Little steps

11000 steps already today - with more to come since it's early in the day. Great progress - two walks yesterday and one long walk today.

Just think that in April 08 I walked to the top of Mt William in The Grampians. Could I do it again? Would I do it again?

Walking basics

I'm off to a good start today. Went to bed really late (or early) at 2.30 am because of blogs. They are too addictive - what with researching how to do them and reading others! Despite not sleeping until 2.30 I awoke early and decided a walk would be 'do-able' - a 30 minute walk around the park with my new ipod. Listening to John Farnham (yes, love his music) whilst walking was a great way to pass 30 minutes. I think that two 30-minute walks - morning and evening - would be a good start to my enjoyable fitness program - working my way slowly up to hour long walks. I can substitute one of the hour walks for a gym class - especially when it's hot.

Tomorrow morning I'll begin to record my weight if I eat sensibly today. No chocolate or cashews or chips or....

Pedometer reading at end of walk was just over 4000. I am at last forming a workable plan. And if it works you will thank me! I'm not going to go into detail about eating - we all must know by now that too much fatty food is bad and if you're reading this you know how to read a label to check for fat and sugar! We also know that moderation and smaller portions are something we should look at achieving. I tried yesterday and failed because it was a diet. Today it's just a sensible eating plan. I do believe shakes are off the menu!

Wasting money on diets again!

I can't believe my stupidity. I've done what I said I'd never do - I spent money on a diet. I lasted one day - well considerably less really since I began this morning and officially ended it tonight after a dinner that consisted of mainly vegetables. I had a shake for lunch and porridge for breakfast with a couple of pieces of fruit. I made up a curried zucchini and tomato soup (not bad) but the thing about soup is that you really need some bread to go with it! What is the point of having it without bread? Sitting at the kitchen table my eye caught the scorched almonds that I'd said I wouldn't be eating anymore. Well I won't be now - I've eaten them all! And I made my way through a packet of (low fat weight-watcher) chips. So now I feel guilty, fat and poor. When will I ever learn??? I know how to lose weight - exercise a bit more, eat a bit less. Why is something so simple so hard to do?

There are so many books and articles on losing weight - some agree with others and some tell you that you need to turn off your fat switch. I agree that dieting to the extreme makes you feel so hungry you'd do anything to eat just about anything but 'diet' food. No, I'm going back to my original idea, enjoy myself, my fitness regime (once I've worked it out) and just cut down a bit on the things that are not good for me! Oh and of course make sure that the pedometer is on me and that it actually registers the steps that I take and that I take over 10000.

EASY!

Enjoying fitness: I can't believe it's a diet!

Enjoying fitness: I can't believe it's a diet!

I can't believe it's a diet!

Enjoying fitness and not doing it is just not good enough! I haven't walked properly for ages, I haven't been to gym and here I am saying that I'm enjoying the fact that I might participate in some fitness program in the future! I must be crazy!

I eat really healthy food but I add to it - and add and add ...... . The time has come (once again) to be realistic (although going on a diet is about as unrealistic as you can get) and realise that I need a shove to get me going. So I went into the chemist and joined a weightloss program - I know, I'm disappointed with me too! I now have to drink the dreaded 2 litres of water a day and cut down on coffee and tea and not have bread, potatoes, pasta and rice! I've bought enough supplies for two weeks so I hope I can be strong. I am allowed to have a normal evening meal (minus the potato, pasta or rice) so I guess I'll be hanging out for that every day! Anything is worth a try to get my body used to smaller portions (I think)!

I really am doing it for my health - I'm not vain, I don't need to go down two dress sizes before my daughter's wedding! And I'm going to present myself at the gym for a cycle class tonight - knees will have to behave. I took a dose of fish oil today (revolting but worth a try) so all in all I'm ready to go. Pedometer is back on and I'm feeling motivated. I just hope that it lasts into tomorrow and even beyond!

I'll keep you posted
Bev

Never give up!

I have wandered through the last couple of days with little that counts as fitness - but I have enjoyed myself! The pedometer is not on me - I'm sick of seeing the numbers hardly move! I am back home now and tomorrow I will start a regular walking routine accompanied by some healthy eating - no more Christmas scorched almonds! I have been too busy today for all that fitness stuff but tomorrow........

