Happy Trails to Youuuuuuuu, till we meet again!

Well hello there! How are ya? I'm fine. No, really, I AM! 

I am doing a lot better and have been for several weeks now. I don't have all the answers yet, but I am figuring out the questions better! To catch you up on a few things, I am off all meds now. Seems I am not the chronically depressed type person that needs to be on a medication to cope. Now I might need a short term zap now and then, but overall, I don't seem to need a full blown antidepressant.

I understand that some people DO need medications and I have no problem with that. I do not doubt that full blown depression is a serious illness that the right medications can really help with. In my case, I honestly feel that my doctor was just trying to help in the easiest way he could, by tossing me a pill that would instantly 'fix' me. I would agree that there have been times when a medicine was the best thing for a short term bout of stress, for me. I do not think I need to take an antidepressant on a regular basis for months or years. We shall see if I am right or wrong. For now, I am grateful that life is on track and I seem to be coming out of my winter funk.

Does this mean I am magically never depressed? Of course not! Does this mean I will never need to take a medication to help me over an especially stressful period in life? Piffle! I might need help in the future. The difference is that now I will be asking for short term help, not months' worth of scary pills.

Ok, enough depressing talk! On to other things that piss me off bug me. There was a blog post on a web site that I go to every Sunday, regarding eating disorders. I was a bit miffed that most of it talked about the anorexics and bulimics and not the obese. The posting had a link to an eating disorder self test and help for "College Students" and "General Public". I don't have a disorder, according to their tests. So what DO I have? I didn't get as fat as I was from breathing fumes from the Fat Fairy's magic wand! Where am I going with this? I am just complaining. Being chronically overweight is an eating disorder. I think it is still thought of differently though, than those who starve themselves or throw up after binging. Just sayin'.

I have also been trying to figure out what my Happy Weight will be. At one time, I thought 5'9" and 150 pounds would be superb! That is what the charts said I should be at…at least when I was in my 20s. Of course that doesn't work quite as well for a woman who is almost 60. Now I think the ideal weight would be 175.

That is the IDEAL weight, I am not saying it is a realistic one for me, nor what my Happy Weight would be. Right now my Happy Weight would be anything back in one-derland!!!

Yippee!!! 199.999999 pounds! (someday soon)

I will have to work on that. Once I am back in one-derland, I will see how I feel. Perhaps I will find that my Happy Weight is not a number so much as it is a feeling. I could be just sitting here fooling myself too. I'll keep you posted.

Last week I went for a long walk on the trails with a friend of mine. I hadn't been out there for months! I forgot how good that can make me feel!!! I felt so good that I went out again on Friday. Following is the first of what I hope to be many, Trail Tails:

We've had a bout of late spring type weather. This means temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The sun was shining and the time was right to get out and breath some clean fresh air! I was stoked and ready to enjoy my long walk. I had no idea how badly I had missed my trail!!!

If Ziva could have human expressions, she would have had the most astonished look when we turned to go to the trail instead of staying on the streets. "Really Mommy? We are really going down to the REAL trail???!!!! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!" And she bounced around me as we headed down the hill to the trail head.

It was downright criminal, how wonderful that day was! The sun was shining and the birds were singing! There were some early spring flowers poking their heads out. Granted there weren't any butterflies, but there should have been, as nice out as it was!

There was one scary part of the trail. We heard a noise off to our right. As we neared the area I expected to perhaps see a deer! Then I heard voices. I tightened my grip on Ziva's leash and was on guard for any funny business.

All of a sudden, from out of the bushes I was attacked by a Ginger!!!! "ACK! RUN ZIVA, RUN AWAY!!!!"

Oh the horror of it all! We barely escaped with our lives! Gingers are very scary beings. I've heard all the horror stories on South Park. 

Ziva says "Mom, it looked like a kid with red hair, just cutting a branch off a tree." 

I don't believe Ziva. She is a dog. I am a human. I am the smarter one!

