In my WW meetings before the holidays, I’d listen as my fellow WWers waxed on about how hard the Christmas season would be. Parties, food, alcohol... All the vices that got us here would come back to haunt in force.
Armed with tactics to get us through, we abandoned our meetings for TWO WEEKS! I promised myself that, while I would eat sensibly and maintain awareness, I would not track points or weigh myself until meetings resumed.
I think there were some moments of doing more than I should (steak and a margarita, and Christmas goodies to boot), but for the most part, I think I did well!
And the scale proved it... I lost 4.6 pounds over the few weeks away! For a girl who’s goal was to simply maintain, that is PHENOMENAL! That puts me at just about 14 pounds down in the 10 weeks, with my next goal—10%—a mere 8 pounds away!
But that’s not the only goal I’m shooting for. In three months, husband and I are going on a cruise. I’d like to see myself lose another 20 by then. Hopefully that’s a decent weight to feel comfortable in a bathing suit again. I haven’t been that size since I got engaged, I think. It’s crazy to think it’s actually attainable, as long as I stay on track!
Also, I’m happy to let you all know that the pedometer is really working out for me. The first two days, I walked an average of 9,000 steps, with me reaching about 11,000 steps yesterday! The number on the screen excites me, pushing me to (legitimately) get it higher. I hope to do 15,000 over the weekend. I can sense a long walk in Noah and mommy’s future...
I have been getting a lot of messages from friends, asking about my experience with WW. All in all, WW has been a super positive thing for me to get into. I’m learning about what I should and shouldn’t eat, all while not depriving myself (like actual diets do). I’m becoming more aware of activity, and pushing the little things I already do in my day to step it up. Most of all, I’m learning to love and appreciate who I am, all while working toward the best, most healthy me possible!
If you find yourself interested in not only losing weight, but becoming a more healthy person, consider joining. It may be hard to get used to tracking your food, but believe me, it’s so worth it. You’ll be amazed at how second nature it will start becoming. I’m not saying I’m there yet, but I’m on my way. Join me.
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
one step forward, two steps ...
i hate having a desk job.
sit, sit, sit all day with no movement from the waist down.
and other than walking (very minimally) from point a to point b, i don't utilize the greatest exercise opportunity that i have within myself.
i'm working on changing that.
simply increasing the steps you take per day can really have a drastic affect on your life.
according to wendy bumgardner, walking blogger extraordinaire, you should begin by increasing "your pedometer steps by 2000 per day, up to a goal first of 6000 steps per day and eventually to 10,000 steps per day."
be sure to warm up before you walk. you need to wake up your muscles and let them know you'll be needing to use them for awhile. go at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes or so. about.com says "this will tell your muscles they can't just sit back and burn up the available sugars in your body; they need to call on the fat reserves." consider this an exercise primer.
for the next 30-60 minutes, you should walk at a "determined" pace.
(you remember that one time you were late for that one thing, and how you walked as fast as you could to get there? the sense of urgency in your step? yeah, kinda like that.)
i like to use the talk test.
taken from the center for disease control and prevention, the talk test is a simple method of measuring activity intensity. "a person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. one who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. if a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous."
be sure to give your body a cool down time by walking at a slower pace for five minutes. (it's also recommended to finish off your walking excursion with some stretching. i'm not there yet.)
something new i learned today: it is not recommended to add outside weight to your body while walking. if you do, you should add no more than 10 pounds and wear it in a backpack or at your hips so your body can remain balanced and your posture is not thrown off. walking with poor posture or adding weight to your arms or legs can lead to injury.
oops. i occasionally use ankle and wrist weights to add intensity ... this is a no-no now.
even if you don't have time for a regimented exercise plan, try implementing a few of these in your life:
• park your car farther from the store, work, etc.
• use part of your lunch break as a chance to walk around the block (or building)
• take the dog around the block a few times
• (for those in apartments) walk to get your mail or visit the front office
• use a push lawnmower instead of a riding one!
