TerisJourney

Here it is almost a week later and I have journaled just two days.  I can’t seem to muster the discipline it takes to keep track of calories and plan meals.  If only I could do that I would have the job mastered. 

I continue to walk, and am proud of that accomplishment.  However, that pride is beginning to be squashed by my negative self talk in regards to my food consumption.  I would love to know what happened to the person that joined this forum back in September.  I was so good at journaling and planning, weighing and measuring, eating vegetables, etc.  If only I could find her…

And then there’s the smoking…I was going to give that up too.  Often times I blamed my friend Tom for holding me back – and that was partly true.  But now he has been smoke free for 3 weeks and here I am still smoking.  If only I would quit buying them….

Someone told me to reflect on the reasons I began this journey.  Why did I want to be healthy?  All those reasons are still true, but they are not enough to motivate me.  I am envious of my buddy’s accomplishments, and enjoy reading the blogs.  I won’t walk away from this community.  I just need to learn how to develop a new habit – planning meals and calories.  If only it were easy – then none of us would be here.  If only there was a magic formula…

Yes I am feeling sorry for myself.  Yes, it is my fault.  Yes, I am the only one that can change things.  I just wish food hadn’t become such a good companion over the years, just like the soda and the nicotine.  If only it were as easy to say good bye to these “friends,” like you do to a person who angers or hurts you.

Tomorrow – I will try again tomorrow.  How often have I said that?  This time I hope to make it stick.  God knew I would have these struggles.  That is why He provides a new dawn every 24 hours just for me to start over.  As long as I continue to start over, I won’t be completely lost…I hope.

The following verses sum up the battle within me.  If only the devil weren’t so strong…

 “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9 

“Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

In the words of Natalie Cole, “and now we’re starting over again, it’s not the easiest thing to do…”

I decided to step on the scale today - first time in 2-1/2 weeks.  I am happy to report that I am down 3 pounds.  The walking has paid off - yay!  Walking allowed for many splurges without weight gain.  Imagine if I had been eating perfect all that time too! 

Today I started my food journal (AGAIN.)  All I have had so far was breakfast, but it was a nutritional breakfast , thought and planned - ah there’s another key.  My simple breakfast consisted of a banana, 1 cup of multi-grain cheerios and 1/2 cup milk.  I hope my day continues equally well.  I have consumed 16 ounces of water this morning and have taken all my vitamins and supplements - something else that has been neglected.  Although I have met my walking goal this week, I am going to try and get two miles in today - something new, exercise on the weekend.  If I’m going for it all, might as well go for broke, right.

The other day my husband said to my 12 year old daughter, “practice makes perfect.”  (They were talking about learning to play an instrument since she has begun a second…)  I loved my daughter’s response, “No it doesn’t.  Perfect practice makes perfect.”  How profound!  We can practice all we want, but if we don’t perfect that practice it will never be perfect.  So that is my goal - perfect practice.  If I fail at one meal, I will begin again at the next.

Hi all

I haven’t been on for awhile - been focusing on that walking and doing good with it.  My weeks start on Monday and I already have 5.9 miles for this week with a goal of 8.  I was going to start journaling this week, but decided to coast thru Thanksgiving and start Saturday instead of this past Monday.

I jumped on today for two reasons - the main one is to tell you how important each and everyone of you is to me.  I just read the post “Canceling my account” from last week.  I truly feel sorry for the individual that wrote that and pray that she finds her peace somewhere along the way.  The post inspired me to jump on and let everyone here at Buddyslim know they’re great.  It would be a wonderful world if everyone everywhere could stop what they are doing and nurse our wounds, but that’s not going to happen in the real world.  We all are busy with our own agendas be it work, school, family, exercise, whatever.  I know that.  I just wish She knew that too.  Anytime anyone wants to stop by and cheer me on - I am all for it, but I won’t get mad at you if you don’t…I hope that person re-thinks things and can keep moving forward. 

I haven’t posted in awhile because I am trying to be more active and less of a couch potato - but I think of you all and lift you up in my prayers…so if you don’t hear from me, it doesn’t mean I don’t care.

With that said, I would like to wish each and everyone of you a Healthy, Happy Thanksgiving.

Keep on keepin on…

Seventeen days ago I started walking.  I’ve logged 17.95 cumulative miles in just 6.8 hours.  I am proud of myself.  When I joined this community the goal set by my medical staff, was to be active 15 minutes per day, three days per week minimum.  “Piece of cake!” I thought.  It should have been, but six weeks passed and I was still not active.  After a little pep talk, I started walking, not everyday, but usually 4 days per week, and longer than 15 minutes.  The goal has finally been met!  My current goal – my challenge – is to go one mile farther than the previous week.  So far, so good. 

Along with walking, I’ve managed to add 32 ounces of water to most days.  I still have trouble with water intake on the weekends, but I am making progress.   Focusing on the positives here, not dwelling on the negatives. 

Today I started my food journal – AGAIN.  My goal is to journal everything at least 4 days per week… ”I can do this!”  (I wish I felt as confident as those four words sound.) 

