimming, so I figure I should probably practice that! This first Saturday evening in February I seemed to have a lot of energy and beat my previous times. Maybe I am getting fitter?

Gym Times	Walk 1.5mi	Bike 4mi	Swim 250m
2/8	26.3	14.31	9.08*
2/15	25.19	14.06	9.44
2/22	25.24	14.4	8.38

March 2020

A month to go. Minor panic is setting in… I’m not going to be good enough. Ok, deep breath… It’s ok to come last. And maybe I won’t. The main thing is seeing how far I have come in 2 months. Look back and be proud of what you have done (10 minutes faster!). I am.

Gym Times	Walk 1.5mi	Bike 4mi	Swim 250m
3/1	25.3	13.56	8.40
3/7	25.12	14.36	9.12
3/14	24.42	14.18	8.53
3/21	.	.	.

Walking for Weight Loss – Building on your Walking Plan

So, you have been walking a bit, perhaps a month if you followed my beginner’s walking plan, or perhaps that was too easy, now what? Well it’s time to go a little further, or a little faster. You still need to listen to your body, and don’t overdo it. Can you build from 20 to 30 minutes? Can you walk a little faster?

With my weight, I struggled to go faster without things starting to hurt, but I could go further. I started out not being able to do more than about 10 minutes. Eventually I was regularly doing 20 minutes and a half mile, 4 or 5 times a week. No I can do 2-3 miles at 23 minutes a mile, or 1-2 miles if I push for 20 minutes a mile. This year, I am planning to try for a mile in less than 18 minutes, 3 miles in under an hour. Looking at my step counter I was struggling to consistently do 2,500 steps a day, then 3,000, now I average nearly 8,000 a day sometimes doing 11,000 or 12,000 steps in a day. And yes, I still have my 2,000 and 3,000 step days. But this year I want to work on speeding up a little even if I end up doing shorter walks.

Why Walking?

As I said in the beginner’s plan post, if you are overweight, like I am, walking daily is a great way to lose weight. It’s slow going, but it’s easy on the joints, takes no special equipment and if you are unfit, it’s one of the few activities you can do regularly without.

A big plus of walking is you can do it every day, anywhere, and if you take it easy, you can go in the middle of the day during a lunch break.

And the biggest reason why I recommend walking… because I have lost nearly 20 pounds in a year doing only walking, the very rare swim, and once a week a meal with more salad than carbs. Depending on what you weigh, how often and how far you walk, you can also lose weight!

One caveat, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet so make sure you aren’t coming home from your walk, slumping on the couch, eating chips and a soda… Assuming you don’t eat more and you start exercising you should lose weight. Diet can come next or in addition to see even better results.

The Habit Must Go On

Hopefully you have been walking on and off, most days of the week and it’s starting to become a habit. You may even be enjoying it a bit… hopefully. If you are still struggling to keep moving, check out one or two of my motivational posts for a few tips to keep you going. It takes effort and perseverance, and it’s up to you to keep at it. Whether you feel like it or not, get up and go, even for just a few minutes.

Keep Walking Plan

Plan on walking 4-5 days each week, slowly building up from 20 minutes to 30+ minutes at whatever pace you can manage. Start on the first day of your “weekend”, I’m going to assume Saturday, but adjust as needed!

Remember you can divide 20 minutes into 2 x 10 minutes, make different days your rest days, change your rest day to fit in with your weather / family gatherings / work schedule / whatever… Make it work for you!

Day	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Sat	Walk 20 min at an easy speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 25 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 30 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 30 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 15 or 20 min
Sun	Walk 20 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 25 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 30 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 10 min	Walk 30 min at your speed Rest and stretch as needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 15 or 20 min
Mon	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Tues	Walk 15-20 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 20 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 25 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 30 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed
Wed	Walk 15-20 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 20 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 25 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 30 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed
Thur	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Fri	Walk 20 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 25 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 30 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed	Walk 30 minutes at your speed Rest and stretch as needed

GO for it! You can do this. And remember if you need to repeat a week before progressing, that’s ok! When you are ready, check out What’s My Next Walking Plan.

