Shaking things up

It's really been a struggle lately. It was EXTREMELY cold last week. I'm tired all the time and worst of all, I'm always really hungry.

Snacks have been back.

I slipped off the calorie counting habit a little while back. I just stopped recording everything I ate and how much I exercised. I think this has gotten me eating at the wrong times and at the wrong amounts.

Who knows. All I really know is I'm just hangin out at 250 and the scale ain't changing. Sigh.

Last Wednesday, my good friend and work out buddy Mark introduced me to his weight lifting routine. The treadmill is still the main show in town, but it was nice to do something different. Unfortunately, it was Saturday before I could move my arms again. No worries. When I was a teenager, the start swimming season always left us incredibly sore. I've done it before, I can do it again. I lifted again with him yesterday. I got through most of the workout but decided to pull back. A bit of the winter crud has me feeling like crap. I did at least out bench press him. Only 4? I did 8.

Today it's back to yoga. Rumor has it OhCountess (my wife) is joining us. She likes to use the word maybe so she can back out. Lame if you ask me. Just Do It! Not sure where I heard that. It would probably make a great slogan for some shoe company.

Back to the grind. Chins up! We can do this!

Changes that we hope will be closer to habits

We are trying to make some food changes. We only buy wheat bread. Now we have added much more fruit to our diet. Also, we have decided to use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for most meals. The sweet potatoes we boil, peel and eat. They are not the caramelized ones we eat for a holiday. They are sweet, smooth and really satisfying plus they are full of nutrients and fiber which we need to increase in our diet. The next change we have been trying is to use whole wheat macaroni products instead of the white ones. They really are quite tasty in a dish that calls for macaroni. Todd told us they were really good - now we know he is right. These changes may not be the answer to losing weight but they are all good changes we need in our bodies and daily lives. Try to sweet potatoes - they are great!!!

Losing my marbles

Today is yoga day.
Today is very cold.
This morning, the furnace was not running.
This morning, the intake pipe to the furnace was blocked by a snow drift.
This morning, I packed my workout clothes, refilled my shampoo and grabbed a new bar of soap.
Right here, right now, I wish I had brought my gym bag when I left the house.
No yoga until next week.

D'oh!

Something I heard

While in yoga last week, our instructor would do little motivational statements. One of them really caught my attention. I really wanted to share it with you.

ENGAGE

Engage fully in life.

No matter what you do, be present, hold your heart opoen and your mind will follow.

Talk to people, write to people, fax, email and page people.

Share ideas and experiences with new friends, old friends, stangers.

When something tickles you, laugh out loud.

When electricity runs through a crowd, catch the fever.

Go to meetings and speak your mind.

Listen to live music whenever you can--or perform it.

Support local artists--or be one.

Read, vote, comment, protest, question, participate.

There are a thousand ways to engage in life.

Just pick one.

Get out of your chair and out of your house.

Ask someone to give you a boost.

Get engaged now--and be wedded to life!

Keeping it going with variety

Just thought I'd add a quick update. My friend Mark and I started taking yoga classes today. Granted it's Yoga 1, but we have to start some where. It was actually a lot of fun and a lot more work then I thought would be. 

The class meets every Tuesday. The plan is to go every week and just add this to the routine. I might just make my goals.

Good bye 2008, Hello 2009

2009 is here. Let's face it, I'm not really a guy that focuses on the dates for any super natural meaning. For me, there are just good times to do a little benchmarking and goal examination. Lots of fanciness that really only means, check and see how we are doing and adjust the plan accordingly.

I survived the holidays and did accomplish my goal for the month of December. I weigh no more now then I did before Christmas. Let's face it, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cookies aren't health food, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna skip them :)

An interesting conversation happened yesterday. I was down in the locker room of our workout facility and got to participate in a conversation and the start of a wager, "What is the over/under of the number of all of these people working out today, that will be here regularly in February?" The gym was packed with people. Lot's of new people. Welcome to the fitness center. The guess - half. What is your guess?

Since this blog is supposed to be all about weight loss and getting healthy. Here's my goals for 2009.

• Weigh less on December 31, 2009 then I do today. (249.7 pounds)
• Learn to eat food much more healthy then I'm eating now.

I've decided to not set to specific goals. I want something I can attain. I think both of those together will help me get to the place I really want to be. Smaller. I would think that a realistic goal would be to lose at least another 20 pounds, but a pound a week is 52 pounds. I guess if you want to pin me to it, somewhere between 20 and 52 pounds is my goal. Nice zone, huh?

I'm stealing this next thing shamelessly from the monthly newsletter we get here at work from the Healthy Living Center on the campus. I thought it's advice was spot on.

TOP 10 WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED IN 2009
It's January and our motivation to reach our wellness goals are running high. The goal of sustaining our behavior change is a difficult task, and the Wellness Coaches at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center have identified the top ten ways to stay motivated and achieve success as you journey into 2009.

1. Visualize yourself living the way you want.
   
2. Set small, easily-achievable goals that line-up with your own set of values; track your progress regularly.
   
3. Recognize and appreciate every step toward your goal, celebrating your successes along the way.
   
4. Create an environment that supports your good habits.
   
5. Surround yourself with people who are already role-modeling the behavior you want.
   
6. Look forward, not backwards.
   
7. Anticipate set-backs and have a back-up plan for each.
   
8. Avoid comparing yourself to others - focus on your own personal goals and achievements.
   
9. Regularly practice positive self-talk.
   
10. Believe in yourself and your abilities.
    

Another goal? Yeah, I hope to use this blog to record my progress, set backs and basically do more journaling. Huh? I'm gonna try to post more and more regularly. I firmly believe I have good news to share! (Brag)

Stay healthy everyone!