moonbeam65

My ankles are shot. Both. Tendonitis has flared up again. Last year I was forced to wear an orthopedic boot for more than a month until the pain subsided.

There was no change in my walking routine… it just happened… I can’t control changes in my body. I am in pain and can’t walk.

On a positive note I lost 5 pounds last week mostly due to a thread “Letting go of binge eating.” No binge eating for 7 days.

I now use a recumbent bike for about an hour doing interval training.

But… the grandiose plans for the 4th of July went down the drain. The plans included walking, hiking, and attending all the grand events in Seattle on foot.

Health is precious. It’s like the air. We don’t notice it when we breath and there is enough air but take it away…

We have successfully completed 21 days of creating a new habit - walking every day a certain number of miles. We walked anywhere from 63 to 132 miles in just three weeks.

The group lost 25 pounds altogether. Don lost 14 pounds during this challenge!

Now it’s time to use our passion for walking and make it more efficient.

The idea for a new challenge is to incorporate interval training that allows burning more calories in a shorter period of time and get even better results.

You don’t have to go to the gym or do something fancy.

Please join us on a new thread “Interval Training: Walkers charge ahead!”

For those who are interested, yes, there will be the FINE. It’s actually a lot of fun and really makes you accountable.

We have successfully completed 21 days of creating a new habit - walking every day a certain number of miles. We walked anywhere from 63 to 132 miles in just three weeks.

The group lost 25 pounds altogether. Don lost 14 pounds during this challenge!

Now it’s time to use our passion for walking and make it more efficient.

The idea for a new challenge is to incorporate interval training that allows burning more calories in a shorter period of time.

Please join us on a new thread “Interval Training: Walkers charge ahead!”

For those who are interested, yes, there will be the FINE. It’s actually a lot of fun and really makes you accountable.

So simple, by Brooke Castillo,

“We have been trained not to waste food in the garbage, but to waste it on our bodies. Either way it is wasted. In one way, we just carry the waste with us.”

About a woman who lost 100 pounds. I liked the idea of reading cards with affirmations before each meal. And the bracelet was great.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/an-opera-singers-fat-relocation-project/index.html?ref=health
Don’t forget to click on the video.

Workout at the gym

At the Gym For Christmas this year my wife purchased me a week of private lessons at the local health club. Though still in great shape from when I was on the varsity chess team in high school, I decided it was a good idea to go ahead and try it. I called and made reservations with someone named Tanya, who said she is a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and athletic clothing model.

My wife seemed very pleased with how enthusiastic I was to get started.

Day 1 They suggest I keep this “exercise diary” to chart my progress this week. Started the morning at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get up, but worth it when I arrived at the health club and Tanya was waiting for me.

She’s something of a goddess, with blond hair and a dazzling white smile. She showed me the machines and took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. She seemed a little alarmed that it was so high, but I think just standing next to her in that outfit of hers added about ten points.

Enjoyed watching the aerobics class. Tanya was very encouraging as I did my sit ups, though my gut was already aching a little from holding it in the whole time I was talking to her. This is going to be great.

Day 2 Took a whole pot of coffee to get me out the door, but I made it. Tanya had me lie on my back and push this heavy iron bar up into the air. Then she put weights on it, for heaven’s sake!
Legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made it the full mile. Her smile made it all worth it. Muscles feel great.

Day 3 The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the tooth brush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I am that I have developed a hernia in both pectorals.

Driving was okay as long as I didn’t try to steer. I parked on top of a Volkswagen.

Tanya was a little impatient with me and said my screaming was bothering the other club members. The treadmill hurt my chest so I did the stair monster. Why would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by the invention of elevators? Tanya told me regular exercise would make me live longer. I can’t imagine anything worse.

Day 4 Tanya was waiting for me with her vampire teeth in a full snarl. I can’t help it if I was half an hour late, it took me that long just to tie my shoes. She wanted me to lift dumbbells. Not a chance, Tanya. The word “dumb” must be in there for a reason.

I hid in the men’s room until she sent Lars looking for me. As punishment she made me try the rowing machine. It sank.

Day 5 I hate Tanya more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. If there was any part of my body not in extreme pain I would hit her with it.

