Getting--and keeping--Your Mojo.

One of my readers asked for some thoughts on motivation. Thank you, reader! While I'm no expert, I do have some thoughts on the subject. (And if you know me, you know I have some thoughts on most subjects.)

It is the perfect time of the year to wrestle with the topic, because while we all seem to be working on improvements all the time, the beginning of the year finds us with fresh goals looking to really make changes.

We each respond to different things, so I encourage you to try these ideas, modify them or try something completely different. Motivation and success come from many different recipes. but here are some ingredients for your recipe that have worked for me--and a few bonus ideas that might work for you.

Realistic Goals: Have a long-term goal that is practical for your weight and lifestyle. But break it down and focus on shorter term goals. So, I had 30+ pounds to lose about this time last year. I wanted to lose about  a pound a week. But mostly I just wanted to keep the downward trend, no matter how long it took. Some weeks it was a victory just to maintain. Your goals may not be numbers, but just to get exercise. That's a perfectly good goal, too.

Have a Plan: Whatever your goal, the next step is how you are going to get there. Baby steps. Start with one thing. I started by biking one hour a day with a friend. Then it got cold and I got a puppy and we switched to walking one hour a day. But set yourself up for success--if you only have 30 minutes a day, go 30 minutes a day, and split it up if necessary. A few of the key parts of the sentences above worth repeating:

• Do one thing at a time (set a goal you can focus on and accomplish)
• Do it every day (we do M-F and weekends are optional)
• Put it on the calendar
• Get a buddy--or a puppy--or both
• If your buddy can't go (or you feel sick or lazy, or the weather is kind of sucky), go anyway

Celebrate Your Accomplishments: If you've met your goal for a week, reward yourself. A cafe latte (skim, of course), sleeping in on Saturday, a new book, whatever is important to you.

Get Back on the Horse: If you miss a day, start over immediately. Don't berate yourself and wait for next week. Say, "Oops," and maybe add a few minutes today. Move on...just keep moving on.

Think Good Thoughts: This one seems especially important. It is your attitude. After doing this for about a year and a half, I can't imagine a day without a walk (yes, I go on the weekends, too. And I've added new things--but that's another post). I think of it as a treat, something enjoyable...I get fresh air, I feel great afterwards, I meet people on the street or at the lake and if my friend is along, we have fun together. Look forward to your exercise as a gift to yourself. And if the weather is crappy, you're a warrior, too!

Beware, it's Habit-Forming: This is your true reward. They say that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Whatever. Sooner or later, if you stick with it, you will have a new habit and add new fun things along the way.

So, my friends, I hope this helps you get your mojo workin'. Please comment if you like, and suggest other topics, too!

Here's to ten good years (and more)!

Being Resolute

It's the new year. That time we reflect on our year gone by and set our sites on the one to come. Many of us make resolutions and resolving to lose weight is consistently the number one change people wish to make in their lives. Ah, would that it was that easy.

Resolving is important, of course. But it is just a baby step in the process, isn't it? Just the first step. If you've checked out my previous posts, you'll know that in my five years (really, five years?) of being overweight, I resolved many times to lose those extra pounds, first five, then ten, and at the highest, 40 (eek!) pounds. And you'll note that it took five years, although with a few ups and downs, to do something that worked.

And we know there are obstacles and excuses galore in this quest.
"I don't have time." "I've tried everything." "I'll do it/start tomorrow." "Everyone in my family is heavy--it's genetic." And so on. They are all real and must be contented with. Resolutely.


Let's take a closer look at that last one. It turns out there are studies that indicate this one might be real. The New York Times  published this article, The Fat Trap, yesterday, on New Year's Day, thank you very much, which tells us that our bodies continue to fight weight loss long after the weight is gone, sabotaging our exercise by conserving calories and doing all they can to return us to a state that it likes better. What?!


So we should just throw in the towel, then. 


Ha ha ha, not so fast.


First, study results may or may not apply to you. For me, I wonder if being overweight for five years qualifies, or if as the study indicates, those fat cells were formed in childhood and I am safe. While I felt fat during my teenage years, it turns out that I was doing okay, if pictures are any indication (goofy hair and outfits notwithstanding--but it was the 70s).  Can't change the past, darn it.


Second, the study was conducted by having the group all lose weight really fast with liquid diets of under 1000 calories, then the subjects were followed to see what happened when they returned to normal eating. Does losing weight fast make a difference in the results? Maybe. I lost my weight over the course of a year. A year!

And finally, it's just one or two studies. They also indicate that genetics only affect the weight of about 50% of us. So if you're in that group, you must be extra resolute. But all is certainly not lost.


I maintain that, as one of the subjects of the article mentions, it's really about finding what works for you, where you want to be and making that your lifestyle. She found a weight that she is comfortable at and puts the effort into staying there. 

