5/31/16: One Rule and One Motto that have Kept Me on Track

Weight:  155.8

Motto:  "If it is not on my plate, don't eat it."

I discussed this motto in my blog a few weeks ago, when I first adopted it.  I had no idea how powerful it would be.  It has kept me 100% on program for almost four weeks.  If something is tempting I think to myself, "It's not part of a planned meal, don't eat it."  This motto has reduced all food choices to a clear cut, black and white decision.  If the food is part of a planned meal, I eat it and enjoy it.  If the food is not part of a planned meal, I don't touch it.  I plan all of my food for the week on Saturday, when I make up my grocery list with Jack.  Between the two of us, we decide on our meals for the week. We make the list together and Jack does the shopping.  He brings home only the food that was on the list and I cook it on Sunday.  For the rest of the week it is just a matter of deciding which two meals I am taking to work with me for lunch and dinner.  I don't eat it if I don't pack it.  It's that simple.

Rule:  "Weigh everyday.  If I weigh more than 150.0 pounds, I must stay 100% on program for that day.  If I weigh 150.0 or less, I can go off program for that day, and that day only.  If I weigh in the next day at more than 150.0 (which I inevitably will), then I must stay 100% on program until I am back to 150.0 pounds."

This is a new rule that I adopted a few weeks ago with no discussion and no fanfare.  I wasn't sure that it was a rule that would stick and I had no idea if it was an idea that would motivate.  But the rule is sticking and it is motivating and it is making more sense to me the longer I live with it.  Therefore, I decided it was time to start talking about it.  

This rule has been highly motivating because I can follow the rule perfectly for the rest of my life without being "perfect" for the rest of my life.  I like following rules.  It makes life easier for me.  I am constantly coming up with new schemes and ideas and things to do.  My mind can go in a million directions a day.  Having a few hard and fast rules makes it easier for me deal with all of the distractions in life.  Having rules for things that are not particularly fun or interesting frees up my mind for other things that are more complicated and interesting to think about.  The problem is that it is oppressive to have a rule that states I can never eat or drink something that I really enjoy.  If I have a rule that states I can never eat something that I really enjoy, sooner or later I will break that rule.  As soon as I have broken a rule, particularly if no negative result follows (like I can still get into my jeans the next day), I have a tendency to break the rule again.  This new rule solves that problem and it is very motivating at the same time.

The rule is motivating because I don't feel deprived by my choice to stay 100% on program.  In fact, I have been incredibly diligent about my program because I want to get to 150 pounds so that I can enjoy some guilt free indulgences.  I am also excited about the decision to not have an acceptable weight range.  I have discovered that weight ranges are impossible to manage.  As soon as I assign a weight range, I creep to the top of the range.  Then I creep up a few more.  At that point I say, "I don't feel much different at 158 than I did at 155, this is OK."  Then I creep up a few more pounds.  Before I know it, I'm hovering between 160 and 165 and not liking the way I feel.  Now I feel too big, like I take up too much room.  My clothes are getting tight and I have to lose 15 pounds again.  *Sigh*  Not much fun.

This rule is much different than having a range.  If I weigh more than 150.0, I go back on program.  That day.  The good news is being on program for me is well defined.  I know exactly what on program means to me now and forever.  It's simple to go on program, because being on on program means I am eating my everyday food.  When I go off program, I'm not changing what I eat for my 3 squares a day, I'm indulging in a dessert or a glass of wine or I'm going out to dinner with Jack or some friends.  I am finding that this rule is very easy to live with.  Because I don't have an acceptable range, I'll never weigh more than about 153 pounds.  I've gained 3 pounds overnight before, but I can't think of a time I've gained more than that.  I've gained 7 pounds in a week.  Yikes. 

 As a side note, I know that a 3 pound overnight weight gain is not 3 pounds of new fat, it's mostly water-weight gain.  But I've learned a lot about how our body manages toxins in our diet.  Systemic inflammation is a key component in our bodies' attempt to get rid of toxins.  When I gain 3 pounds overnight, that water-weight is really inflammation weight.  It's really my body's way of dealing with the crap that I just put into it.  It's really an indication that I just poisoned myself a little bit.  It's really my body's way of saying, "Hey, you just screwed up the balance we had going on here.  Get back on program!"  My new rule acknowledges the fact that I will go off program every now and then.  It acknowledges the fact that I am not perfect and now and then I will put something in my body that does not make me healthier.  But my rule will not allow me to do it every day. The rule allows me occasional indulgences, but it will force me to be disciplined most of the time.  I believe this is a rule that I can follow for the rest of my life and I find that quite exciting.  

This motto and rule together have caused me to be 100% on program since the beginning of Operation Re-start and I have to say I am incredibly impressed with the results.  For several months prior to Operation Re-start I had been almost 100% on program.  My three squares had been solid, but I'd nibble a little here and had a little snack there.  I'd have some nuts in the evening, before my dinner.  I'd eat a mint or two or three from someone's candy dish at work.  I'd snag a few extra pieces of pineapple from the plastic container when I was fixing breakfast.  I'd eat a few squares of dark chocolate in the evening when I was reading a book.  I didn't add it up, but it was probably an extra 300 - 400 calories a day.  Maybe more.  That was just enough to keep me from consistently losing weight.  I didn't know how much I was sabotaging myself until I went hard core with my new motto and rule.  After I adopted them, all of a sudden the weight loss became consistent and predictable.  I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was.  When I am 100% on program, it is pretty easy to lose weight.  When I eat off program, even a little bit, it is pretty difficult to lose weight.  Huh!  Who would've thunk it?

So, I have 5.8 pounds to go until I hit 150.0 for the first time since January of 2013.  It shouldn't take long.  After that, 150.0 will be the number I am looking for each morning.  What I weigh in the morning will determine if I am 100% on program or if I'm allowed to indulge in off program food or drink, that day.  I really like this rule.  I'm looking forward to seeing the other side of it, soon.

Have a good one out there!! It's summertime.  What's not to love?

5/30/2016: Back in the Saddle

Weight:  155.6

My sister and I decided to plan a long weekend getaway centered around physical activity. Going on this sort of vacation is one of the recommendations from Younger Next Year. Chris calls this type of trip a kedge.  He recommends taking a kedge vacation every year to keep you motivated to exercise hard six days a week.  Going outside and playing hard is a lot more fun if your body is strong.

Neither of us likes to fly, this is going to be a fairly quick trip, and we live 100s of miles apart; so I drew a 400 mile circle around both of our home towns, shaded in the section where they intersected and started looking for cool places to stay.  Since Ruth lives in Michigan and I live in Kansas City, the options were limited!  Most often, when one thinks of cool places to vacation, they don't think Illinois!  But, Illinois it is.  I found a cute little Bed and Breakfast that was converted from a schoolhouse in a town called Anne, Illinois.  One of the first statements on their website was about storing our bikes for us, if we brought them.  I was hooked.  This had to be exactly what I was looking for.  It turns out that the Inn is located between a couple of national forests and there is plenty of outdoor fun to be had, just a stone's throw away.  After confirming with Ruth, I booked the inn.

Then I said, "Oh shit, what did I do?  I haven't been on my bike for over 18 months.  Crap.  Does it still work?  Crap.  Really?  I really have to get back on my bike?  Well, I might as well get at it."  So I brushed off the cobwebs, put the correct axle on the back wheel (it was still set up for my trainer), lubed the chain, put air in the tires, made sure I had a spare inner tube and pump on the bike, strapped on my helmet, and went for a bike ride.  It was hard.  I went 9 miles.  That's all.  It sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it?  I could have ridden further, but this was meant to be a test ride, to see how the bike was doing and to get my butt back in the saddle.  The bike is fine, what an amazing machine.  I was also fine, what an amazing machine!  Actually, I love riding my bike.  I finally talked Jack into buying a bike a couple of years ago, hoping this would be a sport we could enjoy together, but he does not like it.  It makes him really anxious to ride on the street.  I don't like riding on trails.  It didn't work out very well.  He might get back on his bike someday, but truly, if I'm going to ride regularly it will be without him, for the most part.  That's OK, but up until a couple of years ago I was secretly hoping that he would love it as much as I do and it would become a joint activity.  No such luck.  We went on several bike rides together because I was convinced he would catch the bug, yet it didn't happen.  After that I let my bike collect dust.  It has now been removed from the mothballs.