Tonight we have winter weather threats again, for later in the week. I know those in the north are having it a tougher, so you'll have to believe me when I say that here in the south, this is pretty rough. I hope we don't get snowed in or iced in again!

When the weather turns nice again, may all your trails become happier ones! Sunshine makes everything happier! Well, unless you're in a drought state. Or the desert, with no water. Or you are sunburned. Then it isn't as happy.

Walk-on!

Almost, but not Quite

Is there such a thing as being "almost depressed"? That is somewhat, what I struggle with. When someone says they are depressed, do you automatically think they are suicidal? I have no suicidal thoughts. Perhaps my depression does not need medication but needs talk therapy. I think I will look into that more. I am not liking the side affects of my current meds and truly believe that my doctor meant well, but threw pills at me instead of making other suggestions that don't have quick fixes.

In other news, the trainer just is not going to work out. He met with me, was going to arrange sessions and then bailed on me again. I think over a year of trying should tell me that it is time to give up on him.

I am on to plan B. The weight loss support group is going to meet twice a week for strength training exercises. I am hoping the accountability will help us all work on strength training in a positive way with a good outcome. I may even work on a routine so those who are new to strength training, can follow along easier.

That's it for today. Short posting, no photos. I am off to my meeting and my ten minute (or more) walk!

Till next time, Walk-On!!!

What Then?

"I want to get to my goal weight and be happy."
"You're not happy now?"
"I will be happier when I've lost all this weight."
"How will you be different then? Why does a few pounds make you a happier person?"
"Well...well because all my troubles will magically go away when I am thinner!"
"Do you think thin people are always happy?"
"I suppose they are sometimes unhappy, but being thinner must make them just happier people in general."
"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?"
"Um, ya, I guess I do."

I've been a bit under the weather lately.

Call it the winter blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder, cabin fever, gray skies, or depression…I have had a bout of it. It is under control now. I am doing better. Thank you to those who sent words of encouragement.

Depression is a very scary word to many people, including myself. I hate/loath/detest the thought that taking a little pill can help me cope with the world so much easier. Why can't I just suck it up and get over myself? Why do I keep feeling the urge to have a pity party full of tears and angst when I am not taking an anti-depressant? I have tried three different drugs over the past four years. I hate feeling dependent on them but I like having the roller-coaster rides stop when I am taking them. I like feeling more in control. I do not like admitting I need this type of help. I still do not fully accept that I do, indeed, NEED these to cope with life. I will probably try going without again, once the weather changes and I can get outside more. This is what I am telling myself anyway. Right now, this very moment, I don't know what else to say about it.

So, changing topics ... I listen to podcasts all the time. A recent one gave me a small epiphany. I do not believe in myself yet. I do not believe I can keep most all the weight off that I lost. I still think I will gain it all back. I try to trick myself into thinking I won't, but then I start dinking around and having an extra bite of this or that, or I come up with another excuse to not change up my exercise routines. I like being in this rut. I like trying to fool myself into thinking I will be just fine without changing certain things in my life. I like thinking the Foodie Fairy will wave her magic wand and take out all those extra calories found in peanut brittle.


I touch and dance away and touch again. What can I get away with? Can I eat the extra English muffin every morning and get away with it? Can I have that wine on the weekend and not gain weight? Does it really matter?

These are the games I (we) play. Even as I write them down, I know I won't play this game again and gain all my weight back. Even though I do not totally believe in myself, I have not totally given up on myself either. This is one huge thing that is different this time around. I truly am NOT working that hard on maintaining a healthy weight or getting to a goal weight right now. I haven't really worked that hard on this, all along. It took such tiny changes to make, to get spectacular results! Now I am down to the last few pounds though. What I need to figure out is just how much work I am willing to put in to being at a certain weight. What will I cut back on, or give up, or change, in order to weigh less? I don't know yet. I am still trying to figure that out. I have heard this called "finding your happy weight". That is what I am searching for right now...I am trying to find my happy weight.