• use the stairs instead of the elevator
and finally, what would an informational post be without calculators?
walking calories calculator
walking calories and distance calculator
pedometer walking calories and distance calculator
go, my friends! take the world by storm!
we can do it, one step at a time.
sit, sit, sit all day with no movement from the waist down.
and other than walking (very minimally) from point a to point b, i don't utilize the greatest exercise opportunity that i have within myself.
i'm working on changing that.
simply increasing the steps you take per day can really have a drastic affect on your life.
according to wendy bumgardner, walking blogger extraordinaire, you should begin by increasing "your pedometer steps by 2000 per day, up to a goal first of 6000 steps per day and eventually to 10,000 steps per day."
be sure to warm up before you walk. you need to wake up your muscles and let them know you'll be needing to use them for awhile. go at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes or so. about.com says "this will tell your muscles they can't just sit back and burn up the available sugars in your body; they need to call on the fat reserves." consider this an exercise primer.
for the next 30-60 minutes, you should walk at a "determined" pace.
(you remember that one time you were late for that one thing, and how you walked as fast as you could to get there? the sense of urgency in your step? yeah, kinda like that.)
i like to use the talk test.
taken from the center for disease control and prevention, the talk test is a simple method of measuring activity intensity. "a person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. one who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. if a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous."
be sure to give your body a cool down time by walking at a slower pace for five minutes. (it's also recommended to finish off your walking excursion with some stretching. i'm not there yet.)
something new i learned today: it is not recommended to add outside weight to your body while walking. if you do, you should add no more than 10 pounds and wear it in a backpack or at your hips so your body can remain balanced and your posture is not thrown off. walking with poor posture or adding weight to your arms or legs can lead to injury.
oops. i occasionally use ankle and wrist weights to add intensity ... this is a no-no now.
even if you don't have time for a regimented exercise plan, try implementing a few of these in your life:
• park your car farther from the store, work, etc.
• use part of your lunch break as a chance to walk around the block (or building)
• take the dog around the block a few times
• (for those in apartments) walk to get your mail or visit the front office
• use a push lawnmower instead of a riding one!
• use the stairs instead of the elevator
and finally, what would an informational post be without calculators?
walking calories calculator
walking calories and distance calculator
pedometer walking calories and distance calculator
go, my friends! take the world by storm!
we can do it, one step at a time.
Monday, March 24, 2008
i can't believe i'm saying this, but ...
i've decided to participate in a 5K in june!
my overhaul buddy does them (in fact, she has one in a week or two!) and she inspired me to do one, one day.
"should the opportunity present itself," i thought, "i would totally do it."
this morning, opportunity arrived in my weekly work updates.
they created team for the komen north texas race for the cure.
it's in june.
i can't say no.
not only is this a fabulous opportunity for my overhaul, but it's for a cause that i truly believe in. back in 2002 and 2003, i did A LOT of work for breast cancer awareness, and it'll be good to get back to that philanthropy. i'm very excited.
if anyone is interested in sponsoring me (or my team), please visit here.
i've never been an avid walker (much less a runner!), so this will be an interesting challenge for me.
bring it on!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
walking outside + bitey bugs = no fun
i love walking. it's a very calming experience that, done in the right setting, can take all your cares away.just stop, and breathe in the air ... mmmmmmm ... *OUCH!*
i guess my love of nature stops at the pretty trees and beautiful sky. i HATE the little bugs that delight in a feast of my flesh.
we ended up walking almost three miles, and i did the whole thing in shorts and a t-shirt.
bite me once, shame on me. bite me twice ... well, you know.
i've already got my wardrobe picked out: turtleneck, long pants and a hoodie.
did i mention it's supposed to be in the high 80s this weekend?
this is going to be an interesting weekend.
... as a side note ...
i am super proud of myself: i was faced with a soda machine (the first time since i quit) and i DIDN'T take any. at all. and i was tempted. a lot. (i swear i heard dr. pepper call for me ... i'm probably just hallucinating.)
jen's willpower is coming back!
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