Motivation - I Need It

Okay, so today wasn't such a stellar day, as far as my personal goals of exercise and weight loss.  In fact, based on tonight's feast of fried foods (cheese, mushrooms, and shrimp), I should probably be punished.  I just can't seem to get it together (shocker, I know).

Last night I watched "The Biggest Loser."  In this episode, they were given their makeovers and then sent home to show off their makeovers and stay home for two weeks.  They were challenged to lose a certain percentage of their body weight in order to stay on the show another week.  We saw them examine their home refrigerators/pantries and go out to eat with their families and friends.  They were faced with all the delicious, good-but-bad foods they ate before participating in the show.  You could see how conflicted they were, and how they wondered if just one meal or one bit would really make a difference.

And yet somehow they knew it would.  They all chose to eat the right things, even to go as far as instructing the weight staff on how they wanted their foods prepared.  At their homes, they discussed with family members about what things should be in their kitchens and what shouldn't.  And they worked out every day, without the help of their trainers on the ranch. At the weigh-in, they had all lost the requisite amount of weight to stay on another week.

I couldn't help but be impressed by their resolve.  Somehow they have gotten it into their heads that this way of eating is now their lifelong way of eating.  And as I was chowing down on my fried feast, I couldn't help but wish that I could get whatever it is that changed them and ingest it so I could be like them.

Oh, I know it may not last for them.  I know there's more to it than just this one incidence.  I know how hard it is to keep it up, as evidenced by my own personal ups and downs with Weight Watchers.  I know how you lose the weight, think that somehow you've been miraculously cured, and then go right back to the atrocious food habits that got you in trouble in the first place. But I want this time to be different.  I want that change that will be lifelong.  I know that part of it is admitting that I just can't eat the way I used to (just like there are more and more things that I can't do the way I used to).

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately written by women who are making strides in their weight loss battle.  One thing I've noticed on several is the theory of "30 seconds."  These women talk about how they lose weight - 30 seconds at a time.  I think it's worth doing - waiting 30 seconds to eat that candy bar because maybe in that 30 seconds, my brain will kick in and overrule that candy bar eating thought.  Maybe by waiting 30 seconds I can make wise food decisions or decisions about exercising.  Maybe 30 seconds is the number to focus on instead of the number of pounds I want to lose. 

Another great idea I've seen is this one, where you have two jars - one with the amount of weight you want to lose and one with the amount of weight you've lost.  Maybe a good visual, maybe even that much needed motivation in a jar? 

Stay tuned - we'll see how these new ideas work out!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Kathy A's generous donation to the 3-Day; Everley time at her house; brief visit from Molly and Micaela

A Nashville Spring Day

 I can't say that I was totally onboard for this morning's walk.  Having not done any kind of real training/workouts/exercise in such a long time, I was thinking about all the reasons I could put it off another day.  But somehow I managed to get my rear out the door.  All I really wanted to do was start - just get out the door and do two miles.  Just.  Get.  Started.

And I did.  I didn't try to jog any of it.  I just put one foot in front of the other and kept going.  It was slow going, but it got done.  It was a little chilly, but it was a beautiful day.  Along with meeting my goal of getting in two miles, I was rewarded with a few extra treats.  It was if God was telling me how much I miss by not doing that which I know I need to do.

The ducks were out enjoying the water.

The daffodils were out waiting for the sun.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  two miles in the 'hood with the daffodils and the ducks; completing a few errands; Mary becoming an Honorary Member of Udderly Pink; Lindley and Everley time; pizza with Maribeth, Mathieu, and Lynnette; Steve's safe travel home

My Non-Fundraising Letter Blog Post

I have walked in four previous Breast Cancer Komen 3-Day events.  The first time in 2001, I thought would be a "one and done" event.  My friend Emily went with me to Atlanta and worked on the medical team.  It was an awesome experience - truly a "once in a lifetime" experience.  Or so I thought.

