April

Well, apparently the blog ate my April! And I am so ticked about that! I updated it on Sunday through Sunday night. Realized yesterday I needed to add Monday and publish it and now it's gone. This does not make me happy. Especially since it was a kick-booty kind of month! I only missed one day of exercise - April 1. I was driving back from Carlisle that day and everyone was so happy to see me when I got home that I didn't want to spend one more minute on myself. I signed up for a 5K in May so I'm in training. Many days I got in over 2 miles walking/running. Some days I even took Doozer so there was a lot of pulling and tugging and moving faster than planned! Now I go run first, then take him for a walk. I also found out my cholesterol did drop from 240 to 204. So the medication is helping, but I'm having trouble tolerating it. That is still a work in process. The good news there is that my good cholesterol is better than my bad cholesterol is bad, so I have a good ratio even with a bad number. Apparently the ratio is the most important of all those numbers. So April had a lot of plusses! I just wish I could share them all here. Maybe this new format won't eat my May.

March

Day One: Excuses, excuses, excuses! Spent to much time getting Billy on the road this morning and then too much time dealing with him not being home tonight.
Day Two: Thought about it, several time, but didn't follow through. It really is a challenge to find "me" time when Billy is out of town, especially during busy season.
Day Three:ZUMBA! Only about 15 minutes but it was so much fun!
Day Four: Cleaned the house, shopping, planted outside - very active today. Gorgeous weather to be out!
Day Five: Nothing more than caring for the animals - which I'm convinced must count for something when Billy is out of town. I'm home two or three times during the day - up the stairs and down the stairs over and over and over again.
Day Six: Nothing I could really count - just the same as yesterday - except I did do some last minute cleaning before Billy gets home tomorrow - dusting and vacuuming, but not a ton of it.
Day Seven: Was so happy Billy was home that was all that mattered!
Day Eight: Missed it.
Day Nine: Missed it.
Day Ten: Walked to work and back. Wanted to ride my bike but I had a flat!
Day Eleven: Worked outside - planting flowers, carrying plants and so forth and I spent a ton of time in the kitchen. I'm always moving a lot when I cook - grabbing stuff, washing stuff and so on. Then I walked up the street to do some volunteer accounting work. Pretty active day!
Day Twelve: Did a little Zumba dancing in the wee hours this morning!
Day Thirteen: board meeting that lasted 2 hours killed it all. My thighs were still hurting this morning after all of Sunday's planting so I skipped the morning with the plan to do it after my meeting. I didn't get home until 9 o'clock and was too aggravated at that point to be productive.
Day Fourteen: started off with the best of intentions - standing on the Wii deciding whether I wanted to cycle or obstacle course and all the batteries died. Decided that was an omen that I needed to go back to bed and drink coffee with Billy. I go to work so early we don't get to do that very often during the week, especially in busy season. But all was not lost! I salvaged the day with a 30 minute walk after after dinner with Doozer. It was a beautiful night but we did more than just stroll.
Day Fifteen: I replaced all the batteries in the Wii and started my day off with about 10 mintues - while the coffee was brewing. Thought I would do more when I got home but it was not to be.
Day Sixteen: rode my bike to work and home, including lunch, so that was about 2.5 miles - even if it was spread out over 4 "rides". Also walked from the office to the bank to take care of some business and back after lunch.
Day Seventeen: Started with joining the Kiwanis Club to pick up trash this morning. Spent about 45 minutes out there. We didn't walk too terribly far or very fast, but there was a lot of bending and stretching so it was all good.
Day Eighteen: Worked out in the yard - scrubbing mold and mildew off the front porch and the garden wall. Went through 3 bottles of Clorox Clean-up. Then I gave Sadie a bath. Pretty active day.
Day Nineteen: 10 minutes on the Wii. My back and upper arms are killing me after yesterday!
Day Twenty: Started with 10 minutes on the Wii. Jog/walked 2 miles after dinner. Felt good!
Day Twenty-one: Jog/walked 2 miles after dinner. 3 minutes faster than yesterday so hopefully that means I jogged more than I walked the night before.
Day Twenty-two: according to the Wii, I'm down a few pounds this week. So nice to see the arrow heading in that direction again! I skipped my morning routine thinking I could walk after dinner but the deluge hit at work and it was already dark. Hate that I missed it!
Day Twenty-three: Took off with Doozer after dinner for the 2 mile jog/walk. Only made 1.6 miles. We ran into a friend walking her dog and stopped to visit. It was too dark to keep going and Doozer was beat. He was beat because I ran over half of the route! Yea me!
Day Twenty-four: Wasn't feeling it, but took Doozer out for our jog/walk anyway, and covered the whole miles. I still did it in about 30 minutes so even though I didn't run as much as I walked, I walked very quickly.
Day Twenty-five: Like the Sundays before, we worked outside. We expanded our patio and all with repurposed bricks from elsewhere around the house. Lots of bending and stooping and carrying and moving. Overall, about 3 hours outside. Felt good and the day was just too beautiful to not be outside enjoying it.
Day Twenty-six: Recovery day. And that is what it is! My thighs hurt from all the lifting yesterday, my back is sore. Going to crawl in bed early and "exercise" my right to rest.
Day Twenty-seven: Started off with 10 minutes on the Wii while I waited for the coffee to brew. Finished the day with 2.12 miles walk/jog.
Day Twenty-eight: 10 minutes on the Wii while the coffee brewed and the puppies ran around outside. I did have to laugh. Doozer came in and rested his paws on the balance board while I was exercising. The Wii told me my weight was very different - did I want to proceed? Glad to know it's watching out for me. Finished the night with a 2 mile walk with Doozer. He is loving it! But he's still a handful on the leash so we can't do it every night. At least not yet.
Day Twenty-nine: Little bit of time on the Wii this morning, but not much. The work hours are getting to me and I slept a little longer. Started out on my run but it go called on account of rain after a mile. I can take heat and I can bear cold but I HATE getting wet.
Day Thirty: few minutes on the Wii. Mostly focused on getting things done so I can leave early in the morning.
Day Thirty-One: had more important things to do today. Drove to Carlisle to spend the day with my grandmother. Most likely will not have another chance.