It was incredibly hard to go up even the smallest of hills.  I have a lot of work to do in the next 6 weeks.  I have to get my legs and heart in half way decent shape.  Chris was right.  Planning this little getaway with Ruth is motivating me to exercise a little harder and it has added cycling back to my regimen.  I'm glad.  Cycling is one of the cardio exercises that I truly enjoy.  It's not like running, which I do because I feel like I have to.  I know running is really good for me, but I've never enjoyed it.  I actually like riding my bike.  I'm excited about this.  It feels good be be back in the saddle.

I want to make a comment about "The Book."  I have talked a lot about Younger Next Year over the last four years.  It is the book that changed my life and I will always give it credit for that.  Henry Lodge (Harry), one of the authors, is a doctor and he managed to explain to me exactly why I needed to exercise hard, six days a week, for the rest of my life.  He said it in a way that I couldn't refute.  After reading the book I could no longer pretend that it was OK not to exercise.   His argument for exercise was convincing.  I read the book at a time when I weighed about 230 pounds and didn't exercise at all.  I didn't put sneakers on that day.  I thought about it for six months first.  Then I read it again.  Before I got past the third chapter, the second time, I had my sneakers on and I have been exercising regularly ever since.

So, yes, the book changed my life.  But there are things about the book that I don't like.  I don't like Chris Crowley, the other author of the book, very much.  Every now and then, he says something in just the right way to motivate me, but more often than not I find his words and tone a little insulting and offensive.  I don't agree completely with Harry's recommendation on diet.  I agree with his major premise which is, "Don't eat crap!"  I agree with that completely.  But he recommends "whole wheat" products and tells you to limit your consumption of beef.  He prefers cheerios to a nice steak.  He doesn't talk at all about the difference between a feed lot cow and grass fed, pasture raised cattle.  While he gets it right when he says, "Don't eat crap!" he gets it wrong, in my opinion, when he recommends whole wheat products and non-fat dairy products over potatoes (he really trashes potatoes in the book) and some really decent forms of protein.  I know from experience that we all need to experiment with what works best for us with regard to our diets, but I doubt that any of us benefits from eating cheerios.  I think the best book out there with regard to figuring out what works for one's diet is, It Starts With Food.  I like the way it recommends eliminating certain groups of food that are potential problem areas and adding them back, one at a time, after 30 days.  It's your own personal experiment.  You learn what works for you.  On the other hand, the advice, "Don't eat crap!" works for everyone.  No good is going to come from any food made on an assembly line and wrapped in cellophane.  I am sure of that.

I recommend Younger Next Year to everyone and I give the book to anyone that I think will read it.  Then, when I am reading the book again for the umpteenth time and I cringe at one of Chris' sexist sounding statements or sigh with frustration at Harry's food recommendations, I think about someone I just gave the book to and hope that they can get past these imperfections in the book and learn from it the way I did.  The underlying message is solid and convincing.  I'm sure I will read the book another dozen times before I die.  Growth or decay?  It's my choice.  Exercise = growth.  Lack of exercise = decay.  It's an easy choice to make when it gets that basic.  Growth or decay?  I choose growth.  

By the way, did you notice my weight, up there at the top of this post?  I am getting close to my goal.  I am sure I'll plateau this week, as that is the way my body works.  I'll drop a couple of pounds, quickly, and then stay at that weight for a week or so.  Then I'll very slowly lose a pound or so, then drop another pound or so overnight, and then flatten out again.  I will never understand how or why it works that way, but that is the pattern, tried and true.  It feels great to be within spitting distance of my goal weight!  I organized my closet yesterday and finally got the sweaters and other winter clothes moved to the back bedroom closet and my summer clothes moved to my bedroom closet.  I bought several pairs of shorts, pants, and skirts when I was at my fittest and was not able to wear any of them last summer because I was about 10 pounds too heavy.  Yesterday, I tried them all on and they all fit!!  Woo Hoo!!  I am so excited.  It feels wonderful to be just about where I want to be.  I'll lose this last five pounds and I plan on keeping it off for the rest of my life.  I have a plan for how to do that, but I need to get there first, and get there I will.

For now, I need to run.  Not literally, today is a strength training day, but figuratively.  I have a project I want to finish before Jack wakes up and I only have about another hour until that happens.  (Maybe two, it depends on what time he went to bed last night.)  Have a lovely Memorial Day!

5/29/2016: No News is Good News

Weight:  156.8

Yesterday was a quiet, easy day.  We don't get a ton of those around here, so when they come around we enjoy them.  The hardest part of the day was the hour I spent with my physical trainer, but we make each other laugh so even that wasn't too bad.  Seriously, though, Jack and I bought plates for my barbell bar last weekend and I decided to go ahead and get the 25lb plates thinking I'd need them in a few months, anyway.  Yeah, right.  My trainer got one look at my little stack of barbell plates and got a brand new glint in her eye.  We slipped those bad boys onto the barbell bar yesterday for some straight leg dead lifts.  Those were not easy.  Not even a little bit easy. But, all in all, it was a restful and relaxing day.

I have a lot of little things I want to get done today, but nothing too demanding.  I need to pay the bills, reconcile accounts, finish a project for my daughter-in-law, and plan a trip with my sister.  Jack and I have a couple of boxes we need to get ready for the mail and need to do a camping trip inventory.  We are taking our five oldest grandkids camping for 5 days this summer.  Now talk about restful and relaxing!!  Ha ha!!  That will be fun!!  I am really looking forward to it.  But little tasks aside, the rest of the weekend should be fairly casual.  Grill a couple of steaks and some kabobs, enjoy a day with no rain (I hope).  Try to figure out what is eating my garden.  My dad's best guess is that it is ants or slugs and he gave me suggestions to take care of those particular pests.  I'm going to give it a try.  Three day weekends are the best!!

Until tomorrow...

5/28/16: Week 3 Results

Weight:  157.0

I am done with Week Three of Operation Re-Start and the results are in - weight and photographic results, that is.  We aren't doing measurements until the end of Week Four.

Start weight:  163.4
Today's weight:  157.0

I've lost 6.4 pounds since I started my Twelve Week Challenge on 4/16/2016, so that is about a pound a week.  I have seven pounds left to lose and nine weeks left in the challenge.  That is totally doable!

I had to take three weeks off of exercise right after I started the challenge because of my minor touch up surgery, therefore, during the six weeks since my start date weigh-in, I've only been able to exercise for the last three.  Hence, Operation Re-Start.

I am very happy to be back into a serious exercise routine and I am starting to feel and see the results.  Here are my Start Photos compared to my Three Week Photos.

The most noticeable difference, to me, is in my waist.  You can really see it from the back.  It's just incredible what a difference a few pound plus serious exercise makes.  I can also see a little more muscle definition in my legs.  Overall, I feel better:  I am more alert, stronger, happier, more balanced (physically and mentally), and more on top of my game.  The exercise is so critical to my overall happiness and well being.

I read a passage in Younger Next Year that made a lot of sense to me.  It's encapsulates an idea I was trying to convey to my sister, though I'm not sure I articulated my thoughts very well.  I am not sure the passage I am about to quote explains it very well, either, but it resonated with me because I am living through this:

From page 240, Younger Next Year:

"Okay, time for a little shift in emphasis.  Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all, if you lost twenty pounds or whatever it would take to get back to your true weight.  No rush.  And no diet.  It will just take care of itself, because once you start exercising seriously, you'll see yourself differently and you'll start to feel a little odd being overweight.  You probably feel a little odd now, but that's not what I mean.  Once you get in shape and get into the business of working out, it will start to seem, oh, inappropriate to be overweight.  I don't know quite how, but it just happens.  Then, whether gradually or in a plunge, your weight starts to drop.  You really could lose twenty pounds.  Without going nuts and without going on a diet.