I actually had one less English muffin for breakfast, two times, this week. That is a step in the right direction. I don't need the extra muffin to feel full or satisfied. Why did I think I needed it? Because it was there. Really. It was there, therefore I must eat it. I used to eat two muffins (and more), so I should be able to do that again but not gain weight, right? What kind of reasoning is this? It is the reasoning that many of us have when fighting food fights. Irrational thoughts. Now I am in the process of learning what rational thoughts are like.

Learning how to live at a healthy weight after having had weight issues for well over 40 years, will take some time. I experiment with myself all the time. I learn new things every week about how to live a healthier life and how to actually LIKE living a healthier life. I keep searching to find my personal "Happy Weight" and this will take more time.

Another thing I'd like to ask you is this; if you were already weighing what you wanted to weigh, how would your life be? What would it be like? What, then? Do you think you will magically change into a unicorn? How about a ballerina? Will everyone suddenly notice you and like you more? You lose the weight...what then?

In other news, the organic strawberries actually looked good this week, in the grocery store. They are terribly expensive still, but oh my they tasted so much better than the non-organic ones. I splurged and got two boxes of them to enjoy. Yummy!

I have kept up with both my resolutions this year. I am still smoke-free and I have walked ten or more minutes every day. Today I went out because I saw it was snowing! We have had ice and sleet but very little actual snow. It felt good, hitting my face as Ziva and I went for our walk. I might have felt different about this if I lived back in Minnesota or on the East Coast. Sorry guys, here in the south, it was a treat for me!

This is it for today! I hope I've given you some food for thought...this type of food has no calories, additives, chemicals, or restrictions! Enjoy! And as we figure all this out, walk on dear readers, walk on!

Creepy!

I have seen it so many times. People who have a wonderful blog or podcast or group, share their successes on weight loss. It is impressive. It is motivational. It gives one hope that they too, can succeed!
Then the person disappears. On average, it seems like these people last about two years before vanishing. It is often weight creep that seems to do them in. It doesn't matter how they've lost weight. It doesn't matter if they've done a program or changed lifestyles. After about the second year into maintenance, they start giving up. I believe I am suffering a similar issue right now. My weight is creeping up.

I, however, refuse to accept that I might gain all my weight back! Not this time! I worked too hard to get where I am at today. What's a girl to do then? Well, goal setting is a start. I have set a goal of walking ten minutes a day for 365 days in a row. I am not sure I can do it, but I am going to see how close I can get! I also have a goal to be smoke free in 2014. I hope I can do both!

The weather has been up and down across the whole United States. Sometimes it is downright COLD here, and not comfortable to go out for a walk. I haven't let it stop me yet. I bundle up and do at least ten minutes and often a few more!

I am also looking way way back to what I was doing when I was feeling the most successful. That would have been in 2011. What was I doing differently then?

I am not too far off on the eating. I need to pump up the greens a bit and cut out the wine a lot. I also think it is time to get even more serious about finding a trainer to get me back in to strength training.


So where do I go from here? I go forward and don't look back!  What do I do now?
I set a new start date of February 1st. I made an appointment with a trainer. We meet up next week. I saw my doctor and got a cortisol shot in my knee. It hurts tonight, from the injection, but the osteoarthritis pain is gone. I hope this will allow me to hit the trails again.


I also asked the doctor about meds for my depression. I haven't had anything since September last year. I suffer from mild depression and anxiety. I find it hard to accept medication to help with the ups and downs of the mood swings. Lately, I've been in tough shape. I can hardly talk to anyone without tearing up. What has me so upset? I am homesick. I've been homesick for years and for now I can't go home. When depression sets in, I long to be back among our friends and family. I have neither here. I have tried, but it just isn't the same. So doc suggested a new med for me. Perhaps this is just the winter blues, perhaps it is just that I am one who suffers from depression. I must admit, I hope these pills help with the mood swings, the crying jags, the lethargy, the lack of sleep, and the feelings of hopelessness. I want to feel strong again.

