Jun 3
Woot! Today I reached a major weight-loss goal! 20 pounds since March, and getting fit. Here's the story:
On New Years Eve, ushering in 2010, I made a resolution to lose weight and get back into shape. At the time I didn't realize what a journey it would become nor the extent of the lifestyle adjustment it would entail.
I'd been "surprised" my weight was over 200 for almost a year and had recently surpassed 205, definitely heading in the wrong direction. I'd look in the mirror and reflect on my self-image. I'd been tired. Skiing was hard; last year I couldn't keep up with my teenage kids, and now any black diamond left me out of breath after just a few turns. Partly to blame-- a hyperactive parathyroid which I had surgically removed January 5. Within a couple weeks I had more energy, and started daily hikes through snowy paths in the fields and woods. First, just a mile. By March I'd doubled it. By April I'd aim for 3 or 4 mile treks.In February I started counting calories. First just by reading package labels and scribbling numbers on scraps of paper, in my mind aiming for just 1700 calories per day. And I started to see results as my scale started backing down.
One day my wife brought home a dozen Dunkin' Donut bagels, and I googled to see how many calories in this breakfast staple of ours-- 380 calories! not including the cream cheese. Yowzer! This is how I discovered SparkPeople.com, the site listed the bagel calories. I started slicing my bagel into 3rds for a more reasonable portion.
I explored the site, signed up, and setup my nutrition and fitness goals. This was March 5th. SparkPeople lets me track online all the food I eat. Much easier than scraps of paper, and more accurate. Including the grams of fat, carbs, and proteins (I now also track sodium and potassium). I religiously update the charts every day. The feedback has been invaluable, and directly resulted in better portion management and decisions about what I eat (and don't eat).
My attitude is, I'm not on a "diet", I'm on a "calorie budget"-- here's my daily limit/goal, what can I eat that will maximize my satisfaction? e.g. if i eat that cookie now, what will I not eat later? The pounds dropped on average one pound a week. I setup little (and big) rewards for reaching goals. 10 pounds: buy an iPad (ok, I would have gotten it anyway but this makes it extra special). 20 pounds: trip to the Grand Canyon for my whole family (we leave in two weeks) (ok, I promised a long overdue vacation but this makes it extra special).
SparkPeople.com also lets me track my cardio (walks/hikes/jogs) time and distances. And created a simple daily workout routine, which I did nearly every day in March and April. Then, in the SparkPeople discussion forums, I noticed people talking about the P90X fitness program. And one day I watched a P90X infomercial on TV. Oh heck, I decided to order it. Day 1 for my P90X training was May 4. I'm now into Phase 2, day 31, and feel muscles growing in my arms, shoulders, back, abs, legs, that I haven't felt in decades. As for diet, I'm much more aggressive about consuming proteins and potassium, while limiting fats and sodium.Next goal-- another 10 pounds by end of summer, will put me at my college weight, 30 years ago, 30 pounds ago. And next winter, skiing is going to be awesome!
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Jun 2
I WON!! Shockingly we won the raffle for this beautiful handmade quilt
A couple weeks ago I bought some raffle tickets at the local high school performance of The Little House of Horrors (which was a great production, by the way) for this beautiful handmade quilt. I had no intent or expectation of winning, I just wanted to help support the program. Yesterday we got a call... I won!!! Isn't it awesome??!!
The quilt was handmade by Elida Presby of Littleton NH (grandmother of Abby Presby who performed in the show), and donated to the Lisbon Regional School Drama Program for this raffle. I dont know you, Elida, but I love you!
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May 21
Motivational quotes for your healthy lifestyle
via sparkpeople.com
"The groundwork of all happiness is good health." ~ Leigh Hunt
"True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind & exercise of the body; the two are ever united." ~ Humboldt
"The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were before." ~ Steven Young
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~ Aristotle
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." ~ George Elliot
"When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree." ~ Vietnamese saying
"A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse." ~ Stephan Dolley Jr.
"Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still." ~ Chinese proverb
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via SparkPeople.com
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=13
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Apr 30
Riot police shield Obama from tea-party grandmas
via wnd.com
Read full article at http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=147417#
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