A good trick is to have the right picture of yourself in your head.  Exercise makes that much easier.  Working out, you automatically have the picture of your young self in your head.  It feels natural to get rid of the excess that just doesn't belong there...like putting down a package you've been carrying for too long." 

I now feel exactly this way when I am even a few pounds over 150.  It's as if that extra weight just doesn't belong there.  It's not so much that I think I look bad, five or ten pounds doesn't make that much difference when it comes to how I look.  It's how I feel.  At 150 - 153 or so, I just feel right; like I am the size I am supposed to be.  More than 150 and I feel like I take up too much space.  It's weird and I can't quite put a finger on it, exactly, but it is as if my Self is saying, "Hey, you don't need to be carrying around this extra weight anymore, get rid of it, will you?"  I didn't use to have this self-regulating mechanism.  I have it now.  I attribute that all to exercise - specifically strength training.

Don't get me wrong, I know cardio is important.  It's just that I know that strength training is also important.  They are equally important, one is not more or less important than the other.  So many people I know focus on only cardio exercise because they believe that is what will help them burn calories and lose weight.  Cardio is great for your heart, respiratory system, circulation, and yes, for burning calories.  I don't enjoy it as much as I enjoy strength training but I know it's important so I do it.  Strength training is great for muscle strength, tone and definition; your nervous system; your balance; and your self-image.  Strength training makes me feel strong!  I love the way it makes me feel!!

I am looking forward to the next nine weeks.  I am excited about having documented evidence of the physical changes that occur with just 12 weeks of exercise.  I look forward to sharing it with all of you.

Next Saturday:  Measurements!!  Should be interesting.

I hope you all of an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend.  Around here, we're taking it easy.  I hope you get to do that, too.

5/27/16: Approaching the End of Week Three: Twelve Week Challenge - Operation ReStart

Weight:  157.2

Sometimes I feel like I am a freak with all the little tricks and tools I invent so that I can stay committed to my diet and exercise program.  I'm always coming up with new rules, mottos, incentives, tools and tricks to stay on track.  I'll announce them to the world, as if it's the holy grail, and the following week I may be trying something else.  I've been told before that I am a creative person, nowhere is that more evident than when I look back at all the ways I have motivated myself to stay on program.

The good news is that my program has not changed much over the last few years.  It took me a while, but I have finally found a program that works for me.  I am happy with the food I eat and I am comfortable with my exercise program.  Those are the basic elements to my program, eat three healthy meals a day, don't eat crap, do cardio exercise three days a week, and strength train three days a week.  The important ancillary elements to the program are get enough sleep (7-8 hours a night) and drink plenty of water (at least 8-10 big glasses of water a day).

Prior to finally figuring out a basic program for life, I tried every fad diet that came down the pike.  I can't remember them all but Atkins, Jenny Craig, and Nutrasystem come right to mind.  I don't know how many times I lost over 50 pounds in my life, and gained it back, plus some.  It's probably been 5 or 6 times, maybe a couple more.  Being overweight is something I have battled my entire life.  Staying at a healthy weight is something I am going to have to work at for the rest of my life.  This will never be easy, but it is doable and, for me, it's worth it.

My Twelve Week Challenge - Operation ReStart is the latest of my tricks that I am using to stay focused.  I am excited that I finally get to mark my chart and take another progress photo, tomorrow.  I know I'll see a difference because I feel different.  My chart becomes relevant again, tomorrow.  That's cool, because I took a lot of time to make this particular chart and I really like it.  That's the main reason I didn't just start a new challenge after Sister Sister's funeral, I didn't want to chuck out the chart I worked so hard on,  Hence, Operation ReStart!.  Next Saturday will be our first Four Week measurement day.  I'm very curious to see how that goes.  When this chart is complete I am going to keep it somewhere that I can see it every day to remind myself how much difference regular exercise makes.

The rain is trying to throw me track, keeping me from running on schedule, but it won't succeed.  I am going to take today off, but I'll exercise each day this weekend.  It's all good.

Have a great day.  Stay dry!!

5/26/2016: Strength Training - On a Soap Box

Weight: 157.4

I try not to be preachy in my blog posts because the purpose of my blog isn't to cajole other people into doing things they don't want to do, the purpose of my blog is to keep myself accountable and take the time each day to reflect on what's working, what's not working, what I want to change, and how I feel.  That said, I am going to get a tad preachy in this very brief blog post.

Lift weights!

Everyone should be lifting weights!!

Three times a week, for an hour, lift weights!!!

Use free weights.  Exercise all muscle sets.  Be careful.  Get help if you need it.  But whatever you do, start lifting weights!!!!

I cannot stress enough the difference in the quality of life between not lifting weights and lifting weights.  It changes everything.  It is empowering.  It's uplifting (ha ha).  It makes you feel good.  It makes you stronger.  You'll fall less.  You're brain will work better.  It is truly life changing.

You might do your cardio six days a week and wonder when you'll lift weights.  Swap three of those cardio days for strength training days.

If you want copies of my workouts, I am more than happy to share them with you.  Email me at bertabetta@hotmail.com.  If I don't already have your email address, put something in the subject line that has something to do with this blog and wanting the workouts so I don't delete your email without opening it.

You might think you don't know how to lift weights.  All of the exercises have nifty little videos online.  They're great.  Watch the videos.  Be careful.  You can do this.  And you can do it at home.  At first, you'll need light weights.  They're cheap.  Eventually, you'll start buying heavier weights.  They are more expensive, because they are sold by the pound.  You can buy entire sets on craigslist and at garage sales.  I'm serious about this.  Lift weights!!  Please!!  It will change your life!!

Always warm up.  If you haven't ever lifted weights before or haven't in a long time, take it easy.  Take it slow.  Start light with lots of reps.  Maybe just start with stretches.  Do the squats and lunges with no weights (they're called body weight squats).  Do not hurt yourself, but do work yourself.

So many of us, particularly women, skip the strength training.  I meet very, very few women that lift weights.  I don't know why that's true, but it is.  We all need to be lifting weights.  It'll keep your body young and strong.  I believe in the importance of lifting weights like I believe that the sun will come up tomorrow and that someday I will die.  But my intent is to die young, as late as possible!  Weight lifting will help get me there.  It will help you, too.

BE CAREFUL!!        DON"T HURT YOURSELF!!       TAKE IT EASY AT FIRST!!       

HIRE A TRAINER IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT!!       

LIFT WEIGHTS!!!

OK.  I'm done.  Have a wonderful day!!

5/25/2016: Rain

Weight:  158.0

It's raining and the forecast is predicting heavy thunderstorms all morning, so my scheduled run is postponed for this evening.  This will be the second time in a week that I had to run in the evening instead of the morning because of rain.  The good news is that last week I actually did come home and run.  I know I can do it again tonight.

I've maintained a "perfect" diet for about a week and a half, now.  What I mean by perfect, is I have not eaten anything, not one bite of food, that was not part of a planned meal and that was not an On-Program food.  I've had a little mini-plateau at exactly 158 pounds for a few days, but that was after rapidly losing a few pounds.  It's not unusual for me to lose 2 or 3 pounds over a few days and then stop losing weight for several days.  I don't know exactly why it works that way, but that is the way it works.  What is unusual is to be exactly the same weight over a several day period.  It actually made me laugh when I saw the number on the scale this morning.  Think about all of the things that need to be exactly the same for your weight to not fluctuate by even 2/10ths of a pound.  I guess I know the magic formula for maintaining 158.

Yesterday, I felt great, better than I have felt since before my surgery in December.  What a wonderful feeling to go through the day feeling terrific.  By the end of the day I got a little cranky, but that was work's fault.  A day full of meetings will do that to anyone.  Today is a brand new day and I am a little sad that my run is getting postponed until the evening.  I prefer exercising in the morning because it "gets my blood flowing," so to speak, but I really don't want to go out there in a thunderstorm.  Maybe someday I will invest in a treadmill.  I kind of doubt it.  I really dislike treadmills.  But it would be kind of nice to have an alternative to running when the weather stinks.