Walking for Weight Loss – An Absolute Beginner’s Walking Plan

Walking for weight loss is a great topic. Obviously, getting off the couch and walking is better than grabbing another bag of chips and turning on a movie. But how can you make it count. How can walking help you lose weight.

Why Walking?

If you are exceptionally overweight, like I was. Ok, like I am. Then walking daily is a great way to lose weight. Its slow going, but it’s easy on the joints, takes no special equipment and really if you are unfit, walking and swimming are about the only activities you can do that won’t break you.

I know… I’ve tried jogging… after a few seconds I am out of breath and can’t keep going. Even if I alternate walking and jogging, I end up with sore knees, ankles and calves, and wake up with what feels an awful lot like plantar fasciitis the next morning. Basically killing my exercise plans for the next week.

Start small, take it slow and build up as you get fitter and lighter. A big plus of walking is you can do it every day, anywhere, and if you take it easy and it’s not the middle of summer, you can go in the middle of the day without getting all sweaty and needing a shower.

Make It a Habit

If you google, how long does it take to form a habit, the answers vary from 20 days to a couple of months. Know that when you first start out, this is going to take effort and perseverance. Know that it’s up to you to keep at it, but it’s worth it in the end. But it’s up to you. You have to keep pushing yourself and making yourself go, even if you don’t feel like it. Even if you have had a bad day. Go for a short stroll just round the block, your house, your street, the mall. Short, slow, easy, stop when you need to.

The only time you shouldn’t push yourself is if something is hurting in a way that says, give me a day to recover! Or if it’s not safe (middle of the night, roads covered in ice, criminals on the loose in your neighborhood!)

Walking Rules

Stretch for a couple of minutes before you go and afterwards. You will feel silly and you won’t know what a good stretch is. But do it anyhow… Stand on tip toes, back down. Put one foot in front of you lifted off the ground and turn it around and the other way; and the other foot. Try stretching your upper legs by crouching or sitting on your knees or sitting down and lifting your knee upwards towards your chin.
Start slow, take it easy
Stop if it hurts, rest a moment before you go on. If it still hurts, stop.
Pick a rest day or two each week or try doing something different one day a week to reward yourself. The nice thing about walking is it’s hard to overdo it, so if you feel like going every day its ok. I work a Monday to Friday, so for me Mondays are hard because it’s the first day of the work week and because I do a longer walk on Saturday and Sunday. I also find that by Thursday I am running out of steam. So in the beginning those were my 2 rest days, but you figure out what works for you.
Remember this needs to be sustainable and injuring yourself will prevent you keeping going and building a healthy new habit.
Most importantly, assess where you are at. If I suggest walking 5 minutes the first day and you can only do 2 that is ok. If I suggest one minute longer each day and you are struggling at the current amount, stay on that for a week. If you built up to 10 minutes and feel really tired today, do 5 minutes. Anything is better than nothing. And this is the beginning.
Don’t be too enthusiastic as you start out! As they say: this is a marathon, not a race.
Do what you can, when you can.
Do more, do less, just don’t overdo it.
Make it work you, your life, and your schedule.

My First Walking Plan for Beginners

Plan on walking 4-5 days each week, slowly building up from a few minutes to 20 minutes at whatever pace you can manage. Start on the first day of your “weekend”, I’m going to assume Saturday, but adjust as needed!

Day	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Sat	Walk 5 min at an easy speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 5 min	Walk 10-15 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min	Walk 12-17 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min	Walk 15-20 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min
Sun	Walk 5 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 5 min	Walk 10-15 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min	Walk 12-17 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min	Walk 15-20 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min if needed If you feel up to it, try go for another 5 min
Mon	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Tues	Walk 6 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 6 min	Walk 7 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 7 min	Walk 8 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 8 min	Walk 9 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 9 min
Wed	Walk 6 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 6 min	Walk 7 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 7 min	Walk 8 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 8 min	Walk 9 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 9 min
Thur	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
Fri	Walk 7 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 7 min	Walk 8 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 8 min	Walk 9 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 9 min	Walk 10 min at your speed Rest and stretch 1 min Walk 10 min

GO for it! And remember if you need to repeat a week before progressing, that’s ok! When you are ready, check out Building on your Walking Plan.

