Gotta Have Faith

My event is about a month away. I am sooo nervous. I've tried not giving into these thoughts. It's not working. So, I decided to just watch the thoughts and let them pass through my mind. Hopefully, they will dissipate into the nothingness from which they came.

I can do this!

I am going to pass that finish line.

Each and every day I get out there and walk is a good testimony of my faith in my ability to do this.

All is well in my world.

Back to the Basics

I was so sick yesterday. Exhausted is probably a better word. I was tired, achy, shaky, and had a bad headache. As much as I wanted to, I didn't go out on my walk yesterday. I felt it was more important to listen to my body and get some rest.

I think I've been taken myself for granted. I've been doing well and trying to cut corners. I have been awful about getting to bed at a decent hour. My body is not used to all this moving and I need to give it adequate rest. I also think all that junk food I ate over the weekend caught up with me. I need to get back on track with my nutrition, too.

I should also look at my stretching program. I was feeling a bit stiff yesterday.

Anyhow, instead of Friday being an off day, I will walk. I don't want to miss any of my training time.

Just Do It!

Today I felt like a Nike commercial. I'm tired. Still recovering from the weekend. I did not want to get out there today but I did it anyhow. It started off rough...hands cold...tight back...things started getting better. I stopped and stretched a bit at the halfway point. Thing turned sour during the last five minutes. I think it's because I started thinking about how I was almost done. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Before I knew it, I was done. Thank you, God! I did it. It was not cute but I did it. Now, I'm off to take a power nap.

What a week!

Whew! Am I glad the week is over or what? I was so overwhelmed with work, grading finals, doing admissions interviews, and attending wedding events. I was so busy Saturday that I moved my workout to today. I woke up, had a banana, went to the fitness center in the hotel and did my 45 mins. I walked 1.67 miles. I had so many thoughts going on during my workout this morning.

1. I was very proud of myself for doing it. I was tired, a little hung over, and dehydrated (from all the drinking the night before) but I got on that treadmill anyhow.

2. Walking on a treadmill was a totally different experience than walking on my paths. I missed the fresh air. I was also concerned that I wasn't get a good enough workout. I increased my speed and created an incline.

3. I was disappointed that I didn't log as much distance as I thought I was. I thought I was at least walking up to 2 miles. My thinking is that it's going to take me about an hour to walk the 5k. At the rate I'm going, it's going to be double that time.

4. All I need to worry about is this moment. Why am I worrying about something that's a month away? I'll cross that finish line (smile) when I come to it. I've made a lot of progress and I refuse to disminish my accomplishments with all this negative chatter in my head about distance and time.

5. I can't believe how obssessed (determined?) I've become about getting in my workouts. With everything that was going on, getting in my workout was my number one priority. I was like a madwoman. Yesterday, I was so stressed and pressed for time I made a conscious decision to move my Saturday workout to Sunday. I even had Crystal call to make sure there was a gym at the hotel.

6. Why am I still freaking out when I start to sweat? What is my deal sweat? Use your towel and get over it, Sheila! Weirdo.

Now things are back to normal (whatever that is). Final Grades have been posted. The Admissions Interview period has ended. Sio and Tim are married. Week Six is over.

Week Seven's Workout plan is as follows:

Monday - 35 mins.
Tuesday - 30 mins., 50 crunches, strength training
Wednesday - 40 mins.
Thursday - 30 mins., 50 crunches, strength training
Friday - off
Saturday - 50 mins.
Sunday - off

Yield Not to Temptation

Lol! I just read my entry on Sunday. What happened to all that enthusiasm? Today I was blah. It has been gloomy and rainy today. I was tempted to talk myself out of going. My knee hurts. I'm too full. I'm bloated and gassy. It's rainy and cold.

I was the only person out on the path today. It was kind of nice. I managed to work up quite a sweat. Yuck! Yes, I'm still conquering my aversion to sweat. Anyhow, I'm proud of myself for not giving in to my negative, self-defeating feelings. I have not missed a day of my training. I am going to do my best to be 100% in participation.

Week Six

I'm reading to begin a week. I'm feeling strong and confident.

Today was an off day. I spent some time stretching and doing some visualization.

