12/17/12: I Am Not Doing This Alone

Morning Weight:  155.2
This Morning's Exercise: None, I'm sick
Yesterday's Exercise:  1 hour walk on treadmill at 3.5 mph
Yesterday's Calories: 1641
Vitamins:  1-A-Day, D, B-Complex, Calcium, Glucosamine

I woke up Saturday morning feeling fine.  By Saturday afternoon I was getting the sniffles, Sunday morning I woke up with a sore throat and by noon I knew I had a cold.  My body wasn't feeling too bad yet, but my snotty nose was telling me the story I needed to know.  I texted Ruth about yesterday's exercise, I was supposed to go swimming yesterday because it has been a couple of weeks since I've been in the pool. She advised staying out of the pool until the cold was on its way out and to dress warmly and do an hour walk on the treadmill, instead.  That's what I did.  I went to bed last night feeling crappy and was able to sleep OK, but I am still feeling pretty crappy this morning.  I chose sleep over getting up to go to the gym.  I may walk some this evening, but mostly I think I need to rest and get over this dang cold.  The good news is that this is the first cold I've had since I started my initiative, so that's not too bad.  I'm hoping since I've been diligent about my vitamins, I get plenty of sleep, and I have a healthy routine I will bounce back quickly.  I had my tonsils and adenoids (and my uvula, part of my soft palate, and nasal tissues) removed about 8 years ago to cure my sleep apnea.  A side benefit of that surgery is that I don't get strep throat anymore, which I used to get at least a couple times a winter.  It has also helped with colds, they don't settle into my throat anymore.  I may have a sore throat for a day or so, but they clear up quickly.  So with any luck, I'll be feeling plucky again in no time.  Ruth also advised that I eat smoothies made of strawberries, oranges, spinach and Greek yogurt.  I am throwing in blueberries, too, just because everyone keeps talking about what a super food they are.  I'll kick this thing before you know it!!

All of this is a long introduction for the theme of this post.  I am not doing this alone.  Yesterday I was still feeling well enough that I knew I could swim 1500 - 2000 laps without dying, if I pushed myself.  At the same time, there was part of me that said, "Don't push it, you are getting sick."  Of course, the other part of me said, "Be careful, don't use this as an excuse to not exercise."  I didn't know which whisper to listen to.  When it comes right down to it, I don't quite trust myself, yet.  Yes, I am the one that made the commitment to get fit.  I am the one that has exercised every day and that has counted almost every calorie for 9.5 months.  But I have had support doing it.  Yesterday, when I wasn't sure which way to go with the exercise I told my husband that I was going to consult the expert and do whatever she recommended, so I texted Ruth.  She answered right away with a very reasonable solution for the exercise and a recommendation for the smoothie, too.  It relieved me of worry to consult her and follow her instruction.  It kept me from getting into a negative, swirly place in my own mind.  It kept me from second guessing myself.  In spite of the fact that I know I am the one doing this thing, it makes it more manageable knowing I have support from others.  It eases the burden a little bit, not having to make all the choices.  I don't have to worry about slipping into bad habits.  I am following sound advice, not sliding.  It makes a difference.

I have other people on my team, too.  One of them I pay, of course, and that is my personal trainer.  I know that is a luxury that not everyone can afford, but it has been worth every penny.  Personal trainers are like shrinks, though.  There are good ones out there and there are not so good ones out there.  I think the big difference between a good personal trainer and a poor one (and probably the difference between a good shrink and a poor one) is that a good personal trainer really listens to what you want and what you need and responds accordingly.  Jeremy fits the bill for me.  I strength train 3 times a week, but I only see him once a week.  At that appointment he designs the workout that I will use for the rest of the week, keeping in mind that I will be working out alone.  It helps a lot to know I will be seeing him once a week, it keeps me on task and committed to my goals.  It's another way that I hold myself accountable.

My husband is an integral part of my support team, as much for what he doesn't do as for what he does do.  He supports me in this endeavor by getting excited for me when I accomplish something I haven't done before or by commiserating with me when I plateau for 3 weeks.  He never tires of my daily updates and is patient with me when I sit on the edge of the bed before he is even up for the day and whine about not losing any weight today.  He tells me how good I look and goes shopping with me when I need new clothes.  He makes sure I have the tools I need, encourages me to sign up for my personal training sessions because he knows how much they help, and never complains about how much money all of this is costing.  He has no expectation that it is my job to feed him dinner, in spite of the fact that I am the cook in the family.  I can totally focus on what I need to eat and not worry that he is going to get bent out of shape if he doesn't get a hot meal when he gets home from work.  I am not going to say that he isn't pleased with my new routine of cooking meals on Sundays for the rest of the week.  That worked out great for both of us last week.  But he is more than happy to reheat meals for himself during the week.  I've heard many a cook complain that their spouse won't eat leftovers.  That seems ridiculous to me.  I am sure I am leaving out a hundred little things that Jack does to support my get fit initiative, but I think you get the idea.

I also have this blog and my readers.  Knowing I am going to write about what transpired each day keeps me on track.  Sometimes it's hard to talk about eating too much or not reaching a goal I set or gaining a little weight.  But knowing I am going to write about it has moderated my behavior.  I don't binge anymore.  Every now and then I may have a mini-binge, but I am always thinking about calories and what I am going to have to post and that always causes me to stop before it gets out of hand.  It's made a huge difference.  Every now and then I think I don't feel like exercising.  And then I think about how evangelical I've been about exercising on this blog, and out in the real world, and I realize how hypocritical it would be to not exercise after I have spent so much time telling everybody that exercising an hour a day for six days a week is essential to a long, happy, healthy life.  I really believe that and I talk about it a lot.  When I am feeling really lazy, it gets me off my butt when I recall what I have written about on this blog.

I have to go to work now, but the long and the short of it is that I am not doing this alone.  The support that I have had from so many people has made this seemingly impossible task doable.  I encourage anyone and everyone that wants to get fit to put together their team early in the process.  It makes all of the difference in the world.

To all of you who have supported and continue to support me, Thank You!!!!!