I recently came across a thought provoking statement in a book I was reading.  “It takes a process to get a product.”  The example given – a car doesn’t miraculously appear at a dealership.  First it is assembled.  Before it can be assembled, the parts have to be made, and before that occurs, the material for the parts must be mined or made.  Every thing is the result of a process.  Much like the process to make a car, is our journey to a healthier life.  Keep on keepin’ on! 

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross (temptations, laziness, etc) and follow me.”  Mark 8:34 

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 

What is your treasure?  Is it cake, chips, fried food, etc?  Or is it healthy foods and exercise?

Hi all!  I ended last week with 6.3 miles walked.  I am thrilled with my accomplishment.  This week my goal is 7 miles, not much more, but I want to encourage myself to go a little farther each week.  I have also been drinking more water - which was another thing I had to train myself to do.

I have decided that I will not weigh myself until December 1.  Focusing on the scale weekly sets me back.  It is more of a hinderance than a help, so I decided for me it will be monthly weigh ins.  Just wanted to share in case you are monitoring my progress…

Next week will officially begin my journaling task.  I have still been paying attention to what I have been eating.  I just haven’t put my focus on my food journal.  I wanted to develop the walking and water habit first.  The 24th will be 21 days of the new habit, time to add an additional new habit. 

The little steps approach seems to be working better for me than all or nothing.  In the beginning I tried to change all my habits at one time and that became very overwhelming.  I couldn’t focus on anyone thing and ended up failing.  Developing habits one at a time, where I can focus my all my attention on that one thing seems to be working better.

Good luck to all of you.  I wish you well on your journeys and pray that you can find contentment along your way as well.

Hey all - sorry I haven’t been around for awhile.  Life has been crazy busy.  As you may know (from my blog) that I lost control a few weeks ago and have been struggling ever since.  I decided to back up and regroup.  Baby steps, or one thing at a time is my new plan.  Since exercise is my biggest battle, that is where my focus is now.  November 3 I decided to walk at a minimum, 30 minutes 3 times per week.  My first week I walked 4.9 miles over the course of 1.9 hours.  Being at the mid way point of this week, I am happy to report 4.2 miles in 1-1/2 hrs.  For someone who didn’t exercise and doesn’t enjoy it, I am pleased with my progress and am enjoying the walks.

I haven’t completely given up on the nutritional habits I was forming earlier on, but am not journaling or counting calories - yet.   I am still trying to incorporate fruit and vegetables with my meals and pay attention to what I am eating.  If I don’t do it before, my goal to restart journaling and monitoring calories is November 24.

In a nutshell - that’s me.  Hope the rest of you are fairing well.

Hi folks - I just had to jump right back on here.  I just finished planning (and journaling) all three meals for tomorrow - YIPPEE!!!!!!  Also, I am 400 calories below my target, so I can add something along the way if I choose.  This is big for me because I leave the house on Tuesdays at 6:50 AM and don’t return until 9:30 or 10:00 PM…AND I usually end up with my dinner meal in the car from some fast food drive thru.  Not tomorrow!

A brilliant man (Pastor Hasty) said, “People don’t change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.”  Awesome words!

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with High School Musical - but if you are, you know the words, “Get your head in the game.”  I just took my daughter (Thursday) to see HSM3 and those words echo in my brain.  What great words for all of us.

I’ve been struggling - anyone who knows me or has read my blog knows that.  Today I chatted with a member of my medical team - what he had to say shocked me.  He told me I wasn’t being nice to myself and I needed to start.  Ok, maybe I have been critical.  Two hours after I talked to him, I went for a 1.3 mile walk in 25 minutes.  How great is that?  Extra bonus, November 3 in Wisconsin and it’s 70 degrees…awesome walk.

Also, while reading Chapter 9 in Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, for a book study I am in, I discovered that I do not have a teachable heart.  I now realize why lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, quitting smoking and exercising are difficult for me to conquer.  I lack discipline.   The author writes, “To be transformed means we have to change and change often hurts.”  How true is that?  Whether it be giving up a favorite food, or pain that comes when we begin a new exercise - change hurts!  She further notes that to be teachable, we must be willing to listen, act on what we hear and respond to discipline.  HA!  I’ve decided I am a rebel….more of the problem!  There is something deep inside all of us that rebels against authority - something that insists on doing things my way.  Well my way got me where I am, you would think I would be more willing to change.  Another of the author’s passages that really stuck with me is this, “Unless I have a teachable heart, I’ll be encrusted with things from the past that I should have let go of long ago.”  Can anyone relate?

“I gotta get my, get my head in the game
You gotta get your, get your, get your, get your head in the game”

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.”  Proverbs 4:13

“My people come before you, as they usually do, and set before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice…“  Ezekiel 33:31-32

As I expected the scale crept upward - 3 lbs!!!!  Well yesterday was fairly good - I kept two of my three goals - my food journal and a 15 minute walk - 0.8 miles.  The only thing I missed was my calorie mark of 1600.  I was about 600 over.  Today is off to a good start.  I journaled (and planned meals,) I plan to walk later today and hopefully work on some toning exercises this evening.  It’s early yet (in the week) but I think I have picked myself up and found the track I need to be on…I hope so.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2