Modern Dieting: Intermittent Fasting

There are two topics that I am hearing about as new miracle ways to lose weight; the Keto Diet and Intermittent Fasting so I am going to be exploring them as a 2-part series that I call Modern Dieting.

So what is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting is the practicing of limiting calorie intake between certain hours or on certain days. Many cultures practice fasting for religious reasons and if you look back at the history of mankind, food has not always been as plentiful as it is now.

As a side note: I did just stop to think if their lifestyles were healthier, why did ancient man live shorter lives, but of course, there are less wild animals chasing us and medical advances have made huge progress in extending our lives. I doubt the folks of classical Greece or medieval Europe had the issues we have with obesity, diabetes and cancer… so to my mind, we are living longer but not healthier. Perhaps if we combine their lifestyle and our medical advances…

Intermittent Fasting is the practice of alternating periods of eating and fasting and unlike a diet; it doesn’t prescribe what you eat, just when you can eat. And even then, there are variations on when to fast, how often you fast and a few ways to build up to it if you aren’t quite ready to take the leap. The fasting patterns are generally divided into time-restricted where you fast between certain hours or day-restricted where you fast on certain days.

Common variants are:

16:8; 16 hours of fasting, 8 hours to eat

This one is the classic – 16 hours of no food, 8 hours to eat your 3 normal healthy meals. Personally, I try not to eat before noon, but I often eat dinner as late as 8 pm, so I think I am closest to practicing this one. What I am not sure of… I really cannot do without my one to two cups of coffee with a splash of milk in the morning, does that break the fast and undermine my effort?

12:12 (12 hours fasting, 12 hours eating) or 14:10 (14 hours fasting, 10 hours eating)

Popular if you want to get started but aren’t quite ready for the 16:8 extreme.

5:2; severely restricting calories on 2 non-consecutive days of the week

On 2 days, eats as few calories as you can, but typically around 500 calories and usually no carbs. The remaining days of the week you eat a healthy normal diet (1500 – 1800 calories for women, 2000 – 2500 calories for men). Ahem, yes, I think I would lose weight just eating 1500-1800 calories…

Alternate days; as for 5:2 severely restricting calories, but on alternating days of the week, with a healthy normal diet on the other days.

This seems a bit extreme.

Days off from eating; do a 24 hour fast two days a week, definitely not on consecutive days.

Don’t think I could make it through this.

Why Would I Want to Fast

This is the bit that caught my eye! From everything I read, the body seems to function better when it is not completely satisfied and overly well-fed. It is thought that since digestion takes energy, by having times when you are not eating or eating lightly, the body has time to rest and recover. It seems that fasting can improve the metabolism, improving everything from resting heart rate to heart function, reducing blood pressure and inflammation, as well as reducing stress and helping the body burn fat better. Who doesn’t want all that?

The even better news appears to be that once you have accustomed yourself to the new eating routine, which takes a couple of weeks, the results seem to be significantly better and long lasting than for other diets.

Intermittent fasters are:

Able to adjust fairly quickly to a new eating pattern
Able to maintain the lifestyle longer as they are not feeling deprived
Less stressed by their diet because it is very low maintenance with no special purchases or calorie counting

What are the Risks?

The long term effects haven’t been studied, but science does seem to be quite confident that intermittent fasting is doing a lot of good for overweight and obese people. By reducing weight and specifically fat, the rates of diabetes and high blood pressure will drop, which in the longer term will reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Studies are mostly on overweight people who have a lot to lose so intermittent fasting may be ineffective or counterproductive for normal weight people.

To live a healthy lifestyle you need to be following a healthy sustainable diet, exercising regularly, and intermittent fasting doesn’t reference this. However, if you are looking for something to kick start your weight loss, to perhaps yield good results so you have more energy and can get out to exercise, then perhaps this is a good starting point for you.

How to Get Started

The two main approaches really are time-restricted or day-restricted, so figure out which works best for you. For some people the idea of not having breakfast until noon, or not eating after 6 pm is just unrealistic, in which case it might be better to have 2 fasting days of only 500-600 calories spread over the whole day as normal. For others, the idea of eating so little is just daunting, so for you it would be starting with a restricted time schedule.