February

Day one: missed it
Day two: missed it
Day three: missed it
Day four: Dancing at a party!
Day five: missed it
Day six: board meeting right after work, missed exercising
Day seven: board meeting at 7, got home from work at 6, returned from board meeting at 8:30 and went to bed
Day eight: working late, missed it
Day nine: working late, so tired and not feeling well
Day ten: parade at 6, dancing on the float!
Day eleven: worked all day, had a party that night, missed getting any real exercise
Day twelve: squeezed in 10 minutes on the Wii
Day thirteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day fourteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day fifteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day sixteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day seventeen: dancing on the parade float!
Day eighteen: dancing, dancing, dancing at the Grand Ball
Day nineteen: gave myself a well-deserved break mentally and physically
Day twenty: got to work at 6:20 in the morning left and drove 4 hours to Clarksdale, worked until 5:30. Fell asleep after dinner.
Day twenty-one: got up early and did 15 minutes on the bike in the hotel fitness center
Day twenty-two: Ash Wednesday. Attended services at 6:30 this morning and fasted.
Day twenty-three: walking, about 20 minutes
Day twenty-four: about 15 minutes on the Wii
Day twenty-five: walked around town, up and down the street between work and the literary conference
Day twenty-six: thirty minutes on the Wii, plus a went grocery shopping with Billy and we were all over the store
Day twenty-seven: started the day with 15 minutes on the Wii
Day twenty-eight: long day at work then had to prepare a report for a board meeting. Sounds like excuses to me.
Day twenty-nine: left for New Orleans at 6:30 this morning but still cycled on the Wii for 15 minutes while the coffee was brewing.

Not my best month, but I'm trying to keep in mind that right now I'm working on re-establishing my habits. Anything is better than nothing. And some days are just better than others.

Timing Is Everything

Can I just go on record by saying that the height of Mardi Gras season was NOT the time to try to get myself back on track!

And not for the reasons you might suspect.

I did not overindulge at the parties. One, I really am not big on most party foods since they involve dips (I don't do dips at all) or appetizers with onions or other foods I don't care for and two, I knew I had to drive myself home so drinking was limited as well.

No, the problem was the sheer volume of activities! Since the first week of January through last weekend not one week went by without at least one party, and most had two or three, including work nights.

It got hard to figure out a routine when you're trying to plan how to get everything done, and no day is the same as the next. I sometimes envy those who have set work hours at a set location. I don't have that. The week of the Mardi Gras parade and Grand Ball I hit the 60 hour mark by 3:30 Friday afternoon. That didn't leave a lot of extra time for exercising, or even worrying about what I was eating. I was concerned a couple of those days that I'd even get to eat, period.

