Sunday, December 29, 2013

the roller coaster of weight-loss and the evil perpetrator


Taking a ride on the fitness side can be similar to a ride on a roller coaster. The first dip on the ride is fun and exciting! This is similar to how we feel when we see our weight drop. In the beginning, progress will often show huge drops on the scale. Yay! It's like wind beneath our wings and we can feel on top of the world. 

Heather reported some frustration at the end of week three due to less of a weight drop than the first two weeks. Instead of losing three pounds, she only lost one pound. Oh, the woes of the scale!  The scale is evil and I have seen it make a woman cry, feel bad, and curse herself!  Know this: The scale is mischievous and devious! Stay on the ride as you rise and fall because what it says really has nothing to do with how you progress. Knowing your body fat percentage is a much better "scale" than how much you weight.

I asked Heather how she felt her over-alI progress was going, from her energy to how her clothes fit. She said she could "feel" her progress, her energy felt good and her clothes felt much better. But, I could hear her reply sound disappointed. These are glorious achievements and so much more important!! 

Life should be full of a few things love, dreams and health! With this as the focus our progress on the scale matters not. 

Here are a few reasons why Heather keeps on the ride.
Hiking Heather!
Heather's Journal

The hike to this view was really really hard 
for me my first time.  I look forward to 
being able to keep up with everyone on future hikes and get 
to see some more spectacular views.
I really feel like there's no turning back from this lifestyle now because I feel so much better/happier :)


Things that motivate me to keep going: 
I think one of my favorite activities, backpacking, will be more enjoyable because I will be able  to hike further into the woods.  My hubby and my dogs will love to go on more adventures too.




I really did hold people up on these past backpacking trips, and not just because I collect 
leaves and take self-portraits with my phone…. It because I was so out of shape and I would get 
out of breath.  In the past year of training with Meche, I have had such great progress, that I cannot 
wait to go do some more difficult trails next summer J

Mazzy and Kharis, our mutts, just hoping I’ll take them for a hike.




I like to paint, whether murals (large one shown above) or oils or watercolors. 
The murals can be particularly taxing physically. 
Taking better care of myself will help me to do more good work, pain free.
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Thursday, December 26, 2013

staying strong through Christmas!


Heather is on Fire!! 
When we first started her program I asked how she felt about staying on the program through Christmas. She said," I'm ready to do it!"  How we  experience a challenge is more than half mental. The other part is showing grace under fire, as well as enjoying celebratory moments. A treat here and there is certainly okay, it's when it becomes the majority way we eat that we run in to problems. I was happy to hear that Heather was able to have a treat and enjoy the family food, while resisting her former tendency to indulge in sweet treats  to a "point of no return." Below Heather shares how she handled Christmas time!

Heather's Journal

CHALLENGES:  The Holidays.  I love holidays.  I love that sense of timelessness that practicing traditions at holidays brings.  I also love the food.  Sweets were rare in the household growing up, but on Christmas Eve, following the candlelight service, my parents would invite everyone back to the house for food and fellowship.  Mom would make cider, punch (lime sherbet with ginger ale), and a variety of other goodies.  I have a very fond memory of this time.
  
Candies, Cookies and
Chocolates Oh MY! Heather
Resisting the over
indulgence!
Come to think of it, all the holidays bring to mind fantastic food.  Valentines as an adult: Fondue at Mona Lisa's. Easter growing up: An elaborate Easter breakfast at the base Chapel following the sunrise service. 4th of July: Cookouts and ice cream. Halloween: (or Harvest Festival for us church children) candy and caramel apples. Birthdays: cake!  
As you can see, I have trouble separating my holidays from the foods I associate with them.


SOLUTION: I just have to admit that this is hard.  My usual solution is to direct my attention elsewhere or to withdraw myself from the temptations, but at these times when it is so very important to spend time with family, withdrawing is not an option.  Christmas Eve was delightful. Dusty and I went to Christmas Eve service at Grace & St Stephens Episcopal Church.  The only wine I had was communion, and then we went home and had nothing around to tempt us.  Christmas day was another story... At my in-laws I was greeted with the intoxicating smell of cinnamon rolls.  There were also cookies, candy, chips, dips, cheese, crackers... At least they also set out a bowl of celery for me.  LOL! I spent hours around the yummy stuff and it was torture.  By the time dinner rolled around, I had finished my coffee, eaten my snacks, and was dangerously close to eating a cookie.  Instead I had a piece of chocolate and  waited for dinner.  I piled my plate high with lettuce, and ate an entire piece of tenderloin.  I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, but even so, Christmas was hard, and it didn't feel the same without the food component. 
Dustin and I last year at Christmas!


It really does seem to be a mind game, where I have to actively direct my mind in a good direction, to keep myself from slipping.  Here are my top techniques:
- Envisioning what I want my final day of the   challenge to look like.  And where I want to be 3 months from now.- Remembering where I started and reminding myself of the progress I made and reminding myself how good that progress feels.- Thinking of the people who have sponsored me or invested in my success in some other way.  I can't let down my shareholders! - When all else fails, I cling to my vices that aren't so bad: coffee.  I drink a lot of black coffee in social food-related situations nowadays..   So basically, yesterday was hard, but I woke up today feeling like a different person, because I did something that I haven't done before, something that I really didn't think I would follow through on.



HEATHER's workouts this week include adding jump roping after every strength exercise!!!