I ate horribly today. Buffet brunch, popcorn and junk food while watching a movie. I also had two ice cream cupcakes. Did I mention I lost five pounds last week? Oh well....

Week Six's Workout Plan:

Mon - 30 mins.
Tues - 25 mins., 40 crunches, strength training
Wed - 35 mins.
Thurs - 25 mins., 45 crunches, strength training
Fri - off
Sat - 45 mins.
Sun - off

Strength Training:

Leg curls – 15 reps, 2x
Leg extensions – 15 reps, 2x
Flat Bench Press – 15 reps, 2x
Bicep Curls – 15 reps, 2x


Playlist:

Dead and Gone – T.I.
Say – John Mayer
Wrote This Song – Lori Perry
First Love – Kirk Franklin
You – Janet Jackson
Jesus is All – Fred Hammond

Piece of Cake

I had an enjoyable 40-min. walk today. I noticed the difference in my body. I am definitely reaping the benefits of the stretching and strength training I've been doing. Today I felt totally whole-mind, body, and spirit. Everything was in sync. It was a beautiful feeling. It is a beautiful feeling.

Today I've walk the farthest I've ever been on my fitness journey--both literally and figuratively.

What the @!#@$#@! was that????

Perspiration (also called sweating or sometimes transpiration) is the production of a fluid, consisting primarily of water as well as various dissolved solids (chiefly chlorides), that is excreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.[1] Sweat contains the chemicals or odorants 2-methylphenol (o-cresol) and 4-methylphenol (p-cresol), as well as a small amount of urea.

In humans, sweating is primarily a means of thermoregulation, although it has been proposed that components of male sweat can act as pheromonal cues [2]. Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect due to the latent heat of evaporation of water. Hence, in hot weather, or when the individual's muscles heat up due to exertion, more sweat is produced.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweating

Oh, okay. Lol!

Night and Day

I had a great walk yesterday. Although I completed my workout yesterday, it wasn't as enjoyable as today's. Today I got that nice tingling sensation in my body, yesterday I was aching. I think my body likes working out earlier in the afternoon. This is the biggest difference between today's workout and yesterday. Yesterday I did 20 mins., today I did 30 mins. Oops, wait, I did walk different paths.

Yesterday, I decided to try out my old neighborhood path. This could be the difference. The inclines are much more challenging in my neighborhood than the Azalea or Martin's Lake paths.
I only walk my neighborhood path for convenience. I love the other two paths because of they are both near water.

I'm still experiencing tightness in the lower left side of my back and calf muscles. I'll keep stretching. I am also thinking about getting a deep massage and maybe going to visit the Chiropractor. We'll see....

Three Questions

I was cleaning off my desk and came across three questions I wrote down while watching Oprah one day last month. I don’t watch Oprah on a regular basis. However, this show was about developing healthy eating habits and an overall healthy lifestyle. She encouraged the audience to start a journal. As a starting point, she tossed out a number of questions. I wrote down three of them to tackle in this blog at a later date. Well, here goes:

Why are you overweight?

This one is pretty simple. I’m overweight because I eat too much and I was not very active. My main challenges are portion control and exercise. These areas are my daily focus.

I was not making the right food choices. I was not eating healthy meals. My idea of breakfast was no breakfast. I would drink a couple cups of coffee and call it a day. When I did eat breakfast, it was something sweet. I also had a bad habit a snacking all day. Chips, chips, and more chips…and buttered popcorn. I also have thing cake, cupcakes, and cookies.

My lifestyle is pretty sedentary. I engage in activities that do not require much physical movement – surfing the Internet, reading, scrapbooking, birdwatching. My hobbies do not require much physical assertion.

The bottom line is that I didn’t care about my weight. I really did not care about my weight because I didn’t see the connection between being obese and being unhealthy. Now that I understand the connection, I want to make the change. I want to be a healthy person.

Why do you want to lose weight?

My number one reason for wanting to lose weight is my health. I want to be healthy. I want to feel good. I want energy and vitality.

I also have a spiritual desire to honor God by taking care of my body.

I must admit there are overwhelming vanity reasons I want to lose weight. The older I get, the more I’m beginning to care about my appearance. Not only do I want to feel good. I want to look good, too.