But I did get exercise - mostly dancing on the float and at the balls. I do love to dance! Don't do it well, but I enjoy it.

So, with that behind me I did do better this week. I worked out of town but used their fitness room and have tried to get my days planned a little better since I should only be leaving one more time for a long while. Still will have some crazy hours, but at least one major activity is off my plate.

And don't misunderstand. I was definitely "Mardi-Grased" out by February 18 but I would not have missed the opportunity for anything. I think I only missed 3 functions during the whole time (the royalty handbook said we were to attend all functions to which we were invited and I am a rule-follower, you know) and I was worn out with everything else going on, but I met some wonderful people and made terrific new friends and enjoyed myself immensely!

So, time to try again to get my "house" in order and get back to my game plan.

January

Day One: 52 minutes on the Wii
Day Two: did things around the house, including giving a wiggling dog a haircut! That should count for something.
Day Three: missed today. Didn't get home from work and meetings until 8 and Billy is out of town
Day Four: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Five: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Six: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Seven: danced, danced, danced at a Mardi Gras party
Day Eight: mostly rested but also worked on my dance routine for the Call-Out Ball. Not strenuous but I was up and moving
Day Nine: missed today. Billy's been sick and last night was the first in several that either of us slept so I didn't get up early and after work there was a board meeting and a football game.
Day Ten: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Eleven: 31 minutes on the Wii (hard minutes!) and I walked from one client to another for a presentation and then back. Felt get to get outside, if only for a few minutes
Day Twelve: sore muscles from boxing last night. Just got in a few balancing games on the Wii.
Day Thirteen: missed but totally worth it! Had a Mardi Gras duchess party tonight so no time to exercise. Better yet, barely had time to eat.
Day Fourteen: had to work, but that included moving and setting up new computers and walking around the office and so forth, not as sedentary as usual. Nothing I can quantify, but I did stretch some muscles.
Day Fifteen: kind of a rest day, but not entirely. I had to finish up with the computers this morning, still moving and stuff. Then I did a few things around the house and did some grocery shopping. So, again, nothing I can quantify but better than just sitting around.
Day 16 to Day 20: rough week. Worked out of town. Went to work early and stayed late at the client to maximize our time on-site and we ate out every meal. Tried to do okay with the meals but got very little exercise until Friday night rehearsing for the Call-Out Ball.
Day 21: Dancing at the Call-Out Ball! Tons of fun and good exercise!
Day 22: Had to go clean up the City Auditorium after the Ball. Carried furniture, walked up and down the stairs in the sections. Maybe nothing quanitifiable, but still moving and working the muscles.
Day 23 to 27: Another rough week. Was home, but Billy left on Thursday and it seemed that being gone for a week everything in the office piled up. Too much stress this week.
Day 28: Decorate the Community Center for the Dukes and Duchess' party and then danced at the party itself. No small feat in 6 inch platform boots.
Day 29: A few minutes on the Wii - balance games, some aerobics. Trying to stay in the habit before it leaves me completely.
Day 30: Needed a break. Mentally and physically. Being a "single" mom of 7 when Billy is out of town, in busy season, is draining.
Day 31: Not feeling well. Nothing major, mostly tired. Had to prepare for board meeting tonight so not much exercise other than climbing the stairs several times today - but that still counts for something!

Monthly Reports

One of the things that helped me the most when I first started this journey was the weekly meetings of HealthQuest.

The weekly weigh-ins, I should say.

In typical, Deanne-the-perfectionist-fashion, I didn't want to somehow "disappoint" the lady recording my weekly weight in my log so I was always certain to make sure it went down a little each week. Some weeks were, obviously, better than others but it was the knowledge that someone other than me would know how I did that helped keep me focused.

Have no fear, I am not ABOUT to tell you how much I weigh. No way, no how. But I am going to give you my exercise "journal" each month. It will post at midnight on the first of the following month.

Which means I have to keep it current or you'll know I've failed at even the most basic of tasks. I don't expect comments or that you'll even read them but it is ME knowing I'm putting something out there PUBLICALLY that I HOPE will keep my focus on the exercise.

Because for me it is all about the exercise.

I can eat a lot or little but if I don't do something physical it just sits on me the same way.

So, you all are my public watchers. You will know if I tried or made excuses; if I stayed on task or wandered off the path; if I cared enough to try.

Be kind.

The Small Victories

I want to share this picture with you.