So there you have it! It has not been easy to admit I am struggling like I am. On the other hand, it has comforted me in that I am NOT giving up! I WILL get this all figured out and I WILL get back on track and I WILL get back into one-derland. Yes, I WILL!

Till next time, walk on!

Happy New Year!

Abby and I are stepping in to the new year with hope, anticipation, dread, determination, and more confidence! We are also smoke free right now. We are also going to do ten minutes of walking today. Will we make it for 365 days in a row? Only time will tell! Happy and healthy New Year wishes to everyone!

Walk-On!

Out With the Old

Most likely this will be my last post for 2013. I have been enjoying a period of permission to lay off eating real well and have not been exercising. It is almost like daring myself to see how far I can go before I blimp-up again! Today was the last yoga class for this year. It is in the same building where I teach classes in weight loss and healthy living. I dared myself to get on the scale today, after yoga class. I haven't weighed myself for several weeks now because I just know I will go over 200 pounds. I was right and I weighed in at 202 pounds. There is no real excuse. I have just been lazy. I have also been struggling with the cigarettes, but only had half of one yesterday and none, so far today. I have my fingers crossed that I am on my way to come back to the body and lifestyle that I like better.

I have heard about 'weight creep' and today's weigh-in was part of that process. What does one do about it? This is how I am tackling it. I am working on goals that I will set for the new year. I guess it is something like the traditional New Year's Resolutions. It is almost 2014. I need to be ready to do something that has me going in the right direction, in the new year!


One challenge that I am considering is to walk every day for at least ten minutes. That would give me 3,650 minutes of walking for the year. Right now it is cold outside. Abby and I do not like walking in the cold. But what could we do? We could pace in the house. We could go to The Center and walk on the track. We could also go to The Center and walk in the pool. There is no end of possibilities. Always try to not say "I can't" but instead say "Well, what can I do?" Negativity is what often does us in.

I have doubted my continued success for this past year. I have felt that no matter how often I tell myself (and others) that I can do this well into my later years, I am saying in my inside voice, that I can't. I will be 60 next year. Can I really keep this up? I am not sure. But I AM sure that I am not ready to give up. I want the body I had about a year ago when I was in the 180's. I am just thinking that I need to give myself permission to do this, one step at a time!!!

So the new year will start out with the celebrations and partying. I am already feeling joy in the fresh start and anticipation of new beginnings, that the new year brings to one's heart.

I need to keep the momentum up as we head into 2014.


Even though I will wake up a bit tired from celebrating, I will get my coffee and start the new day with hope and plans for changing back into the healthier person I know I can be!

I will go back to the basics and rebuild the old me that was the new me, last January. I am even craving oatmeal again! I haven't had any for months. I think my body wanted to hibernate. Time to wake up and smell the coffee, and roses, and life!

Walk-on dear readers, in ... to the new year … with me!

Merry Christmas - Part Two

Abby wanted to wish everyone a joyful holiday season too. These are just random thoughts she's had since Thanksgiving:

Walk-On!!!

Merry Christmas

Or Happy Holidays! Ziva just speaks dog, so I am not sure what she'd say, exactly.

We have such pretty places to go for walks:

Above is in a neighborhood near here, called Lakewood.

Below is also near here:

 "Old Mill" is an interesting park. Part of the old movie, "Gone with the Wind" was shot here. Those bridge railings look like tangled trees, but are actually sculpted from concrete!

Hope Santa is good to everyone! Don't forget to walk-on!!!

Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z

Getting enough sleep is very important for weight loss as well as healthy living. Many of us do not get enough sleep. You would think that the more you are awake, the more you burn calories. Funny thing about that though, your body needs to rest and rebuild cells. A lot of that happens when we are at rest and our metabolism doesn't have to think about other things like laundry, dishes, cleaning the toilet, what to fix for breakfast/lunch/dinner, feeding the dog, feeding the cat, getting to class, getting to the gym, going for walks, sweeping the sidewalk, etc. The brain does a lot of multi-tasking! It needs that down time to renew and rejuvenate.

