.

.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

TMS Show and Tell

As some of you know I cohost a blog called The Motivation Station... We supply challenges for our readers and each other with a lot of motivation and support along the way...
With my 46th birthday being less than four weeks away I'm challenging myself to lose 9lbs, not with the tips I've learned from TMS but with the new found inspiration I share with my cohosts... We all know how to lose weight but until you really desire it or my case wrap your mind around it, you'll never actually do it... and the biggest way to do it, is to make a plan, but a plan that you are able to follow as an individual...
I've been trying to plan exercise into my day to day schedule that I would stick to... however on the days I leave at 8am and don't get home til 6pm, I wasn't finding that 15 minutes to feel motivated so I was giving up on the whole week... til I realized that the work I do outside the home is so physical that I can forgo exercise on those days... Many of us at TMS have got in the habit of wearing pedometers everyday... 10,000 steps a day equal 5 miles... on work days I average 10,000-14,000 steps a day and do a lot of lifting... on my days off I only get in 2000-4000 steps, so those are the days that require scheduled exercise...

For my 40th birthday I bought a weight system with high hopes... however my family as been a little less than supportive... it keeps getting buried in the garage... so that I was discouraged from using it since I had to clear stuff off of it every time... and hubby would clean the garage only to use the weight system as a border for everything...
So in my first step in my plan, son2 has cleaned the garage for me and cleared up and dusted off the weight system once again...
the first three are before pictures....






and after... I just need a little path to get to it...


there it is......


I've also learned from Martha, our Wednesday cohost, about exercise balls... she works from home and is at the computer all day so she uses an exercise ball to sit on instead of a chair... a lot of my reason for not getting a lot of steps in on my days off is because I spend a lot of time on the computer those days... so I have purchased an exercise ball and am sitting on it as I type... and already I have noticed a difference as you have to be aware of your posture so as not to fall off, your feet have to be planted more firmly in front of you so I am already feeling it my legs, hips and butte... plus even though it says not to bounce on it, when the music is playing, it's hard not to...




The main thing though even if I don't get in all the exercise that I have planned is the NOT eating... I am a head,emotional eater... So I am trying very hard to keep all thoughts of food, eating and how I am feeling in the foremost of my thoughts... I am only one person I need to eat for one person, not two or three... So I'm not making a plan of what I should eat but a plan to NOT EAT... this meaning, yes, cut out sodas and desserts but to limit everything to just one and to actually listen to my stomach if it is full or hungry... so this is not a plan to plan out all the healthy things I am going to eat but a plan to cut my eating habits down to size to fit one person...
On days I work oatmeal for breakfast, but only one package not two... my usual lunch of chimichanga and oatmeal... but then dinner would be the hardest... I have been using smaller plates but still getting seconds and eating a bit of everything I cooked instead of just what I wanted... I'm only one person, food is to sustain us for life, not to shovel in til everything is gone...
The hardest part is my days off... There's the kitchen with the tortilla chips and popcorn... yesterday and today are my days off... yesterday for breakfast I had three eggs with toast, why not only one egg... however I did not eat again until my stomach actually grumbled about 2:30pm... I made a sandwich of chicken lunchmeat and cheese on wheat bread... dinner I made a big pot of chicken, rice and veggie soup... I did have a piece of bread and some coleslaw with my soup... so it's not gonna happen all in one day... the four week challenge is not to torture myself but prove to myself that I can try my hardest this time and not succumb to defeat after the first day... today I had a blueberry muffin... and water all day yesterday and so far today...
I also take a multivitamin, a vitamin D and a spoonful of apple vinegar(said to curb appetite)... it may be true as this is also my eating week of the month, so those salty chips and popcorn are really calling loudly...

Exercise Plan:
Sunday~after work: exercise ball if on computer, crunches, stretching and weight system...
Monday~ long day at work
Tuesday~ long day at work or if day off: exercise ball if on computer, crunches, stretching and weight system...
Wednesday~ day off: exercise ball if on computer, crunches, stretching and weight sytem...
Thursday~long day at work
Friday~family night
Saturday~family day: plan family outings that include hiking or walking...

Happy Journaling...

7 comments:

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You have a plan and now all you need do is put it to work. Sounds like you are determined. My son that is an art teacher and does caricatures for a side job in the summer uses one of those balls. He says it is great as he's at it for hours on end a lot of days. He does the county and state fairs. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

slj said...

Lol..I had just been thinking that I should get out and walk tonight. Reading your blog, I decided to actually do it..versus just Thinking about it..lol..
Maybe I should make a plan that I have to stick too.
I hope it works for you..You do sound determined.
Very nice of Son2 to give you a hand with getting things out of your way..
Good Luck!
Sheri

betty said...

9 pounds in four weeks is really doable, Linda; and it seems like you have a great plan to accomplish it! You know you are on to something when you had those 3 eggs for breakfast that one morning. I find if I have protein for breakfast, I'm less likely to be hungry sooner in the morning and it helps me not crave carbs all day. So just try a little protein here and there, especially in the mornings. Good idea about the exercise ball. I'm trying to think how that would work with my foot pedal for work; somehow I can see it be a disaster, but it is something to consider :)

good luck! I can't wait to hear your progress!

I think we have one of those gyms buried in our garage too.

betty

Martha said...

Excellent Linda! I think you really have a great workable plan in place! Congrats on getting the weight system back to where you can use it too!

All the little changes add up to a big difference, you are definitely on the right track!

I am so happy you are part of the TMS team. You are such a team player and always make such a terrific effort on each and everyone of the challenges. You have no idea how motivating that is to me! :-)

Tina said...

Very inspirational...and I need this kind of inspiration right now. I hope you really do the plan! It will be good for you, and good for me too:)

I will be interested in hearing how you feel about that ball after awhile. I have never thought of having one at the computer. Hmmmmm...

Barbara said...

I read your blog a couple days ago, everyone had said pretty much what I was thinking so I didn't comment but, one thing you said has stuck with me. I am one person and I only need to eat enough for one person. I have thought about that for the last 3 nights when fixing my dinner plate. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck on your plan.

MrsSpock said...

I, too, work from home like Martha, and have been sitting on the exercise ball as she recommended. I love it!