Not because I want to name drop (Duece McAllister), and not because a friend saw it and thought I'd dropped 10 pounds (but who wouldn't when standing next to that brick wall of a man!) but because of the jacket. Yes, I think it is lovely and all Mardi Gras-ish and festive, but more importantly because I purchased it in the early 1990s.

For those that, like me, don't realize it, it is 2012 and the early 1990s were almost 20 years ago.

I share it because I needed the reminder of how far I've come. There were many, many years that I couldn't wear that jacket. I know because I tried. A few times I managed to get my arms into the sleeves but it was nowhere close to closing in the front.

It fastened when I wore it on Thursday night. Easily, and with room to spare.

So, to myself, good job on not losing faith in yourself and continuing to focus! Despite the crazy schedules and traveling and stresses. It would be so easy at this point to just give in to all the comfort foods and bad habits and all that accompanies those. But I won't.

I am too important to me.

I am valued, and valuable, and my health is the most important thing. Without it, nothing else will matter. I wouldn't be able to enjoy whatever Life was handing me.

So, if you find yourself in a rut or feeling discouraged or just down about it all, find your small victory. That mile that comes easily now that you couldn't walk a year ago. Or that dress you'd thought you'd never wear again but hadn't donated to charity yet because you loved it. Or playing with your children or grandchildren or puppies or whatever that maybe you couldn't enjoy a few years, or even a few months, ago.

It is the small victories that truly count the most. They are what keep us motivated and moving in the right direction. The small victories are what add up to the bigger ones, which ultimately culminate in our overall goals.

So celebrate them!

Do Over

Perhaps I should have read my post from last May after I wrote it. Like, several times so it would have taken root.

Doctor's office called today. I didn't want to take that call. You know when everything turns out well you get a letter. Phone calls mean something.

Now, with all the testing that was done, I did get the best of the not so good news. My cholesterol clocked in at 240.

240.

I'm supposed to be under 180.

I'm nowhere close.

So, it's back to another doctor, another plan, a real goal this time. A true mission.

Wish me luck!

Thought for this Tuesday

Saw this in my Denise Austin newsletter this morning: make peace with your past - so it won't spoil the present!

What a great thought! The past is just that, past. Over. Gone. Done with. Every day is chance for a new beginning. A fresh start.

If you're not where you want to be, get there. Get started. There's no time like now.

The Best of Intentions

I never intended for a post on May 1, 2011 to be the last one of the year. With this one, it won't be.

I became the "poster child" for what stress can do to you - physically, emotionally, all the "ally"s - this past year. For those that don't read the Random Thoughts blogs, my brother-in-law was killed in an accident on June 7, 2011. That single-second event changed our world in so many ways. Because Billy was gone so much helping his family, I had more to do here at home. Which meant less time for me. And once I got really out of my routine, that was it. And as the stress and strain of Life continued to mount, getting back into my routine was almost lost forever.

I checked my Wii calendar the other day and you could see it. Right before your eyes, in living color. January, February, March - never missed a day. The height of busy season but I was dedicated. At least to weighing myself and monitoring when I did get to exercise. In April, the only days I missed were those when I was in Washington DC becoming a certified fraud examiner and then one more that I can't figure out what I as going that day.

Missed a few more in May, but not many. In June, I missed the day of Dale's funeral, and then more towards the end of the month as Billy became busier.

In July, it was obvious. I barely made it at all. I never missed an entire month in the last six, but it got awfully close a couple of times. It appeared I turned on the Wii more out of guilt, or as an afterthought.

And it shows. I have a long road to hoe to get back where I was.

On the plus side, I have gotten healthy before and I can do it again. This time, though, the reasons are a little different. I will admit to a mild case of depression this summer and fall. I wasn't getting up and exercising because I was barely getting up in time to get to work. I didn't let it completely take over my life, but I did let it get to a very big part of it. Thing is, if I could have exercised, I know I would have felt better and helped combat some of that depression. But depression is very real and has its own agenda.

But I'm better. I'm doing the things I enjoy again, like writing and exercising and reading and so forth, but still not to the same level as before. But at least I'm not sitting and staring off into space. I am doing something.

As I tend to do, I look for opportunities for fresh starts. I've been on the Wii every day but one since last Sunday. Wanted to start again and come up with a new plan so I started on a Sunday - beginning of a new week.

And tomorrow is a new week, new month, new year.

An excellent opportunity to get on track and start working towards getthing healthier - both mentally and physically.

And I'll be looking to you all for support. Those are my intentions for the new year!

Happy, healthy, 2012!