If you pick time-restricted, start gradually over a week, restricting meal times to 10 hours of the day, perhaps 8 am to 6 pm or if you only get home from work and start making dinner at 6 pm, then maybe 10 am to 8 pm and have breakfast at work. The following week aim for 8 hours, perhaps 12 to 8 pm, or 11 to 7 pm. If you go a half hour over one night, that’s ok. Don’t stress, try a few combinations that work for your life and your schedule. If you pick day-restricted, then decide which 2 days you are going to restrict your calories. Maybe start with a busy day so you won’t think about it. Then plan on eating predominantly protein (think: nuts, cheese, yogurt, egg, fish, chicken, turkey) to sustain you through the day, but limiting you calories. If you normally pack away 2000+ calories, you might want to try limiting yourself to 1400 the first fasting day, 1000 then next, 600 the next.

If you struggle at one level, stick to it for a couple of fasting days. Whatever you can manage will help, and although you might not see the benefits as quickly, remember you are building up to what you want. No one climbed Everest the first time they went out mountain climbing.

Start with what you can manage.

As you might know if you have read some of my other posts, I am a firm believer in eating less, eating better, eating healthier and being more active. I don’t believe there is any one miracle diet or exercise plan, but I do believe we can each find something that works for us. So try something, see if it fits your lifestyle and if it’s sustainable. I have been on too many diets that I just couldn’t keep doing because they were too restrictive, too few calories, or foods I didn’t like. But I am happy to try new ones. If nothing else, I keep my body guessing and one day I may find the perfect combination that works for me, melting the pounds away.

7 ways to get more steps

When I started out my step counter was set at 3,000 steps. I wasn’t making that most days.

But I wanted to do this, so I made myself reach that magic number, even if it meant pacing the bedroom before bed. This probably isn’t conducive to great sleep or maybe it is. What most astounded me was the recommendation that people should be getting 10,000 steps a day. 10,000? On what planet?!

Fast forward a month and I upped by counter to 3,500 because I was making 3,000 most days. I didn’t make it most days that week.

Fast forward a year and it was up to 7,500 a day and I was making it at least 3 to 4 times a week.

But even though that might sound unachievable now, realize that I sometimes set it to a number that I just didn’t make some weeks, so I took it back down. Or I took it back down most of the way.

There is no shame in moving it from 3,500 to 3,600. It is not necessary to leap to 4,000 if you aren’t ready.

In the process I have found ways to increase my step count for the day. Hopefully something works for you.

1. Gadgets / Apps that Alert You

I use a wrist watch that can be set to buzz every hour, at ten to the hour if I haven’t done 250 steps in that hour. I have learned to ignore it when I am busy. But some days, sometimes, I jump up every time it buzzes and off I go. I also learned some shortcuts that made it easier for me to listen to it. My big one: wait until 5 to the hour then walk until 5 past. You will make your steps for the first hour that alerted you and for the second that is just starting. Do more if you can, but 5 minutes is enough for me to get my 250 🙂

If you don’t have a wristwatch with this feature, consider setting an alarm on your phone, or computer? Or even using a one hour egg timer. If you glance up and it’s empty, take a walk and when you get back turn it over again.

2. Go To Work

As I write this I realize I really am a little lazy and have some great shortcuts. I struggle with conventional advice to getting more steps or having a gym buddy BUT I have found ways around my laziness.

Number one suggestion to getting more steps is to park as far from the office as possible or to get off the bus/train one stop earlier. Then walking the rest of the way to work will add to your step total. That’s a great idea. But, whoever came up with that advice doesn’t carry a laptop and paperwork or commute in peak hour traffic. Coming in and out I am lugging an extra 5 to 10 pounds and believe me I weigh enough without that added. And when it’s time to go, it’s a mad dash for the car to try to beat the traffic.

So plan B. Park close to the office but take a loop or two before you go in! I park as close as I can to the door so that at the end of the day I can make a quick escape. But, in the morning, I park, leave my gear in the car and set off on a few loops of the parking lot, the parking garage or the office block. The only trick is not to go too fast or too far that you get all sweaty! If you are commuting by bus or train, drop your stuff, turn on your computer so it looks like you are there and working, then do a quick loop around the building before you settle in to check your email and start your day.

