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!!