I found myself wanting to eat off program last night when I got home from work.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because there has been cake, brownies, and donuts at the office for a couple of days and I've had to tell myself no about 100 times a day.  The good news is that I doubt that the cake and brownies were very good, anyway, as they came from a grocery store chain.  Donuts are a different story.  For some reason they can be very appealing, even though they are kind of a disgusting food.  I didn't eat any cake or donuts, so it doesn't really matter if it tasted good or not.  And I did not eat anything after I got home last night.  I had a few cravings, but they passed and I moved on.

It really helps that I am eating my dinner at work.  I don't eat any food after work.  I come home, dump my plastic containers in the sink, and I am done with the kitchen for the night, except to get water.  Eating no food after work is so much easier than eating a little food after work.  If you are struggling with food in the evenings, give it a try.  Pack your dinner, as well as your lunch, for a week, and eat dinner about a half hour before you leave work.  By the time you get home you'll have had a chance to digest your food and you won't be anywhere near as likely to grab a snack as you come in the door.  At least that's the way it works for me.  If it hasn't made a difference after a week, then maybe it's not for you.

Speaking of what works for me, I have learned a very important lesson over the last 5 years:  What works for me very likely won't be what works for you.  We are all different when it comes to figuring out what will motivate us to succeed at our own personal wellness initiatives.  A few years ago I thought I had found the magic formula that would work for anyone.  Actually, I found the magic formula that worked for me.  In fact, it was the magic formula that worked for me in that moment.  Even I require different approaches at different moments.  The key is to keep trying different things.  If a particular set of tools isn't doing the trick and helping you stay on program, that isn't a reason to give up, it's a reason to get creative and think of something else.  It would probably be a little amusing (but mostly really boring) to go back through my blog posts and count the number of times I've changed my program, each time proclaiming I had found the holy grail of motivational tools to keep me on program.  I have no idea how many tips and tricks and tools I've implemented over the last 5 years.  It's been quite a few.  They key has been to never give up.  That's the way it will be for the rest of my life, anyway.  It's not about getting healthy and then going off program.  It's about getting healthy and staying healthy for the rest of my life.  That is going to take a bit of creativity!

I'm going to sign off and do a little on-line shopping.  I want a rack for my new barbell set and a little running pouch that my trainer showed me.  I'll see what I can find.  I can't deny it, I'm becoming a gear-head.  I don't need much of an excuse to buy something new for my exercise regimen.  And Chris (one of the co-authors of Younger Next Year) proclaims, "Invest in good gear!"  Yeah, OK, I can do that!!

Have a great day!!

5/24/16: Starting to Feel "Put Together"

Weight:  158.0

I have been "seriously" working out for two and a half weeks, and I can already tell a real difference in how I feel.  Perhaps I don't look any different, but I feel like I look different, and that is all that really matters.  I feel like I am standing straighter, keeping my abs tauter, and walking with more spring in my step.  In short, I feel more "put together."  It's an amazing feeling.  I can honestly say I missed feeling this way.  Exercise as a daily habit, who would have thought I would ever get here?  I didn't.  Way back when, I thought I would have to force myself to exercise for the rest of my life.  I really believed that.  Prior to the surgery I dreaded not being able to exercise for an extended period of time.  Funny thing is, it was worse (much worse) than I thought it would be.  I thought I'd have to talk myself into starting back up again.  Instead, I had to talk myself out of doing too much too soon.

It feels good to be back.

PS - The recovery was much longer and harder than I thought it would be.  Jack keeps saying, "You're surgeon said it would be 6 months to a year before you would be fully recovered." And I keep saying, "Yeah, but I never believed him."  I didn't want to believe him.  Well, ladies, it's true.  If you are thinking about having a tummy tuck, plan on 6 months of recovery.  This is serious surgery.  It takes a long time to recover completely.  I have zero regrets.  I am tickled pink with the results.  But don't underestimate the recovery time from this particular surgery.

5/23/16: Six Days a Week, I Lu-u-u-u-uve You! (Sung to the tune of Eight Days a Week by the Beatles)

Weight:  158.0

As I was going for my run this morning the song, Eight Days a Week, kept running through my mind.  But the lyrics were changed to Six Days a Week, and I was referring to exercise.  You see, I am reading Younger Next Year again and that is what Harry and Chris incessantly talk about in the book, that you need to exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.

In 2011 I started a lifelong exercise habit.  Before 2011 I'd convince myself to start exercising, get in "half-way decent shape," and then something would derail me.  Back then, exercise was all about losing weight and looking good.  It wasn't really about quality of life, and it certainly wasn't about quality of life in my old age.  I found it incredibly difficult to maintain an exercise habit because it was such a slog and I really didn't enjoy it.  But reading Younger Next Year for the very first time changed all that, forever.  I started looking at exercise as a necessity.  Exercising six days a week is the difference between a rather miserable old age of declining physical and mental health and a joyful old age of strength and mental acuity.  It takes commitment and consistency, but it has amazing long term benefits.

Finally, five months after surgery, I am back into the full swing of exercising six days a week, and I am so relieved.  There have been starts & stops and spits & spurts over the last couple of months, but between getting fully recovered from the initial surgery and then recovering from the touch up surgery it's been a long time since I've been in the real swing of things with regard to exercise.  I am glad that I am reading Younger Next Year again.  Otherwise I might have convinced myself that three or four days a week was plenty.  Harry says no.  He says I need to get out there six days a week.  He says to treat it like a job.  Exercise needs to be a priority in my life.  Today, tomorrow, and forever more.  He makes a lot of sense.

I gotta go.  I need to pack meals and get to work.  Have a good one out there!!

5/22/16: It's Working!!

Weight:  157.4

I am two weeks into my 12 Week Challenge - Restart and I am starting to see real results.  I am not talking about weight loss, though the weight loss is nice, I am talking about muscle tone.  My arms are starting to tone up and I am beginning to see some definition in my biceps and triceps.  My legs are starting to firm up, again, and I'm starting to see some muscle definition in my quads.  I like it when I flex my arm to do an everyday thing, like brush my hair, and a little muscle flex catches my eye.  It is amazing how much weight lifting changes the shape of my entire body.  I am looking forward to taking and posting Week 3 photos next Saturday.  I think we'll see a real difference!!

A couple of weeks ago I posted a link to a New York Times article about the impact rapid significant weight loss has on the metabolism.  The gist of the article is that rapid significant weight loss has a long-term, perhaps even permanent, impact on the body's metabolism.  When a person loses a lot of weight quickly, their metabolism slows down significantly and in order to not gain weight they have to eat less than someone at the same body weight, that was never overweight.  This particular article was written based on the evidence collected after following the participants in Season 8 of the Biggest Loser for 6 years.  One of the participant's metabolism slowed down so much that he was burning 800 calories less a day, 6 years after the show ended, than he was before he started the show.  During the course of the show which spanned 7 months, he went from 430 pounds to 191 pounds.  He lost 239 pounds in seven months, over half his body weight!  Six years later he weighs 295 pounds, a 104 pound weight gain since the show ended.  All but one of the participants experienced similar weight gains since the show ended, some of them gaining back more weight than they lost while on the show.

The article cites two biological reasons for the regain of weight, a lower metabolism and lower production of leptin, a hormone that helps control hunger.  Here is the link to the article, again:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0

Here is a quote from the article:

"The key point is that you can be on TV, you can lose enormous amounts of weight, you can go on for six years, but you can't get away from a basic biological reality," said Dr. Schwartz, who was not involved in the study.  "As long as you are below your initial weight, your body is going to try to get you back."

While one can read this article and get really discouraged, it had the opposite impact for me.  I found it encouraging, and here is why:

Click anywhere on the graph to see a better image of it.

This is a chart of my weight since October 2011.  I am not exactly pleased with the fact that I gained some weight back after my big weight loss in 2012, but I am very pleased by the fact that the peaks in my weight are getting lower and lower.  When I look at this graph, I see my "set point," the weight that my body wants to be, getting lower and lower.  Each time I gain weight, I start getting uncomfortable a little sooner.  Now, I feel overweight and uncomfortable and like I have to "Do something about it," at about 163 pounds.  Way back when, before this graph even started, I weighed 250 pounds before I forced myself to take action.