Abby, often has trouble getting enough sleep. I wonder what the problem is?

I wonder?

The weather is getting friendlier for walking again. I've been busy, inside, due to ice and snow and cold. Trouble is, part of that business was baking things for holiday parties that were cancelled. Now what will I do with all this pumpkin cheesecake???

Walk-on....yes, I shall walk-on!!!

Abby has been busy during the month of November. She did her third Big Dam Bridge Full Moon Walk.

 She also was trying to figure out what to do to make her weight move back down.

  Should she workout more?

Did she need to eat
 more or less? 

She was not amused

 with her obsessing.

 

She did have a mammogram that had normal results. Her bone scan showed she was losing some bone density and had shrunk an inch!

 With her partner out of town for three weeks, she started smoking again. It is bad when you are in yoga class and wishing you could have a smoke.

She is doing ok though and has her patches ready to help her quit the smokes again. She has decided to relax and just increase her daily activity levels back to what she was doing around the beginning of the year. She'd slacked off a bit TOO much we think.

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Join Abby and I as we "Walk-On" into the rest of the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all my family and friends are having a wonderful day! If not, I hope they are not having a sucky day! I choose to just go with the flow today. I will have a few treats that are not exactly the lowest in calories. I am also eating some really good healthy foods. I wanted to focus on the day with family, rather than the day with fear of foods. It has been going just fine this way too! So Abby and I wish you all a:

Live life with amazing things. Feel good about yourself and your life.

Make the most of whatever time we have left.

AND, tomorrow, join me, Abby, and Ziva for a walk!

Giving Up INO

What would happen if I just gave up? What exactly does that mean? I have so many thoughts going through my head. I can find arguments for every type of eating and exercising plan as being the best one.
Who do I believe?
If I make a change, how long before I see results?
Am I eating too many fried eggs?
Do I have to walk a WHOLE lot more?
If I don't work out at a gym, will I be doomed to gain all the weight back?
Is Paleo right because they say they are?
Is the coffee creamer making me gain weight?
Am I eating more than I think I am?
Am I not eating enough?
Did I have too much bread last week?
Is the stress of hubby being gone, affecting me more than I think?
Is being off anti-depressants making me gain?
How delusional am I?
Is Atkins right, because Sharon Osborne swears by it?

Is it because I am not sleeping as much due to my bed warmer being in China?


I  d o n ' t   k n o w .

So what would happen, if I gave up?
Do I really have to count calories every day, for the rest of my life?
Do I really have to commit to two or three days a week, of bad ass workouts at a gym, on those machines?
Do I really have to go for hour long walks, every day,  to have them be beneficial?
And just why the "F" am I gaining weight?

Giving up is not an option. (INO = Is Not an Option)
I will find my 'happy space' in life and continue to live healthier than I was three years ago. I will keep striving to find the niches that work for me so I can stop obsessing and just get on with my life. I actually really do feel more confident that I will figure this all out, even though I have little nagging doubts that I might not.

Giving up, INO

Big salad for lunch:

Imitation crab meat

Feta Cheese

Spring salad mixed greens

Salad Dressing

Broccoli slaw (broccoli, carrots, red cabbage

Dill Pickles

Tomatoes
About 400 calories

Do you know that even if the ingredients say ZERO TRANS FATS, that there can still BE trans fats in your food? If there is less than .5% per serving the companies do not have to admit that there ARE some trans fats in their foods….er, fake foods.

That's the latest. I hope you enjoy the newest member of the WalkerLady team, Abigail Von Foodie. Actually I don't know if that is her real last name, but she is known as Abby or Abbs, around these parts. She hopes to become a regular guest on this blog. In case you didn't get the connection, Abby is my other favorite character from NCIS. Now I have Abby AND Ziva, in my life.

Walk-On! It is a wonderful day!!!

Well Poodles!