I have incentive - my eldest daughter is getting married at the end of the year and I need to look my best too! Which means losing weight and getting fit and never giving up. You see, even though I'm sitting down and haven't done a lot today I know that it is just a break from my normal routine. I'll get there!

A new fitness beginning

Of course that's what I say every day - this is the day when I begin my new fitness regime - whether it be walking (with pedometer of course), going to the gym (and enduring knee pain) or dancing to the tracks of the songs that I like. Fitness is important, but I've got to enjoy doing it. I felt such a failure yesterday because I didn't even attempt going for a walk - I spent most of the day trying to understand feeds and other terms that come up when setting up a blog. My day ended on a high though - we played scrabble last night and I won! Great compensation for not finding the time to get fitter. That is why I say that today is my new fitness beginning. I will do 10000 steps (not just incidental, I really do have to work up to that), I won't have more than one glass of wine and I won't put much milk in my coffee. And I will enjoy each and every one of those things!

My partner was getting a bit philosophical last night when he just came out with a question "do you discover yourself or are you the same person you've always been?" I was a bit stumped for an answer because he was asking a general question that has haunted me for a long time. I've been trying to discover who I am, but realise that who I am is defined by those I love and who I am inside and who I've always been inside. The little girl in me is still there despite the fact that my body has moved on! And I've been coated by many experiences of course! And many layers of fat which I'm not going to remove by sitting at the computer all day. This is why, although I'm comfortable in my own body, I'm going to try to make it smaller width-wise - I'm sure I'll still fit!

It's a beautiful day in this coastal holiday town, a perfect day for enjoying a walk and the chance to re-start my fitness journey. I'll report on my success or failure later!
Au revoir for now
Bev

The heaviest weight of all

That little pedometer is giving me a giant headache! It doesn't weigh anything except on my mind. I looked at it awhile ago and it wasn't even on 2000 steps and it is well into the afternoon.

I have decided that the journey to fitness and health is life long. There is no "when I get there everything will be just right". I won't give my weight because it isn't really important - I still fit into my clothes from last summer, but they are a bit tighter! I have tried going to the gym and I really enjoyed the fitness classes there - in fact the gym is called "enjoy fitness". There is music and plenty of choice, but my knees have given up on me and I can't do a lot of the moves. I don't want to give up because it really is fun - but I don't think walking around on crutches would be that much fun.

While I'm at my partner's place I'm supposed to walk to keep fit - and that is my goal - to enjoy fitness while walking and not hurting any part of my body that I need to keep mobile! I am sure that going to a gym class makes me more hungry and I do tend to eat more - but working up a sweat is good for you, isn't it? My daughters are always telling me I need to do more cardio - doesn't walking come under that category?

The trouble with walking - and I need to work out what I can do about this - is that the timing is so flexible that I have options - should I walk now or later or tomorrow? Gym classes, on the other hand, have a beginning and end time - if I don't turn up I can't do it later. Perhaps what I need to do is make my own timetable for walking so that I enjoy all the benefits of fitness and a gym without damage to important joints. I'll get to work on that one tonight. Now what was it - 100000 steps a week? Phew - that timetable is going to take awhile!

What walks down has to struggle back up!

My youngest daughter gave me a pedometer for Christmas. Was that a hint? Nevertheless I have put it on every day since. I was horrified to read on the package that I was expected to walk 10000 incidental steps every day! How would that be possible? And I've found out that so far it isn't! Unfortunately I also read in the newspaper today that 100000 steps are necessary in the course of a week (I suspect that includes all exercise - not just incidental steps) - and for a minute I thought the pedometer could be lost. Only for a minute though.

I am staying in my partner's house this week and he lives way up the hill. I decided, on this, my first day of trying to stay healthy and fit despite my knees, to walk down the hill and along the seafront - just gorgeous - and have a coffee looking out over the ocean. That was the good part. I had to get home which meant walking up the hill. By now the sun was quite strong. I did make it back and walked about 5000 steps. It's a good start because I also have eaten healthily so far today and feel good - my pedometer now reads 6202 - every so often I get up and dance to a track from my ipod - I'm hoping to go for a flat walk when my partner gets home which will add a few thousand more steps. Of course I may have to give in when he says he's tired and wants to sit on the balcony looking out over the ocean with a glass of wine more's the pity! This probably means I'd better get up and do a bit more dancing to the ipod!