At the end of the day if I feel like it I can still do a loop after dropping my bag, but if I don’t feel like it or I am in a rush, the car is right there. That said, there are times I look at the traffic map, see it’s an hour or more home and I do take a walk. Often a 20 minute walk gives the traffic time to subside, so I end up driving 15 minutes less. Less frustration and far healthier than sitting the car. More importantly time spent walking was often time I would have just sat in the car.

So know your own style and routine – do you hate walking into the office a little out of breath? Do you love taking a walk after work to let go of your worries? Would taking 20 minute walk cut 10 or 15 minutes off the commute?

3. The Parking Lot at the Shop

Here again, conventional wisdom is to park on the far side of the parking lot at the mall or the grocery shop. That doesn’t work for me…

Do I just buy more groceries than anyone else? Maybe I eat more? Ok, at the grocery store I could take the cart so it wouldn’t be like carrying them all, and I would get even more steps walking it back. But I usually buy dairy, fish and meat, so I want to get them home to the fridge ASAP. Having tried the park far from the door thing a few times, I was quite disillusioned. By the time I’ve shopped, I’m done. I just want to go home, and I usually need to make dinner.

Time to think outside the box.

So like at the office, I park close. Loop the parking lot, loop the building, or loop the strip mall, then go in and get my shopping done. Probably more steps than just walking in and out, and without any purchases or worrying about rushing home for the frozen goods!

As for the shopping mall… unless you are in a hurry, make a point of doing a loop around the outside of the mall in nice weather, inside of the shopping mall in cold, rainy, or hot weather! Then tackle your errands. You can either set up a nice pace and get in some exercise or take a slow stroll and get in some steps. Then when you are done and have your packages, no need to lug them across an entire parking lot to your distant car.

Bonus steps if you carry each parcel into the house individually from the garage, your driveway or parking spot!

4. Lunch Time

Put a lunch date with yourself on your calendar. Try to spend half your break either taking a walk first to build an appetite or afterwards to help your digestion.

Consider having a couple of people from work or the neighborhood that like walking and let them know when you are heading out. You might or might not get company! Just don’t let having no one join you put you off though!

I often prefer to walk alone so I can set my own speed and distance, and I get time to ponder what I still need to get done that afternoon. However, the times people have joined me, it’s made the time fly by and definitely more social!

Just don’t be put off by the “I jog every evening” skinny folks who can walk twice as fast as you.

5. Drink Water

I tend not to drink enough water.

Water is critical for weight loss and to flush waste out of the system and to keep you hydrated, but it also makes you go to the bathroom…

I am essentially lazy and didn’t want to walk to the bathroom every hour. Then I realized this was a no brainer way to get me up and moving. I keep a giant water bottle at my side and I sip constantly. Sure enough every hour or two I need to trot to the bathroom. Extra steps, CHECK!

6. Rethink Your Rewards

My job is 99% computer based. I sit and stare at a screen all day – bad for my eyes, bad for my figure. So when I find a task that is particularly challenging or boring, I set myself a goal of finishing it by a certain time and then reward myself with a loop of the office or a flight of stairs. I know it’s not a reward in the traditional sense, but you can convince yourself… think of it as a reward! One more email then I can walk down the hall and back. Finish this document, and right after I press save, I’m going to walk down stairs.

I feel good when my mini walk is done and I feel great when I meet my daily step goal.

7. Get a Dog

Only do this if you like dogs! Having a dog is a huge commitment. They need feeding, walking and you a whole lot of picking up after them. But if you like dogs and you’ve been considering it, this might be the time. Not much motivates you more than knowing your dog needs to go out and do their business.

You get outside, you walk a block or three getting your steps in, and you might even get to know some of your neighbors also out walking their dogs.

GET OUT THERE AND GET WALKING!

Getting Past Yourself

I had a rough week this week. I encountered almost every possible issue or problem and eventually let myself get in the way of me.

I am sure all of you will at some time be able to relate to that comment.

Don’t focus on my step numbers; we are all in a different place. For you 2,000 steps may be great, or you might do that just getting breakfast in the morning. It doesn’t matter; the point is how I felt and how I dealt with it. My goal at this time was 7,500.