What are you hungry for?

I am hungry for life. I want life and life more abundantly—all that this encompasses. I want wholeness. For me, this means a sharp mind, a strong body, and a peaceful spirit.

Namaste.

Week Five Playlist

Week Five's Playlist:

Janet Jackson – You
Jay-Z – Show Me What Got
Keep Your Head – Kirk Franklin
We’re Going To Make It – LL Cool J
Keep Your Head Up – Tupac
I’ll Follow You – Lori Perry
Bittersweet – Me’Shell Ndegeocello

Conceive it, Believe it, Achieve it.

Week Five

Time to kick it up a notch!

Yesterday I could feel the difference in my body (during my walk) due to all the stretching I’ve been doing. The mountain pose is doing wonders to strengthen my core. I am now adding regular strength training into the mix.

My strength training will consist of

Leg curls – 15 reps, 2x
Leg extensions – 15 reps, 2x
Flat Bench Press – 15 reps, 2x
Bicep Curls – 15 reps, 2x

Week Five’s Workout is as follows:

Monday – 25 mins.
Tuesday – 20 mins., 30 crunches, strength training
Wednesday – 30 mins.
Thursday – 20 mins., 35 crunches, strength training
Friday – Off
Saturday – 40 mins., strength training
Sunday – Off

I owe myself a reward for completing four weeks without missing any days of my scheduled workouts. I was going to go to the spa but I do not feel so great. I’m having some issues with my braces. I don't think a visit to the spa would be relaxing right now. I think I’ll get a manicure and pedicure.

Today was a good day!

Today turned out to be a good day. I was so anxious about my walk today. Since last Saturday's walk was so challenging, I was setting myself up for failure. I took my time stretching and started talking to myself. I prayed and meditated and headed toward the lake. When I got there, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. What's this all about? I told myself to shut up and get out there and walk. I was going to take my time and finish the course.

Wow! I can't believe I was so bent out of shape about my work out today. It was really quite pleasant. The weather was very nice so there were people everywhere. I walked around my neighborhood lake. I beginning to like this path better than the one at Azalea Park.

My plan of action today was to stop and stretch when I felt my lower back and/left calf tighten. I stopped about three times for less than a minute to stretch on my way back. This plan helped a lot. I then spent more time stretching before my meditation. I went home feeling refreshed, energized, and accomplished. It was a good day!

I Feel Good!

I'm doing so much better with my healthy eating plan. I was talking to my Yoga/Water Aerobic Instructor/Friend about my eating and she told me I should follow the 80/20 plan. I wasn't familiar with it. Later that day I ran into an article about 80/20. I guess she knew what she was talking about...as usual. The whole concept is to make sure you're eating good food 80% of the time. I am confident I'm doing well in this area. Breakfast is going great for me for the last two weeks. This morning I actually looked forward to eating. I couldn't believe it. My work day starts about 7:30. I've been eating a banana or apple first thing in the morning, then have a bowl of Cheerios or toast and eggs about two or three hours later. This is about as good as it going to get. When I absolutely don't feel like eating, I drink a protein shake. My next challenge is hydration. I've been waking up about 3 or 4 because I'm thirsty and my mouth is really dry.


*******
Switching gears, I received my remaining lab results in the mail the other day. I'm very pleased. My doctor is pleased. I decided to do a comparison between January 2009 and my January 2008 results. Wow! What a difference a year makes!

My A1c is 6.4; it was 7.3. My doctor's goal for me is 6.5. Ultimately, I'd like to get this number below 6. My next appointment is in May. We'll see.

My total Cholesterol is 144; it was 163.
My Triglycerides is 106; it was 215. This is awesome!
My HDL is 49; it was 42.

My Vitamin D level is 50.6; it was 7.2. This is awesome!

In the words of James Brown....I feel good!

Mind Over Matter

You have no idea what your body is capable of doing.

This is the message I got loud and clear while meditating last night.

My mind is the thing that comes up with all the limitations. With proper nutrition and training, I will and can complete this race (pun intended). I will embrace the present and stop worrying about the future. Tomorrow is not promised. All I have is today.