I know I am on my way back to my goal weight of 150 pounds.  I will be there soon.  I also know that I am going to have to work on maintaining my weight at about 150 pounds for the rest of my life.  This is not going to be easy, but it is not going to be impossible, either.  I think it helped a lot that I lost weight a lot more slowly than the contestants on the Biggest Loser did.  I lost 74 pounds in 11 months, not 239 pounds in 7 months.  I can't even imagine losing over half my body weight in half a year.  That seems nuts.

My diet is completely different than it was 5 years ago, in a way that I can maintain for life.  I like the food I eat and I am never hungry.  I have an ingrained habit to exercise daily, now.  I don't think that will ever go away and if it does, I will read Younger Next Year, yet again.

Speaking of exercise, look what we bought yesterday:

Yep, doesn't that look like fun?  My trainer will have so much fun with these!!

To sum up today's post, which I admit is a bit of a ramble, I am excited about the progress I am making with regard to both weight loss (and management) and improvement in my muscle strength and tone.  I know that it is a fact that I will always need to "watch what I eat," and be ever vigilant about daily exercise, but I am OK with that.  I'd rather be careful with my diet and exercise daily and feel great than eat whatever I want, not exercise, and feel like crap.  It's a constant trade off, but in the long (and short) run, it's worth it.  For me, it's totally worth it.  The way I feel, emotionally and physically, is so much better when I am feeling strong and fit, rather than how I feel when I am overweight and weak, that there is no question that it is worth it to "make the sacrifice" and put in the work.  I am in this for life.  I hope it's a long one!!

OK.  That's enough for today.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

5/21/16: Little Changes, Real Results

Weight:  158.2

You already know this, but I am going to say it anyway.  For several years, my diet has been pretty dang good.  I mean, I eat proteins and veggies with every meal, in about the correct proportions (half a plate of veggies, a palm sized serving of protein).  My most common dessert, by far, is a piece of fruit.  I've eliminated wheat, cheese, and added sugars from my daily diet.  Just eliminating those three foods eliminates most junk.  I don't eat any packaged foods, as a rule.  We almost never eat out.  I cook almost everything I eat.  So when I told a co-worker that I adopted a new motto, "If it's not on my plate, don't eat it," he said, "So what are you going to change, you already barely eat anything?"

Well, that's not true, but I guess it can seem that way.  I have a pretty robust diet.  I am sure I eat about 200 more calories than he does for breakfast, for example.

The fact of the matter is this:  in spite of my pretty-dang-good-diet, I've had a hard time with this last ten pounds.  I had to change something.  In the last couple of weeks I changed two things.  I started eating lunch and dinner much earlier in the day, to accommodate my very early breakfasts (I sit down to eat my breakfast at about 4:20), and I adopted my new motto, mentioned above.  These two simple little changes have made a huge difference.

The biggest difference is I am never hungry.  Because I am never hungry and because I can't eat anything that is not actually on my plate, I am not snacking at all.  By moving my lunch up to 10:30 in the morning and dinner to 3:30 in the afternoon, I am getting all of my meals in:   1) before I get hungry, 2) several hours before I go to bed, and 3) before I get home from work.  Think about it.  That whole, grab-a-snack-when-you-walk-in-the-door-after-work routine is OVER!  As I am finishing my dinner at work, I think to myself, "This is my last food for the day," and it is.  I don't even think about eating when I get home.  I am completely sated, I have no cravings, because I've recently eaten dinner, and I'm content with that.  It also makes meal choices and serving size decisions so much easier.  I pack my lunch and my dinner in the mornings, right after I eat breakfast (which happens to be my biggest meal of the day).  So I am well fed and rested when I am making my meal decisions for the rest of the day.  When I walk out the door I have, in my hand, a bag containing all of the food I am going to eat for the rest of the day.  Easy peasy!  This makes staying on program so much easier.

The whole, "Don't eat it if it is not on your plate," thing has made a difference, too.  A much bigger difference than I thought it would, given my pretty-dang-good-diet.  It's little things.  I have a fruit bowl every morning with my breakfast that usually consists of fresh pineapple, strawberries and half a banana.  Every morning, when making my fruit bowl, a few pineapple chunks would go directly from the plastic container to my mouth, they never saw the bowl.  Did that decrease the amount of fruit I put in my bowl?  Well, no.  It just increased the amount I ate.  Another example, when cooking dinners for the week on Sunday, when I took the roasted chicken and veggies out of the oven I would snarf up a few of the charred sweet potatoes.  Did that reduce the amount of food I would eat for lunch an hour later?  Well, no.  One of my very favorite snarfs (is that a word) was the caramelized bits of spices (combined with coconut oil and chicken fat) that would end up on the cookie sheet after roasting the Best Chicken Legs Ever.  The recipe for the chicken legs is simple.  Place the chicken legs on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Coat with coconut oil.  Then sprinkle liberally with (in this order) salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cinnamon.  And then, if you like a little spice in you life, sprinkle on a little cayenne pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees for an hour, flipping the legs over after 30 minutes.

I take the instructions, "sprinkle liberally" pretty seriously, since I like foods that are full of flavor.  Therefore, a byproduct of the process is a significant amount of spices that end up on the parchment paper.  While the chicken bakes, the coconut oil melts and I am sure the chicken releases a bit of fat, and it all combines with the spice and kind of gets burnt onto the parchment paper.  I know this sounds totally disgusting, but it actually tastes really good.  Yes, I'd eat it.  I guess I am a spice fiend.  God only knows how many calories were in those fat laden little bites of goodness.

So that's the type of thing that I would eat, rather routinely, that were not on my plate.  I'll also admit to the occasional off program foods.  Some dark chocolate here, a mint there.  There were some days that I would go completely off program and go out to eat for lunch or dinner and maybe have a drink or two with my meal, but those days were not the real deal breakers, it was the picking at food that wasn't on my plate that was sabotaging my program.  That ended on Sunday.

I am now eating three times a day, and that is it.  Nothing, except water, gets consumed between meals.  For two or three days I was stunned by the number of times my impulse was to pop a little bit of food into my mouth.  Wow, I had gotten into a really bad habit.  A week later, those impulses have subsided, though I won't say they are gone.  And in a week I have lost 1.8 pounds.  I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but when you have only 10 pounds to go and you've been struggling to figure out just how in the hell you're going to get them off, it's huge!!  The best part is, it has been relatively easy.  I am encouraged, no that's not right, I am downright excited, by these changes.  I have complete confidence that this formula will get me to goal in a relatively short period of time.  It has put a brand new pep in my step!!

My trainer gets here in 34 minutes.  I better change my clothes and get warmed up.  I know she's gonna kick my ass, so the more warmed up I am when she gets here, the better!!  Have a wonderful day!!!!!

5/20/16: It's Raining! Dang! I Was All Ready for My Run!

Weight:  158.6

It's cool out.  And it's raining.  And it's dark.  No, I am not going to run in this weather (I realized it was raining when I went into our bedroom to gather up my running clothes - I was ready to go!).  I will run tonight.  I just texted Carla and asked her to check on me this evening to make sure I run when I get home.  I'll go to work early, leave early, and get a run in, tonight.  It's supposed to be 64 degrees and cloudy (no rain) at 4:00 this afternoon.  That sounds better that cold, dark, and rainy.

I did not exercise last night.  I was soooooooo tired yesterday.  The late night at the ballpark was exhausting.  I was trying to figure out why it made me so tired, it's not like it's the first ballgame I've been to.  Then I came home and Jack was wiped out, too.  He is usually up later than me, anyway.  So what's up?  And then I realized that Wednesday night at the ballpark was different than a normal day at the ballpark because we were in a dugout suite with a lot of people.  That meant that the evening took a lot more mental energy.  We weren't just sitting there watching a ballgame.  We were socializing and investing mental energy into the evening.  That is a lot more tiring than just going to a game.  I went to bed early last night and feel tons better today.  It's going to be a good day, in spite of the rain.  The good news is that my garden is watering itself today.  It loves the rain water!!  My lettuce seeds started sprouting yesterday.  Time to start eating the greens that I planted a month ago, so that we have those all eaten when the new ones are ready to go.  Salads for dinner!!