I don't know what to say. I got nothing.

The scale was up FOUR pounds this week. I honestly do not know why. I hope it is because I am not getting enough sleep. That is about the only change, due to hubby's business trip.

Anyway, I still am not giving up. I don't plan to either. I WILL get the right formula figured out so this weight gain stops. I am truly stumped on this one though. I just can't figure it out yet.

And I am in great spirits when I don't think about the scale. The weather is freakin' awesome!!! I plan to go for a good long walk tomorrow. The air is clean. The leaves are turning colors that would brighten anybodies mood. How can I be sad with all that around me?

See ya on the trails!

Are we there yet?

I feel like a little kid..."Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

I weighed in today and nothing has changed. I am still at 195, where I have been for months now... give or take a few pounds. It is scary being so close to 200 pounds. For the first time EVER in my life, I lost all this weight the right way and have kept it off for almost two years. According to all the things I've read, I think I need to lose 20-30 more pounds. I am still in the overweight category and also still have 37% body fat.

So what is going on? I don't know for sure. I started tracking my calorie intake again and I am on track for what I should be eating. I tried eating less. I tried eating more. Nothing budged. Maybe it was my exercising? I had sloughed off during the summer a bit. So I instigated the 30/30 challenge and did 30 minutes a day of walking for 30 days. Nothing budged. I am still with the gym, but I know I am under performing there. I talked to a trainer and have a new plan of attack that I will be trying for another month to see if that makes for a change.

As close as I am to what weight I should be, as set by the experts, I know it is harder to lose weight. Perhaps this is the weight I need to be at? I don't know how much more I am willing to do to lose weight. I have never had to live a life in this type of body.

I hope to work on the updates from my annual physical, later this weekend. Most of the numbers were pretty good. Since the weather is super duper right now, I plan to walk this weekend for the fun of it! I hope you all are Walking-On, too. 

Birthday Girl

Yup, it is my birthday.

Sorry I haven't posted much. I have been super busy helping hubby get ready for an extended trip to China. It wasn't a planned thing and there are a lot of preparations to make. I wish I could go with him! I do promise to update the blog soon though. I have just gotten my annual test results back and will do a posting on all the new information that brings to light.

I am walking a lot again, as the weather is super duper fantabulous!!! So happy birthday to ME and many many more...especially now that I am going to be able to enjoy my 'senior' years in a much healthier fashion!

Walk-on my dear readers! Hugs to you all!

Neigh . . . not negative

If things were different now, I would own a horse again. You really need a small farm or a good job to afford to board your horse at someone else's farm. I don't have either at this time.

I used to own a lot of horses. I had a stallion, three mares, a few yearlings, and foals. I have had horses in my life from about age 13 till age 50. I miss them a lot. I've trained a lot of horses. I never showed them in competitions much and spent more time brushing them and working with them on the ground, rather than riding. I always felt sorry for the horses when I was riding them because I was so fat.

I wish I could have a horse now. I wouldn't  want to train one anymore.  I would just like to have one to entice me outside to go visit him or her. I'd feed it an apple. I'd brush it. I'd comb the tangles out of the mane and tail. Once in a while I'd saddle it up and go for a ride. I wonder how it would be to ride a horse when I am at the weight I am at now? I bet the horse would like it, or at least not dislike it so much.

Here is a tidbit that you may not know about me. The name Walker Lady came from the horses I used to raise. I loved the breed of horse called a Tennessee Walking Horse. They don't trot like other breeds do. They do what is called a running walk, which is very smooth and not bouncy at all.

It is autumn here and the cooler weather makes me think of all the horses I used to ride all those years ago. I live in the 'burbs now, and sadly, they won't allow me to keep a horse in the backyard, even though we do have a large yard. But a girl can dream.

Hope you are all doing well! I've been walking every day for 30 minutes, so I am on track for the 30/30 challenge. Are you? If not, walk-on dear readers, walk-on!