Because as much as I want it to be true that you pass that finish line of arriving at the weight you want and then you can sit back, sip a margarita, and bask in your achievement, that is a recipe for losing it all--or should I say gaining it all back? It's a journey, not a destination, this is true.

If you've read my previous posts, you know that I am not a fan of giving up and particular foods, at least not for the long haul. But I think the key to losing weight--and keeping it off--is being resolute. Be aware, whether by counting calories or measuring food or whatever works for you, and stay aware. You're on the train and you can't get off. At least not without consequences.

Okay that sounds kind of negative, which is not what I meant. I love being aware and resolute. I still walk every single day, even when there are gale force winds like yesterday plummeting the wind chill to single digits--okay I didn't go for as long as usual, but I went. I still measure some of my food and count calories a few days a month to keep a check on portion- and calorie-creep. I only gained 3 pounds over the holidays (and I'm working on them immediately!).

Keep the faith--in yourself. Be resolute. You are your own study and you can do it!

Happy New Year!

Do One Thing

So we know there is no magic pill that miraculously helps us lose weight. No lotion, balm or cabbage-only diet really gets us where we want to go--at least not for long. Really, who can eat only cabbage (or bananas or fill in the blank here) for very long? Who can live without chocolate forever? Or ice cream? Or steak? But I digress.

So how do we do it, then? We all know that there is a formula known as "calories in, calories out" and that the former must be smaller than the later for this weight loss thing to happen. We know about BMI and resting metabolic rate and that we should eat right and exercise. But that is not enough. No, you have to DO something.

So, that is what happened to me. I started with one thing. I started riding my bike every day (M-F) with my good friend. That's the other secret. You have to commit to this thing. Every day. Or at least on a schedule, with the specific days and times on the calendar. Until I did that, it was, "I'll exercise three times a week," but that could always be tomorrow, right? I've talked about this before but it is a key element.

Once this plan was on the calendar, we biking every weekday and sometimes a bonus day on the weekend (ah, once a habit is formed, things start to happen, don't they?). Once the snow started to fly in Minneapolis and I got a young dog, we switched to walking but kept our schedule.

And that is where the true magic is. It sounds pretty simple, but once you do one thing, suddenly you are doing more things. Adding a faster pace for part of the run or walk. Going for a hike. Incorporating strength training Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Doing wall pushups (Okay, I'm still a pushup wimp) or squats during the news or while the chicken is cooking. 

Doing one thing is a slippery slope to doing many good things.  It's like the fresh air goes to your head (in a good way) and your body wants to do more! Yippee!

It's so easy to do just one thing. Focus on that thing and see where it takes you. You'll be sure that every decade is Ten Good Years.

Here's to you,

Lisa

Here's a list of some upcoming topics:

• The Buddy System
• Have a Plan
• My favorite low-cal snacks
• Knowledge is Power
• Oopsie...
• Going Public
• Enjoy Yourself
• Get a Life

The AHA Moment is a Myth

Yes it's true. At least for me. If an AHA moment were enough, I'd have always been 130 pounds and fit and toned. The truth is, I have had many an AHA moment. AHA! I should lose weight! AHA! I should exercise more. AHA! I should lose 30 pounds. Then...wait for it...nothing happened. Oh, sure, I was doing a few things every now and then. Dabbled in tracking my food. Went for some walks with my sweet, aging dog who loved her walks but could only go about 8 blocks, very slowly by then. Went to the occasional class at the Y. I had even lost five pounds on Weight Watchers--five years ago.

In my 30s I was a dedicated runner, running 3-4 times each week, and participating in 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons and even three marathons. But after that tapered off, I didn't have a consistent replacement and the pounds crept on. I weighed more than I ever had.

And AHA moment after AHA moment whizzed by.

The new year. When another item of clothing didn't fit anymore. When I was with friends who looked great. When I started staying in to avoid those situations. And on and on. Eight months after I started this blog with my friend Tracy (who started one, too), not much had happened.

And this was not for lack of available time. I work from home, so I had plenty of opportunity to be in control of my food and exercise. Oh, but I have a meeting, will do it later, will start tomorrow, can't afford it, it's cold/hot outside. Geez. How pathetic.     

Then, a few pounds came of as they do in the summer when I'm doing lots of work in the garden. Yay! But the day things changed was an ordinary day. I can't event tell you what day it was. No bells were ringing, no choirs singing. No big plan to "finally do something." No AHA moment.

The phone rang. And I went for a bike ride. Details in the next post: Do One Thing.

Here's to making the next decade into...Ten Good Years!

Here's the list of upcoming posts:  

• Do One Thing
• The Buddy System
• Have a Plan
• Knowledge is Power
• Oopsie...
• One Thing Leads to Another
• Going Public
• Enjoy Yourself
• Get a Life

Back in the Saddle

So 16 months ago, I was going to blog daily and start losing weight. Ha. Just like most New Years resolutions, that didn't last long (see the two entries from that time).