I am reading Younger Next Year again.  It's hard to put a finger on why, exactly, I like this book so much, but I do.  It transformed my life, as many of you already know.  It is the book that I read 5 years ago that convinced that daily exercise is a must, for the rest of my life.  It is the book that I have given away to anyone that I think might actually read it.  It is the book that I am now reading for the fourth (or is it fifth?) time.  There are parts of the book that I don't love.  Sometimes one of the authors, Chris, can be a little too campy and I just want to skim over what he has to say.  But there are other times that he uses exactly the right combination of words to remind me that exercise is the most important thing I can do, everyday, forever.  In fact, as I was reading the book at breakfast this morning there were two quotes from the book that I found particularly spot on, so I texted them to Carla.  They are, "There is nothing you can do that is more important than daily exercise." And, "You may not like exercise, but do it anyway.  For your heart, for your mind, for your immortal soul.  And for the rest of us.  We want your company."  I apologize in advance for what I am sure will be too many quotes and thoughts from the book over the next few days, as I read it again.  I'm sure I won't be able to help myself.

Well, if I am going to keep my promise to myself to get to work early, so I can leave early, so I can get my run in this afternoon, I better sign off.  Have a super day!

5/19/16: Nearing the End of Week Two, Again

Weight:  159.0

Why did I start my 12 week challenge over again?  Because one of the things I wanted out of the challenge was photo-documentary and statistical evidence of how much my body changes in 12 weeks when I exercise regularly and eat right.  I want to use the chart I am making as an incentive to keep me on program in the many years I have ahead of me.  I want to look at my series of photos and my before and after measurements and say, "See, exercise does make a difference!"  When my program got derailed very early on by my touch-up surgery and the spontaneous family gathering at our house, it made sense to me to start over.  I want to see what changes I can make to my body with 12 weeks of hard work, not 8 weeks. So, start over again, I did.  This Saturday will be the end of week two, again.  Next Saturday I will start taking photos and marking my chart again.

I am feeling super motivated to stay on program, these days.  Two of my daughters have started programs of their own and have asked me to help them by coaching and checking up on them.  It's amazing how much it helps me to help them.  This is not just about talking the talk, it's about walking the walk.  I can't tell them to do one thing, and then do something different.  Heck, no!  We're in this together!!

I was up way too late last night at a Royals game.  We got tickets in a dugout suite.  That was super fun!  But it was a late night.  I wasn't in bed until 11:00, so I didn't get up this morning until 5:00 and I was still shorted an hour of sleep.  My plan is to do my workout tonight.  We'll see how that goes.

I need to sign off now so I have time to water my garden before I go to work.  It's important to keep those seeds moist until they sprout and get established.

Have a wonderful day!

5/18/16: Three Mile Slog/Jog

Weight:  159.8

It's been rough getting back into the swing of things since my touch-up surgery.  I started weight lifting a week and a half ago.  I finally managed to get out for my first jog this morning.  I fully intended to jog last week, but when I woke up on the mornings after a strength-training day my body said, "Are you crazy?  Stay in bed and rest!"  So I did.  This morning's jog was more slog than jog, but it felt good to get out there.  I jogged slowly for the first two miles and walked the last mile home.  I'm OK with that.  You gotta start somewhere, and that's what this feels like, starting all over again, again.

That's the nature of this beast, start over, start over, and start over again.  It's never going to end.  For me to get to 150 and stay at 150 for life, I will have to be constantly vigilant.  It's not going to just happen.  It's not going to be easy.  But it is going to be worth it.  Being fit and trim feels great!!!!  I don't mind getting old if my body will do what I want it to do, and keeping myself at a healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating good food, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep keeps my body in good shape.  Will I slip and slide down hill every now and then, over the next 50 years?  I am sure I will.  Will I dig my heels in and stop the slide and climb back out of the hole when that happens?  Yes I will.  Every - Single - Time!

I've been a little frustrated with the Last Ten Pounds.  That's what it feels like.  This Last Ten Pounds feels like a thing that needs to be capitalized, underlined, and bolded.  I drop below 160, feel like I am almost there, and then something shakes up my life, I lose focus, and I gain a couple pounds back.  Well, no more!  That is not going to happen again.  On Sunday I decided that I am going to be hyper-vigilant about my diet until I weigh 150 pounds.  What does this mean, exactly?  Considering the fact that my diet was pretty clean already, what more can I do?  Well, I have a new motto.  It's not a catchy motto, but that's OK.  The motto is, "Don't eat it unless it is on my plate."

The thing is, I was eating little bits here and there, without really thinking about it.  A classic example is when I'm fixing my breakfast I will fix my bowl of fruit, but when I am cutting up the pineapple I'll take little bites of pineapple off the core before I throw it away.  Another example, when I take the roasted chicken and veggies out of the oven I'll eat a couple of the charred pieces of sweet potato before I put the rest of it away for meals later in the week.  Or maybe I'd get home from work and mindlessly grab a handful of nuts, and then an apple.  These calories add up.  I think it is unrealistic to be hyper-vigilant for a life-time, but it is not unrealistic to be hyper-vigilant for the amount of time that it will take to lose 9.8 pounds.  So, "Pox on this Last Ten Pounds!" I say.   I am going to get it gone and move on with my life, that's what I am going to do.

That's all I've got for today.  It's time for the slog called work.  Have a good one!!

5/16/2016: It's a Brand New Week

Weight:  160.0

It's Monday and we're starting all over again.  This weekend we got some chores done, I got a haircut and a pedicure (much needed, I was starting to look a little scruffy), we went to the movies (The Avengers, Civil War), and I got my cooking done for the week.  I also finished planting my vegetable garden, finally!  The starts are all looking pretty good.  I planted the seeds on Saturday.  I know it's late, but better late than never.  The back yard looks so nice with the garden planted, the herbs growing, the lawn furniture set up, and the grass nicely mowed.  It is very inviting.

I saw this link to an article about sugar this morning on Facebook:

http://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/04/the-real-truth-about-sugar/#gs.qKktjeg

Basically, the article discusses the difference between carbohydrates and sugar and recommends that added sugars be less than 5% of a person's daily caloric intake.  The problem is, a lot of people don't realize that they are eating added sugars when they consume a lot of manufactured foods.  Food labels are becoming more and more deceptive.  There are so many names for added sugars now, it is almost impossible to tell how much sugar really is in something, unless you cook it yourself.

I believe that it is important to cook as much of my own food as possible and one of the primary reasons I believe that is so that I can avoid hidden added sugars.  If I am going to eat sugar, I want to know that I am eating it, I want it to be an obvious treat that I truly enjoy.  I don't want sugar sneaked into my food, with me unaware of its presence.

We have a ballgame to go to tonight.  It's raining and it's cool.  Should be fun.

Have a great day!!

5/14/16: Saturday Morning

Weight:  160.0

It's Saturday!!  Yeah!!  I am ready for the weekend!

I worked a few long days this week in an effort to get caught up on all of my projects.  The unplanned three days off wrecked havoc with my project completion schedule.  I stayed at work until 7:30 last night (that's a 12 hour+ day), but it was worth it because I got my cash forecast completely updated.  My cash forecast is an incredibly important tool for me because I have to manage cash so tightly.  There are parts of it that I update daily, there are other parts of it that I update weekly.  But there are a couple of parts that are a little harder to maintain and not as essential on a day-to-day basis and when I get too busy, I let them slip.  It had been over a month since I completely updated the cash forecast, so it was past due.  It felt very good to get it done last night.  Monday morning I will clean off my desk and start fresh.  The big projects I have been working on are complete, so now it is time to start new projects.  For the most part, they will probably be HR related for a while.  We have back-burnered a lot of HR projects over the last several months.  We need a new Employee Handbook, for instance.  Fun times ahead, at Castle Creations!

But, today, it's Saturday.  Lauren will bet here in a couple of hours.  After this morning, we will be back to once a week.  I wanted to make up for the session we missed, so she came twice last week.  Well, three times, really, when you consider the fact that she came on Sunday instead of Saturday.  Anyway, today is Saturday and we are back on track.  From now on, she'll come every Saturday morning.

