Friday, August 21, 2015

Bad Habits

It seems like this once-a-month thing (blog posting) is becoming a habit. But if it is only once a month, is that really a habit? I don't know. For now, I will just keep trying to post at least once a month, so you know I am still alive and kicking. Is that alright with you?

It is hard to write because I keep thinking you only want to hear about successes and not failures. Of course I don't actually HAVE failures....more like setbacks. This current setback has been going on for several years though. My how time flies!!! It is hard to remember that I HAVE kept OFF about 65 pounds for the past two years or so. I can't seem to give myself credit for that.

This past summer sure has been busy for me. It hasn't shown signs of slowing down just yet. We've taken the RV out twice now. The first time was back in July. We visited friends. Thank goodness they had outside electric outlets, because our generator wouldn't run! That meant we would not have air conditioning. It was in the high 90's, so AC really WAS a must-have item. Our friends let us plug in to their house though, so we managed. One of the nights we had a campfire. I was struck by the folks sitting around the fire:
Young and old were all overweight. Several were very overweight. One had a knee brace, several were smoking cigarettes, and several were drinking...a lot. Don't get me wrong, I like my alcohol too. I was just struck by how common all our bad habits are. I left the weekend with renewed resolve to clean up my act a bit more. I've been skating along a bit too much of late. I worry for our friends though.

Currently I am still teaching yoga, one day a week. I take a second yoga class on another day and do strength training twice a week. I am teaching a weight loss/healthy living support group class once a week too. I have started to come up with little mini-challenges for them to try. We've done a challenge where everyone picks something they can do to improve their meals. Another challenge was to pick two days to write down what we did every hour of the day for two 24 hour periods. It has been inspiring! We've started talking more about how to improve things in our lives. I was almost ready to close the group down and now we seem to have breathed life back into it. A support group really does help!

A simple thing I often struggle with is eating two sandwiches, or two hamburgers. I am hungry so I think I need two to make my tummy stop growling. I don't. But I will eat two, anyway! Why? I have eaten just one sandwich or burger and been very sated. Why does my brain fight me so much?

I can fix a yummy shell fish taco that has only 90 calories. Shoot, I could have several for what the sandwich or burger has in calories. I'd be bursting if I tried to eat that many fish tacos. I love the crunch too. Is this a common problem for us fluffy folk? Is that why we overeat? Are we so afraid of that feeling of hunger that we stuff ourselves, just in case there will never be food in our lives again? I wonder.

Something else I have noticed is how portion sizes really affect healthy eating habits. We think we know how big a serving is, but we really don't. Check out some of these comparisons:
Then there is the whole wine beer booze crap. In the morning it is a non issue. I can tell myself I won't have a drink that night. I can do that every single morning. At night my resolve fades. It has become a bad habit and probably not all that good for me. le Sigh. I have managed to cut back a lot this summer. I still enjoy one or two drinks before bedtime though. At least it isn't a whole bottle of wine every night...yes, it used to be that! As in all the changes I make to be healthier, it is baby steps that work best for me.

So ya, is anyone out there? Will Crabby stop by? She's such a love for stopping by and seeing me. I feel honored, every single time. If you don't comment, I don't know if anyone reads this anymore. If you comment anonymously, I can't email you back. DO know, I always really appreciate your comments. Even if you only said "Hi!", at least I would know someone was here.

Guess that is it for today, and probably for this month! Oh, ya...before I forget....walk on my dear readers, walk on.

9 comments:

Sherri said...

I know I asked for comments, even if it was just to say hi. So far I have gotten two comments. I dumped them into spam because they have links to their web sites that sell things like monster cleanse your system and lost 100 pounds overnight! I will not approve those comments. (grumble grumble trolls)

Susan said...

Its good to see a post from you Sherri! Seems like you have a lot going on these days. You don't say if weight loss is a goal of yours but I would concentrate on one baby step at a time. You have to start some where right? I liked your idea of accounting for your time for
2 days. I have a streak going over on myfitnesspal.com where I have logged my food for almost a year now. I dropped from 163 to 148 and I am very happy. I only workout with walking for cardio 4-5 days a week for 30 minutes. I try to lift weights 2x a week but mostly its once a week for now. Everyone has their weaknesses. Take care.

Sherri said...

Hi Susan, thank you for commenting. I've had to dump ten spam comments over the past 24 hours! I think my subject title is pulling in the trolls this time.
I hope to lose some of the weight I gained back. I am working on defining what type of body I will be happy with and how much work I am willing to put into maintaining that body.
Congratulations on your weight loss. It sounds like you are doing it right! If I went back to food journaling and walked more, I am sure I would drop a few more pounds too.
Thanks again for stopping by AND commenting!

slimsdotter said...

I read your blog. Can't remember how I found it-- crabby mcslacker, maybe? Anyway, I really enjoy the quilting blog also. I like to walk with my dog, and quilt, and ride my bicyle. I am a nurse and like to see what healthy changes people find sustainable, and what works for people over time.

Sherri said...

Thanks for stopping by slimsdotter. You sound a lot like me in your interests! Glad you enjoy both blogs. I try to keep the quilting one more up to date though. hahaha

Anyway, hope you stop by again someday!

Crabby McSlacker said...

Aw, you're so sweet for mentioning me and I'm so sorry I'm so late! Have been out of the country camping, and just generally blog-slacking myself, so sorry for the belated appearance.

Interesting that you worry that people only want to hear successes, not struggles! Because personally, I love blogs that are REAL and convey all the ups and downs that come with trying to be healthier in mind and body. If it were easy, we'd all just do it and shut up about it, but it's not!

Glad to hear all the efforts you are making, "baby steps" or not!

Sherri said...

Hey Crabby!!! I don't mind you being late at all! I am glad you just showed up to my party. hahaha
Thanks for your comments. I am trying to believe this myself, that folks will keep reading, whether I am up or down, as long as I post. When I stop posting, then I assume many will think I have just faded away because I failed or something.
I plan to keep on posting....maybe not as much as I could or should, but posting. If I ever help ONE person, even for a moment, then I have made a difference. I have to believe that happens out there. I have had some tell me such things, so it must be true!

Anyway, thanks again for commenting, it means a lot to me. :)

cynthia said...

Hi Sherri!

I check in on you from time to time and appreciate hearing what is going on with you. I'm still hanging in here keeping most of my weight off. Year five is underway! I've been doing group strength training classes 3x per week since March and have discovered kick boxing. So much fun and have never been fitter at 52 years old. But I have yet to try yoga. You seem to be sticking with it. Maybe I'll give it a try!

Sherri said...

Yeah Cynthia! I am SO impressed! I am just finishing my fifth year in this adventure. I've stumbled a bit, but I am still a WHOLE lot better than I was. I will be 61 in a few months. I wish I had been this smart when I was 52. :)
Thank you so much for your comment. I feel a 'comeback' coming in my life. You and others are definitely helping me too. Thanks!

After the frenzy

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