30/30 Challenge and FitBit Flurry

I've not been a happy camper. I upped my exercise a little bit and am tracking my food again and guess what? The scale went up. BAH! Yes, it could be I am building some muscle, but somehow I don't think it is. It could be stress. I tend to pooh-pooh the stress levels I live with, as normal living that everyone does. Maybe I have more stress than I think I do? Whatever the reason, I am not thrilled that the scale is not going back into the 180's, like I think it should be. I am not over exercising. Sometimes you can over exercise and under eat. That isn't the case with me.

One constant throughout the past six months or more, has been my yoga class, twice a week. I have slacked off on walking. Biking stopped when the hot weather hit. I did finally get back in the gym and am still going there. The workouts have been mediocre at best. My heart is not in it. I wish I had money for a trainer, but I don't. The trainer I used to work with is affordable but is not available. I am trying to suck it up and do something that resembles a workout in the gym, but so far it has been hit and miss.

What am I going to try to do next? Well, I bought a FitBit and have been using it for almost two weeks now. I am liking this gadget a lot! I can see where it isn't for everyone, but for me, it is almost perfect. I like it best for tracking steps, activity, sleep patterns, and their badges help motivate. You get new badges for accomplishing things. Two that I recently got were this one for flights of stairs walked:

I was actually walking in a very hilly area. I was surprised that hills count as flights of stairs. (duh) I like that I can walk stairs without actually walking stairs. Hills are easier on knees than actual stair steps.

The other recent badge was this one for having walked over 10,000 steps:

Fitbit has motivated me several times. I seem to have a competitive nature inside me. When I noticed I was only a few hundred steps from 10,000, I made it a point to walk extra steps to achieve that! 

I really love the sleep tracking feature. I found out I slept more than I thought I did. I sleep about the same when using medication vs no medication. That really surprised me. I thought when I was on my medication, I slept better. I found out that wasn't true. 

Next week I go in for my annual checkup. I plan to ask doc about my meds. I originally took them to help 'turn off my brain' so I could fall asleep and not be anxious about things in life. I do not like taking a chemical aide to control anxiety or depression or sleep. That includes smoking and alcohol too. This is the part of changing my lifestyle that has become the hardest. The mental issues. Yes, I just said I am mental. I think most of us are. I'd like to say all of us, but I don't believe in absolutes. 

So what am I doing to change things around this time? I am starting a 30/30 challenge! Starting today I pledge to walk 30 minutes a day for 30 days in a row. I already got my first 30 done this morning! I am including the support group where I co-teach weight loss and healthier living classes. I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response from the group members! This will keep me more motivated as well as hopefully motivating my fellow support group at the same time!

This afternoon I plan to go to the gym before getting my son at school. I have been going in the mornings, but I would rather walk in the mornings. I don't know how this will go, but I am going to give it a try. I also need to make a chart to put up at the center so the group and I can track how well we are doing with this 30/30 challenge. 

That's it for today. I hope you have a great weekend! Join in the fun and pledge to do a 30/30 challenge with me! After all, it is one way you can "Walk-On"!!!

Low down at the gym, and super easy cake recipe!

I am still going to the gym twice a week. I feel I am not fully back on track yet, but I am not giving up. I was able to talk to the manager of the gym and told him of all my experiences. Even after telling him I was almost 59 years old, he did not rush me or make me feel like I was being a pain in the puddin'. (as my friend Robert would say) I have found other people are not as respectful towards their elders. This guy was. Good for him!

He listened to me and cleared up a lot of misunderstandings. That was the good thing. The bad thing is that most of my experiences were actually pretty close to how this gym is run. While I am not thrilled about it, I will deal with it and not use this as an excuse to give up. He did say they are adding classes and he thanked me for valuable feedback. He thought those that were doing the assessments were doing a better job than they were. He liked some of my suggestions and said he would like to see those implemented.

The one thing I think they should have is an intro to their machines. Just show folks how to adjust the weights and seats. Most machines are similar, so just showing that on a few of them would help beginners get off to a good start.