Eager to Go

Monday, I woke up ready to go for a swim at the gym. I was eager, I was excited. I had a great walk Saturday, 10,500 steps for the day. Same on Sunday 14,500! I hadn’t been to the pool in a week or two because I hadn’t worked from home in a while. WFH days I skip the commute. so I treat myself to a gym outing or a longer walk. Yeah, you read that right, TREAT myself… just think it often enough and eventually you will believe it.

I figured, quickly check your email to make sure you can spare an hour away, then get going. Mistake 1, don’t check email first. If you don’t know about it, you can’t deal with it. Someone had a crisis and needed help. I couldn’t ignore it so I sat down and got going. Many hours later, I realized I had done a whopping 2,000 or so steps all day so I forced myself to get out and do a 15 minute walk before starting dinner. End of day: 4,953 steps. Pleased I made myself do something, anything… but a little disappointed.

Not going to let it happen again

Tuesday, I was not going to let Monday repeat itself so I went for a walk before I left for work, and briefly when I got home that evening. Still I found myself having to walk around my house to get those last few steps. But I made it. End of day: 7,555. Tomorrow is another day, least I made my goal.

Rough day

Wednesday, I had to get to work early, no time for a lunch walk and I got home late. I didn’t even bother trying because I was too tired and besides I needed to work after dinner. I went to bed tired and stressed and didn’t sleep well. End of day: 4,544 steps.

Even worse day

Thursday, same kind of day and I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I ate some snacks to give me a bit of energy to get through the day. I ate too much dinner, had heart burn, and still stressed. End of day: 3,833 steps.

Down in the dumps

Friday, I woke up in a mood. I had had two bad days of no exercise, and eating badly, today looked just as bad. I was tired and I needed a soda for lunch. I am not a no-carb person but I do aim for days that aren’t carb loaded. This day, I gave in to nachos loaded in cheese, then ended the day with a giant bowl of comfort food, spaghetti bolognaise with a couple of glasses of wine. It didn’t even occur to me to get out and walk before dinner. End of day: 3.903 steps.

Getting worse

Saturday, I felt awful, I was depressed, disappointed in myself and generally debating why I bother diet and exercise. I had gained 3 pounds in 4 days and it takes me 2 weeks to lose that. I slept in to catch up on some sleep, then I had chores to do and it was end of the month, so bills to pay. By evening, I was able to take a quick walk, dinner, then off to bed. End of day: 4,248 steps.

I had missed my step goal by nearly 3,000 steps 5 days in the week.

No time to lose

Sunday, I lay in bed, considering my options. I had no major chores other than laundry and getting my hair washed. But was there any point? I had lost my momentum in just one week. I was tired, miserable, and had been eating badly. But, as I like to point out, it’s really up to you. No one else can do this but you. Do you want it or don’t you? I am a numbers person, which is probably why having a goal normally drives me well. My husband will do his best, but if he misses his cycling goal by a few miles, it doesn’t stress him. He’d rather be consistent, going almost every day even if it’s not far enough. For me, it drives me crazy and I can’t tell you how many times I have walked 5 miles in a day to finish a walking challenge at the last possible moment.

So I looked at my weight chart (thanks to my apps I can lie in bed and do this!) and for the last 10 weeks, all but one, the average was a little lower each week. I thought about that. This week, my ending weight would be up a bit, but if I could get back on track, I could probably lose those 3 pounds in a few days. I told myself, the weight hadn’t moved in and brought its furniture; it was a house guest, an unwelcome one and I needed to let those 3 pounds know it was time to head back out.

I got up, got dressed and went for a walk. I walked until my step counter said I had passed 7,500 steps. Then I walked a little bit further because I was almost at 3 miles. End of day: 10,500 steps.

I didn’t make my weekly steps this last week, but this coming week, I sure as anything, am going to!

The point I am making is that I could have just sat, I could have given up. But it’s up to you. You need to find what motivates you. Why did YOU start this journey. And even if you aren’t feeling it, there’s no turning back. No excuses.

Make it happen.

Fall Colors can inspire you. — Its worth it when you get out and look around.

Getting Started!

Starting an exercise plan for me was like me trying to get started writing a blog.

I really wanted to, I thought about it all the time, I had all these great ideas – usually at the most inconvenient times, like as I was lying in bed falling asleep, standing in the shower, or driving to work. I thought about the blog while starting my exercise plan, and I thought about my exercise while working on my time set aside for my blog!