She thought it would be a good idea to work on my triceps. Well, I have news for you Tanya, I don’t have triceps. And if you don’t want dents in the floor don’t hand me any barbells. I refuse to accept responsibility for the damage, you went to sadist school, you are to blame.

The treadmill flung me back into a science teacher, which hurt like crazy. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like a music teacher, or social studies?

Day 6 Got Tanya’s message on my answering machine, wondering where I am. I lacked the strength to use the TV remote so I watched eleven straight hours of the weather channel.

Day 7 Well, that’s the week. Thank goodness that’s over. Maybe next time my wife will give me something a little more fun, like free teeth drilling at the dentist’s.

I just have to write this for everyone to see. Today is DAY 7 of our challenge to walk 5 or 3 miles every day. Only 14 more days to go to create a new healthy habit.

The results are amazing. I encourage you to read Don’s blog on losing 40 pounds in 55 days with some visuals.

Zina and I had many doubts about starting this challenge because of the strict rules and “fines.” We thought that there would be only two of us…

We were (thankfully) wrong. The gang keeps walking, pushing, challenging, and losing weight. What is great about this challenge is that it is not about competition, who is ahead in miles or whatnot. The focus is on being consistent with walking every single day. Three people in our challenge committed to three miles a day, five people committed to 5 miles a day, and one person steadily walks 6 miles a day every day. No more stop and go or yo- yo-ing on exercise for serious walkers.

And yes, we already had two people who had to do the deed (PLUS 2 miles) when they skipped miles one day. They DID NOT QUIT the challenge altogether, they did not get scared, they did not look for excuses, and they did not complain (maybe a little). That’s the power of positive thinking in a group format.

Let’s not waste our times on negative thinking and complaints. Let’s choose to think positively (quoting Angela) and continue to challenge ourselves.

THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING

There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. “It has been ten years,” said the head monk. “What are the two words you would like to speak?”

“Bed… hard…” said the monk.

“I see,” replied the head monk.

Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk’s office. “It has been ten more years,” said the head monk. “What are the two words you would like to speak?”

“Food… stinks…” said the monk.

“I see,” replied the head monk.

Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, “What are your two words now, after these ten years?”

“I… quit!” said the monk.

“Well, I can see why,” replied the head monk. “All you ever do is complain.”

Today is the first day of a challenge - creating a new healthy habit of walking for 21 days.

My favorite quotes related to walking are here.

The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.
Charles Dickens

If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish.
Charles Dickens

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
Henry David Thoreau, US writer and naturalist

I can remember walking as a child. It was not customary to say you were fatigued. It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition.
Katherine Hepburn

Take a two-mile walk every morning before breakfast.
Harry Truman (His advice on how to live to be 80.)

Make your feet your friend.
J.M. Barrie

There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country. A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo.
Even a bicycle goes too fast.
Paul Scott Mowrer

If you want to know if your brain is flabby, feel your legs.
Bruce Barton

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.
Raymond Inmon

I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.
Abraham Lincoln

Above all do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday I walk myself into a state of well being and walk away from every illness.
I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill…if one keeps on walking everything will be alright.
Soren Kierkegaard.

People say that losing weight is no walk in the park.
When I hear that I think,yeah, that’s the problem.
Chris Adams

The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.
Jacqueline Schiff

Walking would teach people the quality that youngsters find so hard to learn - patience.
Edward P. Weston

Of all exercises walking is the best.
Thomas Jefferson

The longest journey begins with a single step.
Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching

What makes us lose weight? Attitude, thinking, self-control, mind-set and ultimately, decisions.

We know what to do.
But we don’t do what we know.
We’ve never been more educated.
Yet we’ve never been fatter.
We’ve never had more resources.
And we’ve never made more excuses (heard them all).
We’ve never had more reasons to lose weight.
And we’ve never wasted more time.

But people don’t wanna hear this message because it’s too fundamental and obvious.
And it requires real effort, sacrifice, work and self-control.
No, we’d rather talk about weight-loss theory number ten million or the latest ‘breakthrough’ pill, powder, potion, product, gizmo or gadget.
Or that amazing new weight-loss book.
‘Cause we need another one of those.

We want quick, easy, convenient and painless.
We are soft.
We are precious, lazy and lack self-control.
We are the quick-fix society.
And the instant-gratification generation.
And the fat generation.