After my workout I have an appointment to get my hair cut then I'll probably plant seeds, though it is awfully cool out.  Tomorrow we are going to go see the new Captain America movie.  We don't have a lot planned, but it should be a relaxing and pleasant couple of days.  I wish it was warmer.  It feels like winter around here.  I need my fuzzy pjs!

I am thinking a lot about my rest-of-my-life-program.  Perhaps I should call it my ROMLP.  That's kind of funny.  Anyway, what does it look like, really?  What is the formula that will work, day-in and day-out for 50 years.  I have 11 more weeks to think about it.  Well, I guess, technically, I have, I hope, 47 more years to think about it.  But seriously, after my twelve week challenge is complete, I will need a plan to roll into.  I've been thinking a lot about it.  There are ideas percolating, but nothing is taking form yet.  I'm sure I'll be blogging about it a lot in the next 11 weeks.  After all, this is the rest of my life, we're talking about!!

Have a great day!!

5/13/16: Staying Relatively Un-Fat

Weight:  160.8

My plan is to live a long time, another 46 years, minimum.  I've always wanted to live to be 100 years old.  Ever since middle school when I saw a movie that was centered around the memories of a 100 year old woman I have been fascinated by the thought of being 100 years old and recollecting how the world has changed over my lifetime.  I wish I could remember the name of the movie, but it is eluding me.  What I do remember clearly is how fascinated I was by the main character's stories and how much she had experienced in her lifetime.  I still want to live to be a very old woman.  But I don't want to be a decrepit old woman, I want to be a spry old lady, full of life and vitality.  I don't care if I look old, I just don't want to feel old.  This is why I have worked so hard to lose weight and get fit, and it is why I will work so hard for the rest of my life to maintain my weight and stay fit.

It's not going to be easy, as the article I cited a few days ago suggests.  I weigh a lot less than I did at my heaviest and, based on the evidence in that article, that means I will always have to eat fewer calories than a person of the same size that has never been overweight, or I will start gaining weight again.  I don't doubt the validity of the claim that the article makes.  If I go off program for even a few days, I start gaining weight.  I will need to monitor what I eat, carefully, for the rest of my life.  That is the way it is.  I have accepted that fact and I am willing to live with it.  I would much rather closely monitor what I eat, forever, than let myself get overweight, again.  I really dislike being overweight.  I don't like the way it makes me feel or the way I look when I am overweight.  It depresses me.  Yes, I get frustrated sometimes because it is difficult to be "good enough" to not gain weight, but that's OK.  I can deal with that frustration.  What I refuse to deal with is being fat, again.  It's just not going to happen.

Tomorrow will be the end of Week 1 (for the second time) of my 12 Week Challenge.  I am below my line, so that's great!!  My goals for my 12 Week Challenge are to get to 150 pounds and to significantly improve my strength and muscle tone.  I've had three tough workouts this week, but I haven't been running.  I was "supposed" to run this morning, but I couldn't get myself out of bed in time.  My body felt fatigued.  I think that's OK.  I started my strength training back up this week, after a 3 week break due to my touch-up surgery, and it takes me a little while to get used to the routine.  It's as if my body says, "OK, I'll do this, but you need to give me time to adjust."   I will add running back to my routine next week.  It's all good.  It really is.

It's Friday, thank goodness.  I'm looking forward to the weekend!

PS - I just remembered the name of the movie, it was, "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman."  It was a fictional story, but fascinating, nonetheless.

5/12/16: The Year is Flying By!

Weight:  160.8

I can't believe it is May 12th, already.  Where does the time go?  Before we know it the summer will be half over and we'll be getting ready for winter.  Time seems to slip by in spits and spurts.  There are months that last f-o-r-e-v-e-r and there are months the last a couple of days.  May is one of those months that just seems to fly by.

Lauren will be here in a few minutes for our workout and I won't have time afterwards to blog, so I thought I'd take a minute to write before she gets here.  Mostly, I want to say that I am a little disappointed in myself for allowing myself to gain a couple of pounds last week.  I really thought when I hit 159 a week ago that that would be the last time in my life that I saw the 160s.  Then, just a few days later, there is a family emergency and for several days I let my resolve melt.   I got right back on track once everyone left, so that's good, but still, I wish I hadn't slipped.  Lack of sleep plus stress is a combination that weakens my resolve.  I need to be careful about that.

Until tomorrow!

5/11/2016: Storm is Threatening

Weight:  161.8

The lightening and thunder have started so, in spite of getting up early to run, I am going to wait until this afternoon.  The storm is close and I have no desire to get caught in it.  It is supposed to be much nicer this afternoon.  I am sore from Sunday's and Tuesday's weight lifting routines, all over sore.  I guess you could say it is a "Good sore," as it is evidence that I worked hard.  It's a start.  I'm looking forward to being strong and fit, again.

I'm just starting to get back into the routine of getting up by 4:00AM so that I can eat breakfast and workout and still get to work by 7:00.  I need to go to bed a little earlier.  It takes several days to get the routine down pat.  By next week it will be habit, again.  Lauren comes by tomorrow morning.  After that we will be back to our Saturday morning schedule.

I feel like I have a lot dogging me, lately.  Big projects that are not quite finished and little projects that haven't been started, both at home and at work.  I need to start finishing them up to give myself some peace of mind.

There doesn't seem to be much to talk about this morning, so I am going to wrap this up and head to work.  I need to put the finishing touches on one of these big projects that is not quite finished.

Have a great day!

5/10/16: Quick Update

Weight:  161.8

I ate later than normal last night and I ate dinner in a restaurant, because of a business meeting.  Two factors that impact my ability to lose weight.  I am satisfied with no gain.

I had a great workout this morning, my second one since resuming exercise after my last surgery.  Saturday, Jack and I went for a four mile walk; Sunday, I worked out with Lauren, and this morning I lifted weights for an hour on my own.  It was a tough workout.  By the end, I had to do the push-ups from my knees.  It will take a while to get my strength back, but it will happen.

It feels good to get back into my routine.

I'm running a little late.  I have a busy day ahead of me.

Have a good one!!

5/9/2016: Twelve Week Challenge, Day 2

Weight:  161.8

If you missed yesterday's blog post you may be wondering what is going on.  Day 2?  What happened to the last three weeks?  Yes, I re-started my challenge.  It's kind of fun when you get to make up the rules.  Carla was doing the challenge with me and she didn't mind at all.  When I told her I was re-starting, she asked if she could restart, too.  There are officially two people doing this particular twelve week challenge, and we both pressed the reset button yesterday.  It's all good!

There was an interesting article in the NY Times about the Biggest Loser Season 8 contestants.  A scientist decided to track the contestants for five years after the season ended to try to better understand what happens after large amounts of weight loss.  The results of the study were fairly disheartening:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

Basically, the scientists that followed the contestants found that even five years after the end of the show, and even if the contestants gained back a significant amount of weight, the contestants that lost a lot of weight had much slower resting metabolic rates than they did before they lost any weight.  In other words, they needed to eat up to 800 calories per day less than they did before they went on the show in order to not gain any weight.  It's as if their bodies said, "Hey, I am supposed to weigh this much, I am going to gain this weight back."  The scientists also measured the hormone leptin, which is a hormone that suppresses hunger signals, and discovered that five years later leptin levels were lower than they were prior to weight loss, explaining why the contestants were perpetually hungry.

All of us that have lost a lot of weight know how hard it is go keep it off.  We really do have to eat less than everyone else.  It is not our imagination.  It is a biological fact.  Our bodies seem to have a set point that they are trying to get back to, and that set point seems to creep up with age.

I have been tracking my weight regularly for about 4 years and I see something both fascinating and encouraging in that data.  First of all, I weigh much less than I did 4 years ago.  Obviously, I am pleased by that.  But even more interesting and important is the peaks in the graph over the years.  Yes, I've gained weight back, but each time I've gained weight, I've gained less weight, so the peak is getting lower and lower.  It really looks as if my set point is getting lower and lower over the years.  This is not a scientific study, I know that, but I feel like I am effectively resetting my body's metabolism.  When I gain weight, I start to get uncomfortable at a much lower weight than before.  Before, I'd get really uncomfortable if I got over 220 pounds.  Then it was 180, when I started to get close to 180 I felt terrible.  This last time it was 165.  It takes fewer and fewer "extra pounds" for me to say, "Whoa, Nellie!  Let's take care of this!"  My goal is to make my "set weight" 150.  I am confident that I can do this.  I know it's not easy, but it's worth it to me.