I don't expect a full workout when joining, but I still was disappointed in not being shown how their machines worked. Anyway, I feel placated and will continue on. Better news is that my old trainer finally got back in touch with me and he is a member of the same gym! His wife has been ill and that is why he hadn't been in touch. I am hopeful that I will be able to work out with him again soon. I would feel better with a little more guidance.

In other news, I am a member of Sparkpeople.com. I like their web site for tracking foods or exercises or weight. I have been a member for a little over two years. It is free, so the price is right. I got an email from them saying I had earned an award because I had walked 700 miles! It was true though, over the past two years I really had walked that many miles!!! Yeah me!


I am still not back where I'd like to be. I have been struggling. I have not given in, but there have been ups and downs. What am I doing about it, you ask? Ok, maybe you didn't ask, but I am going to tell you anyway. First off, I made myself go to the gym and workout. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't professional. It wasn't perfect. It was exercising on purpose though!

Today I also went back to the zero fat Fage. Not because I am concerned about fat, but more-so because I eat at least two containers per day and by going to the zero fat one, I save 100 calories per day. Every little bit helps. I preach it. I teach it. I need to also believe it.

Speaking of food, I found this fantastic recipe for cake today:  

ONE INGREDIENT NO BAKE CAKE

1. Buy one cake from a bakery or grocery store. Make sure it is one you really like.
2. Scrape off all the frosting and set that aside for later.
3. Cut the cake in large cubes and place in food processor or blender with a pulse feature.
4. Pulse the cake several times until it is all crumbly.
5. Pour cake crumbs out on a cake plate.
6. With your hands, form crumbs into the shape of a cake.
7. Get the frosting you set aside and re-frost the cake. You can microwave it for a few seconds to make it easier to use.
8. Serve to family and tell them you made it with your own two hands!

Doesn't that sound great? You don't even have to warm up the kitchen with a hot oven!

Lastly today, I have a more serious topic. I broke down and bought myself a fitbit. It is a gaget for tracking activity, including sleep, and a whole lot more stuff.

I will report on what I think of it once I have started using it. They normally cost about $100 but I am a savvy shopper and ended up paying $10 for mine. How's that for a bargain!!!

Till next time, Walk-On and be happy. Life is too short to not live happy.

Gym Games - Take Two

Yesterday I did a mile and a quarter walk and a yoga class. Yeah me!

Today I went back to the gym. Since I last posted here, I tried contacting their customer service person by phone and email. So far, no response. I also was looking at my credit card charges (I habitually keep close tabs on my finances) and saw they had charged me 11¢ on my card. I had paid them 11¢ in cash. No big deal, but it is irritating.

I also talked to a gal in the yoga class yesterday who said she was assured she would be shown all the equipment when signing up for this gym. When in the gym today I watched and it sure looked like all these new people were being shown machines to use. Remember, I had specifically asked about being shown some of the machines when I joined. I also asked the person at the front desk where the locker rooms were. She didn't ask me if I had ever had a tour of the facilities or if I wanted a tour, but she did point me in the right direction.

Maybe I am getting crabby in my old(er) age. Maybe I expect too much. Maybe I AM right in wanting to question this gym's practices and procedures! I am out there, in the community. I could be a wonderful resource for new customers for this gym. Maybe they really don't care, as long as they get the upfront fees? I hope I am wrong about that.

Ok, enough complaining. I figured out how to use several machines for an overall workout and finished up with 25 minutes on the spin bike. I wanted to add the bike so I can rebuild up my muscles for fall biking excursions with the family.

The weather is going to warm back up for a while again. This might slow down the urge to get back into walking. However, I now have the gym as a backup. It is close to home. It is easy to stop off at, after dropping my son at school. I hope to get the negative vibes taken care of so that I keep going to this gym. I think once I take my concerns and critiques to the management, I will feel I've done my best. I shall keep you posted!

Have a GREAT weekend and maybe, Walk-On!