Six years later in 2007, I was going to turn 50 and noticed that a walk was scheduled on my birthday, so I participated in that one.  My daughter-in-law Lynnette said that she would do it with me, so we headed to the Twin Cities and did our 60 miles.  And I said that would be my last one.  Sometimes "once in a lifetime" happens twice.

Two years later in 2009 my sister Marilyn said she wanted to do one.  So we chose the last scheduled walk for that year which was in San Diego.  Certainly three "once in a lifetimes" was all that would be scheduled for my lifetime.

Until last year, when my daughter Molly and my friends Karen B, Karen P, Jo, and Sharon said they wanted to do one.  Since they were all newbies, how could I not agree?  I wish that everyone could experience those amazing three days on the road during the day and in the tents at night.  So we headed to the hills of San Francisco, which I thought would be a beautiful final chapter for my Komen 3-Day experiences.

And then last summer my sister found out she had breast cancer.  During her recovery, she said that she wanted to do another one.  And Molly said she would do it again.  And Karen B said she would do it again.  And Sharon said she would do it again, and brought along Bruce.  And now we're headed to Washington, D.C. this October to cover 60 more miles to raise funds for breast cancer research and support.

For each of the four events, I've sent out fundraising letters.  My friends and family have been generous in their donations and support.  I've even met new friends who were friends of friends and donated to the event.  But this year, my fifth walk, I'm not sending out a fundraising letter.  I guess I feel a little guilty asking for a fifth time.  I'm going to come up with ideas to raise money - maybe another book or washing cars, along with our team yard sale and bingo night.

If you're reading this and want to donate, here's the link.  Just click on it and donate whatever you wish.  If you would like for me to walk in honor or memory of someone, please let me know via email or comment - I would be so honored to do so.  If you want to be a part of our team and walk with us, we would love to have you join us. I just won't be bothering you this year with a donation letter.

I wish that these walks weren't necessary.  I wish that there was a cure for breast cancer and that this disease didn't rob families of time every single day.  I hope that one day pink ribbons will be just a past memory of a cured disease.  But until then, I will keep walking, because these "once in a lifetime" experiences will help fund research for that cure that will insure families have all the time they want to create memories. 

Everyone deserves a lifetime - thanks for your help to cure breast cancer in our lifetime.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; beautiful cold day

Happy Senior Moment Day!!

Incident #1:  I went to Target and happened to find a parking spot close to the door.  As I walked away from my car, I clicked the key fob thingy to lock the car doors.  Then, as I was walking in the automatic opening doors at Target, I clicked the fob thingy again - somewhere in my senior brain it seemed to make sense that it was necessary to do so in order for the doors to open ...

Incident #2:  I was driving in my still-newish car when I heard a "ding."  Not knowing exactly what it was, I thought perhaps it was the satellite radio telling me my favorite music was on another station (it does this in Steve's car when 50 Cent or $1.25 or somebody is on another station).  I kept looking around the gauges on the car in an effort to find what the ding meant when I saw it - according to the gas mileage calculator, I had 3 miles to go before I ran out of gas!  THREE MILES!!  Thank goodness I was within walking distance (if needed) to a gas station.

Not that I would have remembered why I was at the gas station once I had walked there ...

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The Good Stuff from Today:  Lindley and Everley time; Sonic breakfast with Molly; burritos with Lynnette and Molly; snow-ish day

March Madness

I do not understand how March got here.  I mean, just because I've done three half-marathons and two cruises so far in 2013, does not mean that it should already be March.  Maybe if I'd lost the bazillion pounds that I had planned to lose by today, then I could deal with the fact that it's March 1.  But since I haven't, then today's date is a little startling.

The good news is that it is March 1 and maybe I can get started (again) on all those good habits that I intend to develop in 2013.  I'd better, or otherwise tomorrow when I wake up it's going to be June 1!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  pedicure that helped my toenails look human again; picking up Lindley at school; Lindley and Everley time; Mathieu picking up dinner from Calypso