Diet vs. Program:  This isn't about being on or off a diet.  This is about being on or off Program.  Today I am On Program.  It feels good.

I hope you are feeling good today, too!!

5/8/2016: Restart!!

It's my challenge, so it's my prerogative.  I'm starting my 12 week challenge over again.  This is not something I would normally do, but I consider these last 3 weeks to be extreme, and am throwing my own rule book out the window.  First, 4 days into the challenge I learned that I can't exercise for 2 weeks.  I decided that I could overcome that hurdle by being very careful with my diet, and continuing to lose weight, even if I couldn't improve muscle tone by exercising for weeks two and three of the challenge.  Then, sadly, Sister Mary Loretta died and Jack and I ended up with 6 house guests (my Dad, his wife, and my four siblings) for 4 days on 3 days notice.  We also were the hosts for an open house on Thursday for our extended family.  So we went into hyper-drive to clean the house, transform our yard from from the dregs-of-winter look to a spring-fresh look, set up beds and bedding for family and cooking food for family and the open-house.  It was a lot of work. most of it done with a big dose of adrenaline to push me beyond the point of being tired.  Don't get me wrong, I was happy to do all of this, more than happy.  I was pleased that we were able to take care of everyone.  It means so much to me that we can open our home to our family and take care of them like this.  I am so happy that our family, both immediate and extended, finds our home welcoming and relaxing.  In spite of the circumstances, it was great to see everyone and the spontaneous family reunion reminds me of how special my family really is.  All of my siblings flew to Kansas City to support my dad this week.  That was incredible.  They all stayed here and everyone was comfortable.  It is satisfying to be able to provide that hospitality.  We had several members of the extended family here for an afternoon.  That was a truly special moment.  No, I have no complaints.  But for several days I did under-sleep and overeat.  I had a couple of glasses of wine and a beer or two.  I went off program and I refuse to beat myself up over it.  But I do get to start my challenge over again.

I am going to use the same chart and just change the dates.  I am going to use the same week one and week two pictures, but I am going to do weeks one and two over again.  I will start taking photos again three weeks from today and they will be my "real week 3" photos.  I know it is a bit unorthodox, but extreme times call for extreme measures!!  I'll start posting my weight again tomorrow.  I get one day to detox (by eating only on-program food and drinking a lot of water) before getting back on that scale.

Today, I feel particularly happy.  The weather is gorgeous.  It's getting warm out, the birds are singing, and everything is green again.  There is one stubborn bird that keeps trying to build a nest on my porch light, but I'll only have to knock the beginnings of her nest down a few more time before she gets the hint that my porch light is not going to be her new home.  It was nice to see my family, even if it wasn't for the best of circumstances.  We are spread out, way out, but in times of need, we come together.  Whether it is for a funeral, a wedding, a medical emergency, a special birthday, or anything else, if one of us is in need, the rest of us are there for each other.  We may not be very involved in each other's day-to-day lives, but we support each other when the support is needed.  It was heart warming to have everyone together to support Dad this last few days.  It meant so much to him that everyone was here.  He didn't expect it, he didn't ask for it, but everyone was here, nonetheless.  It was a very special moment for him and it makes me happy knowing my family comes together for each other in times of need.  I even got to play a little bridge, which reminded me of how much I enjoy playing that game.  Maybe someday I will get the opportunity to play regularly, again.

I was also reminded of how incredible my husband is, as if I needed reminding.  There is no way I could have pulled off the last several days without his help.  We were shoulder to shoulder through this entire week.  From sprucing up the yard to hauling up the beds to being hosts to a houseful of people.  To have a partner who you don't doubt for a second or question in the slightest is a great gift.  It's something that you can't imagine unless you have it and when you have it you realize just how wonderful life can be.  I don't talk about Jackie Deane a lot in my blog, but never underestimate the impact he has on my life.  He's my special guy and I will never, ever stop marveling at how well we fit together and how much he means to me.  Thank you, Jack!!  You make everyday a better day!

So, Day One, Week One.  Back on Program.  Life is Good.  Back to work and my "normal" life tomorrow!!

Have a great day!!

5/3/2016: Happy Birthday!

Weight:  160

It's my birthday!  Jack got me exactly what I wanted, a nice portable speaker for the music I stream through my phone.  Mostly, I will use it in the kitchen, but it has an 8 hour battery, so we can take it outdoors, too.

I don't have time to write, I have to get to work so that I can leave early.  Family starts arriving for Sister Sister's funeral tomorrow.  We still have a lot to do.  Dad, Kay and all the siblings will be here.  We will have God knows how many people will be here Thursday we are hoping for and have potential for several.  I am doing some food, but I'm keeping it simple.

Have a great day!

5/2/2016: Plans Change

Weight:  160.4

It always seems odd to me when my weight is exactly the same for several days in a row.  It hasn't gone up and it hasn't gone down for 4 or 5 days, now.  It's not a big deal, it just seems odd.  There are so many factors that can influence my weight at any given moment that it's surprising that it can remain that constant several days in a row.

On Saturday afternoon we received the news that my aunt, Sister Mary Loretta Beier, died peacefully at the Mother House in Leavenworth.  She was celebrating her 70 years in the convent at the Sisters of Charity Jubilee Event when she passed out.  She was revived and taken to her room where she fell asleep and died a short time later.  Sister Sister, as my father fondly called her, was my dad's last surviving sibling.  He was one of 13 children that survived childhood.  He is now one of one.  My dad, his wife, Kay, and my siblings are coming in from out of town for the services, which will be on Thursday morning in Leavenworth.  After the services, we will host an informal gathering here at the house.  So instead of having a relaxing weekend, Jack and I are fast and furiously getting the house in order for 6 house guests (where are those air mattresses, anyway?) and an open house.  We spent most of yesterday getting the back yard in order.  We had laid in most of the supplies, seeds, and starts that we needed to get the gardens started, but were taking our time getting the work done.  With my light surgery a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like a good idea not to push it.  Well, with a Wednesday deadline looming, push it we did.  We (as in Jack) took down the cage I had around my tomato garden because the wood was rotting out in it's base and I was afraid it would not last another season.  That turned out to be a good call, because the wood base had completely rotted out.  That meant I needed a new border wall for the raised bed garden.  I've known for some time that when I replaced the gardens it would be with blocks, so off we went to Home Depot to purchase 66 24lb blocks.  Yes, we got the garden in.  Yes, my back is sore.  But it's done.  The back yard finally looks like spring is here, instead of half winter/half spring.  We'll spend the next couple of evenings cleaning house and everyone will start arriving on Wednesday.

I have fond memories of Sister Mary Loretta.  She was a progressive nun with a huge heart.  A few years ago Jack and I had the good fortune of being able to take her to Arkansas for my Aunt Marta's funeral (Aunt Marta's funeral was sad, of course.  Of all my dad's siblings, she was probably the one we were closest to).  Sister regaled us with stories of her early days as a nun, teaching in Kansas City, Kansas schools.  Apparently she had a knack for pissing off the principals she worked for.  It was quite fun to hear her stories.  She was a very special person.

It's inevitable, I'm sure, but Sister's death makes me think about my father's mortality.  We celebrated his 80th birthday last summer.  In 9 years, I want to celebrate his 90th.  I'm not ready for my dad to die.  He is healthy, incredibly so for such an old fart.  I am grateful every day that he takes such good care of his health.  He watches his weight closely, has given up sugar, drinks very little alcohol, quit smoking 25 years ago, exercises, gardens (a lot), and volunteers for Hospice.  He is happily married to my stepmom, Kay, for which I am grateful.  I am so glad that they have each other.  Dad, if it's all the same to you, I'd like you stick around for another decade or two!!

OK, enough of this, I gotta go.  I'm only working two days this week.  I need to make the most of it.

Have a good one!!