Summer

Well, I still have my A$$.  My "45 by 45" plan was a bit of a bust; however, I did lose 17 pounds trying!  Maybe if I'd given up DQ Blizzard runs with my family, cookies, and Chuck & Dave's Mexicali dip, I might have seen better results. I'm attending a wedding on September 15, so I'm hoping to lose another 10 by then.  When I eat healthy (lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein, and no junk), I do see results.  Since today is my birthday, it's a good day for me to make some resolutions.

You'd think not working this summer I would have made all kinds of progress, but I stayed up too late, which meant I slept too late, and many hot days meant I didn't get my walk in.  I tried walking at noon one of those days and nearly got heatstroke!  It scared me enough to commit to walking in the morning or at night when it was cool enough.

I did walk most days.  What I learned is that my best days are the ones that I walk first thing in the morning. Unemployment was what got me addicted to walking (to ward off depression), but it's also what got me down.  What can you do but say, "Today is a new day!"

So, today, I started my day with a walk.  I'm packing a healthy lunch and snacks.  And I get to go to work today!  I have secured two part-time jobs and I'm giving them my all. And the pants I wore to work in May are looser today.  So, I'd say my Walking My A$$ Off quest is still underway:)

Critters & weeds

I still enjoy mall walking, but I've only taken the opportunity to do so once since I started this walking journey.  I'm going to limit it... because the window shopping is simply too tempting.  (Although it does keep you up-to-date on fashion trends!)

Since I walk outdoors before sunrise and/or after sunset, I've seen my fair share of squirrels and bunnies.  One night I had quite the scare when a skunk ran across my path!  In the morning, the birds' song is spectacular.  I am definitely an inside girl; however, I really like this walking outdoors thing.  It makes me feel a part of nature.

Unfortunately, it has also caused me to be somewhat obsessed with weeds.  Don't kid yourself into thinking that no one notices your weeds but you!  If they are in the front yard, people walking their dogs, pushing their stroller, or walking/running for exercise most definitely notice.  Most of the time I'm in my own world, lost in my own thoughts, but when it's daylight: I'm admiring landscaping.  And I'm amazed how many people don't edge their lawn.  Do you realize how much wider your sidewalk could be if you'd just keep your grass edged!  When I'm walking alone, it's not an issue, but when people are walking two by two, it gets a little annoying. 

Two other things I'll now NEVER be able to do:  leave branches on the sidewalk after a storm AND not shovel the sidewalk when it snows.  Another thing:  DON'T let the vehicle(s) you park in the driveway cover up any part of the sidewalk.  It is a pain in the A$$ to passersby.

What do you notice when you exercise outdoors?

p.s. I fit into another pair of jeans this week!  I am DETERMINED to keep going:)

"45 by 45" & the importance of goal setting

I have celebrated my second achievement of my mini-goal:  lose 5 pounds.  I've lost 10 pounds in these two months of walking!  Today I fit into a pair of jeans I couldn't zip the last time I tried them on.

Just last week, I increased walking 2.5 miles once a day to twice a day, in hopes that I'll lose 20 pounds these next two months.  (If I don't, I'm going to be kicking someone's A$$!)

My first big goal is to lose 45 pounds by my 45th birthday.  This also coincides with my brother-in-law's wedding, which is a big motivator.  To achieve any goal, you must have a strong "WHY".  Why did I choose 45 pounds?  Because "45 by 45" is catchy, and because it will bring me to the weight I was when my husband and I renewed our vows for our 10th anniversary (nine years ago).  Choose goals that have meaning; you will be more emotionally motivated to achieve them. Goals also need to be SMART:  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Measured. 

Write down your goals!  "A goal is just a dream until you write it down." Share your goals with others (who will be supportive of your efforts).  Do something related to your goal each day.  Review your goals regularly and evaluate your progress.  Don't set your goals too low.  If you set them too high, reset them.  The important thing is that you made the decision to GO FOR IT!

What are your favorite tips for achieving goals?