I doubted myself and my ability to succeed, and second-guessed my decisions and ideas.

And when I got going, all enthusiastically that first day, maybe even on a second, a half dozen other *more important* things came up that were critically important – kids, homework, parents, dinner, work deadlines, housework.

There was always something else to do, or someone else to worry about, something that seems more important. But at some point, you have to make *you* the priority. Not at the exclusion of all else, and everything in moderation, but make the time. For You. Because if you don’t, no one else will.

Make Yourself a Priority

In my weight-loss journey, what I realized is that you have to make yourself a priority. Whether you set an alarm clock and get up ahead of the family to do what you want to, or whether you book time in your day – schedule a “meeting” with yourself or take a lunch time walk, it’s up to you to set time aside and stick to it.

Make it as important in your schedule as getting the kids to school on time or yourself to work. This is important and if you really want it, then go for it, set aside the time and do it, as often as you can. But stick to your plan as best you can, because you are important too.

Just Do It

Most importantly it’s about your attitude. Don’t procrastinate, just do it. Even if you don’t have much time or energy, do what you can.

You planned 30 minutes but only have 15? Go. Now.

Tired? Ok, sorry to hear that. Go. Now.

It really doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it. It really doesn’t matter if you aren’t seeing great results. You have to do the steps to lose the weight. It’s as simple as calories in versus calories out.

While I will talk about diet and meal planning later, exercise seriously helps. It makes you feel good (those stress relieving happy vibes called endorphins!), it makes you feel like you are doing something to help yourself, and slowly but surely it shapes you. Muscles have far better definition than fat, and you start to look sleeker, slimmer and shapelier, even when you aren’t losing the pounds as quickly as you want. More importantly it’s good for your heart and your overall health. You do need to enjoy the exercise you pick. You do need to be making small gains otherwise it’s hard to stay motivated, but honestly it’s about making the effort and sticking to it even when you really don’t want to.

Only You Can Do It

Which brings me to another point… only you can do this. Many people will swear by having a gym buddy or walking partner, but really, truly, it’s all up to you. I may be a bit cynical but you can’t rely on anyone else. Whether it’s a loved one or someone who needs to lose weight as much as you, there are going to be days they don’t want to go, and then you won’t. Sure, there is the theory that on their off days, you motivate them, and on your off days, they motivate you. Alternatively, more likely, you keep putting each other off.

I used to make the mistake of trying to get my husband to join me going to the gym, to the pool, or for a walk. He very, very rarely wanted to. He just doesn’t like working out in front of people, doesn’t like pools and he finds walking boring. But the downside of me hoping and trying, and looking for motivation from someone else was that I didn’t go more often than not. I would ask him almost daily and about once a week or two, we would go for a stroll. Not the speed I wanted, not the frequency I wanted. He was ruining what little inclination I could muster. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my husband and he is super encouraging and supportive and now even has his own exercise plan he enjoys, we just have different goals and interests, which is funny because we enjoy so many of the same things.

That said; if you can find an exercise buddy and you find you have different off days, by all means, go for it! But if you find yourself not going because they didn’t want to, or had plans, consider going it alone.

Forgive Yourself

On the other side of this anti-procrastination theory I have, there is the odd day where I get home late from work, I don’t feel well, or it’s a special occasion. It’s ok to say, not tonight. It’s a special day and I recognize that and accept that. No guilt, no hard feelings. But without fail you have to go the next day, because one day skipped that’s ok, two days that’s getting to be a new habit, and after three days you’ve lost your momentum. The important thing is to forgive yourself and just treat each day as a new day. Even if you have missed three days, how exciting; you are starting a new exercise routine, let’s go get it!

Keep Going

I will be giving you other ideas to complement your exercise routine, and looking at diet, but the main thing is to keep going. Whether it feels like it makes a difference, whether you are losing, and whether you really want to or not… As the mailman code says: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Although to be honest, if it’s really windy, a huge summer thunderstorm, or the sidewalks are icy, you will find me inside on my stationery bicycle or walking circles to make my step count, lifting weights or even using one of a couple of apps that have daily exercise plans, and yes sometimes just taking the day off. But here are no excuses, if you really want this.

GO For It!!