I didn't really start losing weight until September and really get it down to a consistent program until this January That's right. A year later.

But the good news -- and it is super good news -- is that since that faltering beginning, I have finally figured it out and lost 25 pounds!!! Yay, me!

Everyone's journey is unique to them, that's for sure. But I am picking up the blog again. Partly because I was inspired by my friend Tracy doing so with hers, Also because I found out that I like to write and this is one way to do it. And mostly to figure out and truly understand what I got right and what I need to do to continue success on the journey.

Because I am not finished.

So stay tuned. I do plan on a series of topics (I've written some of them in my head in the shower already), and will post them regularly--not every 16 months, but maybe one or two a week.

Here are a few titles I have in mind:

• The Aha Moment is a Myth
  
• Do One Thing
  
• My Buddies
• Have a Plan
• Oopsie
• One Thing Leads to Another

Please feel free to comment on things you like or don't like or if you have thoughts or questions. It's a dialogue!

What's Your Schedule?

Remember back--way back--in high school or college when that was one of the questions we all asked each other? Would I have ever made it to class if my goal was to go to English or Biology "some time today" or "three times a week?" Unlikely.

So why do I think that will work with the exercise plan--or anything else?

Nope. For me, it needs to be a little more specific...we form our habits, good or bad, by repeatedly doing or not doing something. When I was exercising most regularly in my life, it was a lot more like that college schedule. Running Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at specific times. Going to a particular class scheduled at the YMCA. Appointment exercise.

Since I am unemployed, I have the time to exercise whenever I want to. Do I? Well, um, I have an appointment, so I can't be sweaty, oops I just had lunch; I really should sit at the computer and look for a job; well, I've had some drinks at Happy Hour; oh, who just said something clever on Facebook? Maybe tomorrow.

And tomorrow? Same thing, different day.

So this time, it's back to appointment exercise. Every day. Alarm is set for 6:30 AM and by 8:30 AM I must have started my exercise. As previously stated, I am working out 5-6 days per week, every other day being cardio and alternating days being strength training.

How's it going? So far so good! Yesterday I did 31 minutes on the spin cycle (and reintroducing myself to Matt and Meridith on The Today Show). Today, 30 minutes of floor exercise flew by. I found the folder I squirreled away of exercise tips and I will start incorporating them the day after tomorrow.

It feels good! Exercise really is the tonic it is cracked up to be. Already, I am sitting straighter, "tucking in my abs," and feeling a wee bit thinner...

I am also strapping the pedometer back on, because I am a firm believer in just "moving more" and I want to see how that is going and how I can step that up. It can be the little things that add up. For instance, whenever it is about 10 degrees (with a minimal wind), I park at least a little farther away from the door at my destinations. When I'm watching TV, I stand and do something, anything....swing the legs, do some squats...something to keep the lard moving.

So, tow days down and hopefully I am building a good habit. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. So I'm not out of the woods yet!

What's your schedule?

Getting Started

My friend Tracy and I decided to join forces in our individual efforts to lose weight and improve our respective health outlooks. For me, that includes improving physically and mentally so that every decade is made up of "Ten Good Years." Why not start that at the beginning of a new decade--both for me and the world?

There are two main pieces to the effort: Move More, Eat Less. Sounds so simple. And I've had success with both parts of the equation in previous efforts. I was a runner for a long time, running three marathons and numerous 1/2 marathons, 10ks, 5ks and training runs. I was about 35 pounds lighter then (and 10 years younger) and could eat pretty much anything I wanted to...

And while I'm not saying I will never run again, I don't think it will be at the level from that time. More likely, it will be part of an exercise/movement program that includes other elements, large and small. More on that in a minute.

I've also had a handle on eating in the past, in denial (I CAN NEVER eat these things), and in eating healthfully while counting calories. Both have worked in short term, so I plan to roll out a plan that will work long-term. I like food. And unlike Tracy, there is nothing I "can't" have due to allergies or health issues. Blessing and curse? Maybe.

And accountability is a key ingredient for me, so I'm glad to have a partner in crime. :)

So here's the plan:

Move More: 30 minutes of cardio exercise every other day (M-W-F + every other Saturday). This will include walking, jogging, cycling or a workout video. On alternating days (T-T + every other Saturday) I'll take on weight training or yoga or pilates. I will chronicle what comes out of this endeavor. That's also part of the accountability.

Eat Less: I'm going to do a similar approach to Tracy in some ways, in eating "closer to the ground" a la Michael Pollen's advice "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." I will track my daily calories, carbs, fat and protein (as well as exercise) on Sparkpeople.com, which I have used before.