Spring Workout

It's nice to know that there are lots of ways to be productive while working out. Planting my perennials and cleaning up my yard this past week, I was able to feel the burn and work on my tan. In fact, I have been discovering new ways to burn calories while checking things off my to-do list. Weeding and raking had me working my back, arms and legs; mowing and cleaning helped me work up a sweat and work on my house. In addition, the influx of veggies and fruits have resulted in healthier dinners and satisfying treats. Summer is in the air and healthy living is growing all around me.

The Frank Sinatra Plan

I Did It Myyyyyyyy Waaaaayyyyyy!. Yep, old Frankie boy could belt out a tune for sure. I did it my way is also an idea about long term weight reduction and fitness improvement.

You can read all kinds of excellent articles right in the Charlotte Observer online sources and thousands of others on websites. You can hire a personal nutrition expert or exercise coach. You can join groups like Weight Watchers or walking/running/biking/hiking clubs to help you stay interested in those things. You can join a gym. You can sign up for a drastic weight loss diet plan and lose lots of weight fast like Marie Osmond and others did.

The thing is, however, to find something that is both sustainable physically and emotionally so as to make it a part of your life from now on. I tend to like to exercise. I mean it actually is a satisfying thing. To others, its a chore they know they have to do. Sickness, injuries, change in jobs or locations can all interrupt the flow of your exercise. So you need to find something you will "want to" get back to even after a set back. So my overweight buddies, read, research, listen to others successful "methods", but in the end, you are an experiment of one. Find your groove and alter it as needed. Perfect your plan. Embrace your challenge. Try to keep some humor and humility in your failures and successes. With never ending effort and thought and action we can look back years from now as we prove our success and join old Frank Sinatra in a round of "I Did It My Way".

127 and Counting

How many of you think this post is going to be about my weight? Just what I thought. Sorry, but 127 has nothing to do with my weight.

Remember my previous post about my annual physical and my anticipation with the scale and the dreaded blood work? Well, when I got the results, I learned that I now have another reason to watch what I eat more closely.  127 is my latest cholesterol count. 

Although I am still less than the 130 borderline, this number is higher than it had been at my last physical.  Nothing major, but my doctor recommended that I try to follow the Mediterranean diet and since I hate taking medication for anything, I will try to explore this recommendation.  Problem is, I don't know very much about the Mediterranean diet -- actually I now know nothing.  I will turn to the Google to take a crash course.  But I'd like to know how many of you are or have ever followed the Mediterranean diet?  Do you have any tips to share?  You can post anonymously.  Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Until next week I leave you with a quote from ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."

Nancy Johnson

Releasing the Clutch & Shifting Gears

Many years after I had learned to drive a standard car, someone convinced me to learn to drive a stick shift. The experience is not one that brings on fond memories.To be honest, I am not the most coordinated person. (I could tell you stories about me socking the Chairman of the Board of a former employer in the mouth while learning to shag, . . . I digress).

Driving with both feet just didn't feel natural. It didn't help that my teacher often got frustrated with my attempts to shift gears and used terms like "this isn't rocket science", "what's wrong with you", "are you slow?"  What does this bad memory have to do with weight loss? Nothing, but when I read some of the comments on how "easy" it is to just eat less and move more, I remember my  attempts to shift gears while listening to the negative comments from my driving instructor. 

Losing weight is a lot like trying to learn to drive a manual car. It took many false starts, a few stripped gears, and a lot of Sunday school words, but I learned to drive that car and the feeling of absolute control while shifting gears and releasing the clutch was absolutely won-der-ful!  I am looking forward to shifting gears with my health.

Until then, remember that perseverance not perfection is the only way to get there.

Nancy Johnson

20 pounds down, 50 to go. I need 5K advice

I write this blog on Thursday morning right before going out the door for a walk. You may recall I was up 3 pounds over the weekend. The weekend was my daughters wedding with way too much to eat and drink. Well, as of Thursday morning I'm already rid of that excess and have reached the 20 pound weight loss mark.

Now that I'm getting into better and better shape and weigh less I hope to accelerate the intensity of the exercise and am cutting out all beer/booze for the time being to maximize calorie reduction and nutrition.

So, being laid off from my job and getting through my daughter's wedding weekend is history. Next on the list is getting ready for a 5k sometime in July. Any local ones that are low key you readers can suggest?

Then its big build up for turning 60 in Oct and doing the Thunder Road half marathon in mid November. Just finishing that event without being pulled off the course from being too slow is the major goal.

Last of all, by year end, I WILL be no more than 175 pounds!!!!!!!

Now I'm out the door for a 3.25 mile walk and then a SPEW workout when I get back to the house. Keep at it you bunch of losers.

Look what the bunny brought back!

Well, the Easter Bunny doesn't only bring protein-rich eggs...I'm back after a short break from the blogosphere. Actually, I also requested to only post once per week from now on - being busy living my life and all, I just can't spend as much time writing about it (I'm joking - it's supposed to sound snarky!). Rejoice in the more frequent blogs of Nancy and Dan because those two are smokin' with the weight loss thing and I'm more the tarty turtle in this meaty marathon.

As you know by now, I'm always going to be honest regarding my ups and downs. I can tell you that while my things have been going, my exercise has been slowin' since I ran out of my visits at the Y. That said, my food choices are accumulating and one good choice is leading to others; it's still hard, but it's getting easier and that's making my weight loss journey that much better.

All in all, I'm still choo--chooing along, the Little Engine that Could and Couldn't Occasionally. I'm not going to pretend I didn't enjoy eating Easter dinner with my family because Yum! it was good and I had a blast. However, I've learned that one indulgence needs to be balanced by many good choices and with my return to town and days off work, I have a feeling that ham will be hightailing off my hide without fail. A week full of yinning and yanging and whatnot - shazaam!

Making the Connection

I weighed in at my Weight Watchers at Work meeting yesterday.  I was surprised to learn that I did not gain weight this week.  I actually lost a pound.  19 pounds down; at least 17 more to go. 

Truth be told, there is so much that could go wrong when you are trying to lose weight -- deadlines, obligations, and those friendly coworkers with their afternoon snacks. This is especially true when the brain, the tongue, and the hand refuse to work towards together the common goal.

Each day my brain and I start the day ready to embark on a healthy day; a day which starts with rest, healthy food and exercise. Although my brain realizes the importance that each of these plays to my weight loss journey, my tongue is, however, taking a little while longer to get with the program. Healthy foods just don't have the same appeal to my taste sensitive tongue.

My tongue is pretty convincing. It knows what it wants and has great negotiation skills. (Remember it gets lots of practice in Toastmasters).  My tongue continuously tries to persuade my brain to bypass the healthy options and then it works on my hand to deliver the ill-gotten goods. To get my tongue into the healthy mantra, I often find myself humming “Mmm, mmm, good” as I eat things like spinach. When this little trick doesn’t work, I then visualize myself walking down Tryon Street in my little black dress.

Now that is a picture that finally makes the connection. Enjoy the weekend.

Nancy Johnson