I remember how irritated I would get with my mother when we’d ask her if we could do something and she was respond:

If the Lord is willing….

-Mom, can we go to the park tomorrow?
-If the Lord’s willing….

I hated that answer! Are we going to the park or not? She would be so amused.
She would smile and say, you don’t even know if we’ll be here tomorrow. I guess
there are some who would think this a morbid thing to say to your children. Lol! My parents kept it real with us. They were always pretty direct with us. No sugarcoating in my family. Lol!

When you think about it, she was right. Tomorrow is not promised. All we have is today. My mother knew how to live in the now. All we have is the present. She was teaching me not to worry about the future and just live and enjoy the present moment. I’m still working on this lesson. There are times my mind is all over the place sometimes when I walk:

Am I going to make it? Do I look stupid?
Am I walking fast enough? Am I walking too slow?
How long have I been walking? Am I going to be the
last person to finish the race? Am I going to be the
only person walking?

Blah, blah, blah…. In the meantime, I am not enjoying the Presence, enjoying the fresh air,
enjoying the sights and sounds, enjoying the smiling faces that greet me, enjoying doing something loving for myself.

In this moment, the words of the Scriptures come to me:

Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief!

Week Four – Playlist

Week Four's Playlist:

Motivation – T.I.
Good Life – Kanye West
We’re Gonna Make It – L.L. Cool J (with Mary Mary)
Jesus Walks – Kanye West
My Day – Canton Jones

I decided to change my weekly route this week. There is no way to avoid going up or down a hill near my house. I think these hills are putting too much strain on my knees and lower back. I'll revisit my neighborhood route next week.

Today should be fun. It's raining. Lol!

I'm out.


*****Update*****Okay, that was NOT cute. I was cold, wet, and snotty but I did it! I am so proud of myself for demonstrating my level of commitment. Truthfully, it was still a major, major challenge. So, I do not think those hills are the problem. I'm just out of shape. I just need to keep moving. I will get better and better one step at a time. I am reminded of the old James Cleveland song:

I don't feel no ways tired
come too far from where I started from
nobody told me the road would be easy
but I don't believe He brought me this far
to leave me.

Week Four - Food List

Being the creature of habit that I am, my shopping list didn't change much:

apples
bananas
blueberries

avocadoes
tomatoes
green beans
black beans

chicken
ground beef

blue torilla chips - I made hummus

cheerios
rice milk

Week Four

Wow! Time flies when you're having fun, right?

Before I move on to Week Four, I want to comment on yesterday's walk--not good. I went to Azalea Park to walk. I love the "professional path" because of the quarter-mile markers and the ability to sit by the river. It was a bit chilly. I started out okay. My confidence is a bit better when walking here among all the joggers, rollerbladders, and other walkers. Well, about 1/4 mile into my session I had to go to the bathroom (oh great). I ignored it and moved on. About 1/2 mile, my legs felt weak, my back tight, and I felt a little light-headed so I turned around and headed back. I had to stop about 1/4 mile later. I stretched, sat down on a bench, and focussed on my breathing. A friend called so I chatted with her about 5 minutes. She was encouraging. I felt disappointed for stopping in the middle of my work out. I brushed it off and walked the last 1/4 to the Jeep.

Oh, the crunches. Thursday I did 12 out of 15. Cramps! I'm not sure why I cramped. I did them right after my walk so I would assume my body was warm enough. Oh well....

Week Three is over and Week Four begins tomorrow. Today is an off day. I got up this morning and practiced the Mountain Pose for 30 minutes. I'll spend some time throughout the day stretching.

Week Four Plan is as follow:

Monday - 20 mins.
Tuesday - 15 mins., 20 crunches
Wednesday - 24 mins.
Thursday - 15 mins., 25 crunches
Friday - off
Saturday - 32 mins.
Sunday - off

I consider Week Four a milestone. I started this program with the determine to stick to the schedule no matter what's going on. I plan to celebrate the end Week Four with a special treat for myself. Jeju Sauna! I love this space. I'll spend some time relaxing my body by sweating, steaming, and soaking. I can't wait!

I'll work on my shopping list and playlist later on this afternoon.