The $@&#*! scale

Any dieter knows the scale can be a tool... or it can be the enemy.  If I'd consulted the scale as obsessively -- I mean, regularly -- as I have lately, I might not be in the state I'm in.  Best advice:  weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day; if your weight is up, diet and exercise until it is back down.  Losing a few pounds to maintain your weight sounds a lot easier than what I am trying to do.  And I'm not alone.  Many have done it, many are doing it, and many are thinking about doing it:  losing a large quantity of weight in less time than it took to gain it.  Other great advice:  set a goal to lose five pounds, achieve it, then set it again.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Etc.  The problem I'm experiencing is being stuck in the same five-pound range.  And I started two-a-days last week!  I am now walking about 5 miles a day:  2.5 as soon as I crawl out of bed, and 2.5 before I fall in.  I weigh myself when I wake up, after I use the bathroom, before my shower, after my shower, before I walk, before bed.  I want to lose the weight eating whole foods but I think it's time to start a Food Journal.  I must be eating too many calories.  It does feel like my stomach has shrunk because I feel full faster than before.  I eat a lot more fruits and vegetables now.  I have to trust that good things are happening inside my body that I can't see or that the scale doesn't reflect.  All this walking and healthy eating HAS TO be making a difference.  It just has to.  I walked with my neighbor Friday night (the same one I was with more than a month ago when I wanted to stop and cry about my knee pain).  She commented on my breathing and speed.  So I'm huffing & puffing less and hauling A$$.  Progress is what I have to focus on, not the results on the scale.  I have faith that I will begin to see results there, too.

Runner's high

I don’t run.  Not that I’ve never tried.  Back in high school and college, I made a few attempts.  I couldn’t get past the burning in my lungs and the stitch in my side.  I didn’t know then about starting slow, building up your endurance; run a bit, walk a bit, etc.  So I wrote myself off as not being a runner.

Over the years I have watched with admiration those people in my life who run:  a high school friend, who was on the track team and continues to run today; my sister-in-law, who discovered running as a weight-loss tool and is in fantastic shape; neighbors, who run at varying paces but are faithful to it; Facebook friends, who go to different cities to race and spend time with their friends.  So inspirational!  But we must walk before we run.  And so I walk.

What intrigues me about walking and running is the “high” that you get from it.  The body produces those feel-good chemicals that cause the addiction we feel.  I call it “the zone”:  after finding my stride, my body propels me forward without my thinking about it anymore.   What I love most is the feeling in my legs and A$$ that assures me I am in fat-burning mode.  And after my walk is done, I feel cellulite “popping” and melting away. 

It took a few weeks to get to this point.  During one walk in the second week, my neighbor (who is a speed walker but takes it down a notch for my benefit) accompanied me and about halfway through, I wanted to stop and cry - my knees hurt so bad.  Each day after that, I told myself to walk through the pain, and it eased up more each day. 

Anything worth doing takes effort.  It takes effort for me to get up an hour before I actually have to.  It takes effort to walk two miles.  But the high lasts through the day and my body craves it by the next morning.  It is this cycle that I must not break.  Yesterday, Mother’s Day, was a day of rest.  I did not walk.  I missed the high.  So I walked this morning.  And I’ll walk tomorrow.

Appropriately named

Welcome to my blog.  Why did I choose to name it "WALKING MY A$$ OFF"?  Because when I was in my late teens, I watched my neighbor walk her A$$ off by walking an hour a day around the neighborhood.  Then I watched my godmother walk her A$$ off by walking on the treadmill.  These ladies shrunk before my eyes.  Their legs got thinner, their hips got narrower, their tummies flattened, and their A$$ES fell off!  Well, that was an impression that stayed with me.  And guess what?  They've kept it off.  When I recently weighed in at my all-time high, I decided that I had to do something.  I was walking like an old lady (I'm 44) and my knees hurt. Since my mom had her knees replaced, I figured it was in my future as well - unless I got the weight off.  So five weeks ago, I started walking.  Every morning.  I average 2 to 2.5 miles.  It takes 45 minutes or less.  I have lost about 8 pounds.  I have more energy and my knees hurt less.  I have so much more to tell you!  Every morning my brain goes into high gear and I have about 10 stories already outlined to share on this blog.  I will post once a week on Sunday.  So check back next Monday morning.