We want an answer that doesn’t require effort or sacrifice on our part.
And it is this mentality which keeps us (us, the society) fat.

If the answer to Global obesity was in fact, more education, information or resources, then we would all be getting leaner by the day because we’ve never been more educated, informed or equipped when it comes to diet, exercise, lifestyle and all that ‘obesity-related stuff’.

Here’s some random food for thought (nice book title)… on obesity.
(You can still look away at any time).

1. External change needs to be accompanied (or preceded) by, internal change (for it to be lasting).

2. Most people who lose weight regain it (over 95%) because they haven’t really changed their attitude or thinking. They change their behaviours for a while but deep (deep, deep) down they haven’t really changed their core thinking, beliefs, attitudes or standards. On a subconscious level many people are waiting for it (the diet, the fitness kick) to be over.. so they can go back to being ‘normal’.
And when they do eat less and exercise more they (often) slide into a deprivation mentality… constantly telling themselves that they’re ‘missing out’.

3. If we tell ourselves that it will be a painful, horrible process… it will be (for everyone).
Attitude = outcome.

4. The sooner we stop looking for easy and start looking for effective… the sooner we’ll start to see real (forever) change.

5. Weight-loss martyrs are a pain in the ass… “I’ve been so good… I’ve been so good.”

6. While food, exercise and lifestyle are important ingredients in the weight-loss process… it is our head which determines how we eat, exercise and live.
Which in turn determines our physiological state.

7. The fat person with all the knowledge, education and resources… and a crap attitude.. will stay fat.

8. The fat person with limited knowledge, resources and genetic potential.. and a great attitude… will produce much better results every time.

9. The sooner we stop getting in shape for ‘events’ (weddings, birthdays, reunions, parties) and start getting in shape for life… the sooner we’ll start to see forever results.

10. The fitness industry and medical profession have a one-dimensional approach to weight-loss; physical. This is ignorant, naive and ineffective. Losing weight (effectively) is a complex, multi-dimensional process (physical, emotional and psychological).

11. Losing weight is not about finding the right program, diet, supplement or drug; it’s about finding the right attitude.

12. Many (okay, most) fat people make excuses and tell lies.
A lot.
Just ask the ex fat kid.
Yes, I know this sounds offensive but if you had experienced the thousands of conversations with as many fat people as I have… you’d know that I’m telling the truth.
You can get offended… or educated; it’s a choice.

13. By the way, ‘fat ‘ is not an insult (in this discussion)… it’s a physiological state.

14. The sooner we call fat what it is (as opposed to deluding ourselves by calling each other full-figured, big-boned and heavy-set) the sooner we will get serious about addressing obesity in a real, practical, no bullshit way. Perhaps we should worry less about political correctness and more about heart disease, diabetes, bowel cancer and the plethora of other obesity-related conditions.
“Whatever you do.. don’t mention the ‘F’ word.. you might hurt her feelings; she’s not fat, she’s… voluptuous!”.

15. We love to play the blame game.
We wanna blame someone or something for our obesity.
It’s a time thing.
It’s a genetics thing.

As long as it’s not a ‘me’ thing.

Otherwise I might have to get off my ass and take responsibility for my fat self.

It’s almost summer buddies. We are starting a new walking challenge, “Serious walkers get the walk done!”

It’s serious because if you want to stay in this challenge, you need to walk 5 miles a day, every day. If you miss, the next day you’d have to walk those miles plus 5 reguired plus add two more miles for another two days. Complicated, I know, but very challenging.

it’s only for three weeks = 21 days to create a new habit, walking 5 miles a day or taking 10,000 steps.

The challenge starts tomorrow. You can use an elliptical, treadmill, walking outside, or doing WATP. You don’t have to walk 5 miles at once. Better chunk it and maybe walk 1-2 miles in the morning, 2 miles during your lunch, and 1-2 miles in the evening. Or whatever walking regiment you would like to create.

Zina, Annia, Stacey, Jasmyn, Tiffany, and I will be in the challenge supporting everyone.

Look for a new thread on the weight loss forum tomorrow.

Please join us for this “serious” challenge. It is a fun way to lose weight and get in shape!