Let’s Do This!

14 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by murfkitten in Fitness, Renewal

Imagine

How about instead of just imagining, let’s DO THIS!  And so a new chapter and new re-start of the journey begins…

One week is already under my loosening belt with 5 lbs down, and I am looking forward to a second week getting back to the run/walk program that has been the base of my fitness routine desires for a while now.

I’m feeling good about this re-start and believe that this will stick.  I plan on it sticking!  It will stick!  It has stuck!!

 

The Plan:

  • Walk/Run x 3 each week
  • #wycwyc alternating 10 squats/pushups when I visit the loo at the office
  • Drinking 2L of water daily
  • Calorie management targeting 1000 / day
  • No self-flagellation or doubt.  Just do it, because I can do it.  Yes, I can!

(Aside: Can you believe it’s been 26 years since the Just Do It campaign was launched by Nike??  Loved that campaign!)

Today, I slept in so the walk/run will be after work but dinner has been prepped so I’ve no excuses to not get it done as soon as I get home and get lazy.  I’m excited as I type this, and can’t wait ’til 4:30 when I can get home and move into week 2 feeling strong.

Here we go!

 

 

Life

18 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness, Job Search

Well, the Progress has definitely taken a slide of late – a victim of too many summer BBQ’s and get-togethers with friends and family.  But what is life without too many summer BBQ’s and get-togethers with friends and family??  Never say ‘No’ to those because life can, sadly, be too short and you don’t want to miss it!!  Did I love being the fat chick sitting beside the pool while everyone else was swimming and enjoying cool water?  No, but at least I was there and enjoying being there to share the day.  And I wore a 1 size smaller skort than I wore a month ago so Yay!!  And it was 50% off so Double Yay!!

Body Reset Smoothie

But it is time to get back to my commitment to The Body Reset and get back to those delicious smoothies again for awhile – so good and so filling with the added bonus of being cool on a brutally hot summer day!  They are easy, portable and so yummy that I’ll have them anytime – running out to work for an evening, after a busy day, whatever.

Also got another tool in the battle of the bulge – another Gaiam product as the sale is ongoing at the store!  Got myself the Reformer to target those pesky core muscles that have gone flabby and do something about getting my taught tummy back someday!!  So I have the tools, now I need the commitment and will and I think I have those.  I think I do.

In the meantime, the job hunt continues at a snail’s pace.  Seeing some light there but not wanting to jinx anything, I’ll leave it at that for now.

murfkitten

 

 

Progress

09 Jul 2013 1 Comment

by murfkitten in Fitness

Well, what do I see here??  A 17 pound loss??!!  Pour moi??  Is that, dare I say, Progress?!  Huh.  Who woulda thought that actually having a plan and a goal might pay off?  :p

Full Disclosure – I started something new and completely off of my plan.  I started doing a beginner Zumba video that I found on YouTube and that seems to be helping both in getting me moving and sweating, and also just plain old having fun.  Sure, the instructor is Scandinavian and I can’t understand what she’s saying and, sure the music is primarily in spanish and I can’t understand what they are saying but heck, I can follow along in my living room and it doesn’t cost me a thing.  And it’s fun.  Did I mention that it’s fun??YouTube

Weird coincidence – I followed a car into my work’s parking lot and the license plate had a Zumba reference on it and it got me to thinking – I like to dance, I need to get fit… Hmmmm.  Cut to 45 mins later and that car’s driver is at my cash so I asked her about it.  She gave me a website and a name and, after checking that out and realizing that there would be expenses involved, I figured I’d look on YouTube.  YouTube has everything, after all.

Toning BallAlso a good development – We are having a SALE!!  Lots of Gaiam Yoga stuff on sale at 50% off.  Add that with my employee discount (God, how I love my employee discount) and Voila!  I now own a Gaiam Toning Ball and Workout DVD set for $13.  Yes, $13.  Plan to use it, too.  (Read that I haven’t yet, but I will.  Yes, I will).  And there’s a shortened video for that on YouTube, too!!

Progress, people!!

murfkitten

That’s a smile on my face. Can you see it??!!!

 

 

And again…

30 May 2013 2 Comments

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness, Renewal Tags: , ,

And so, while it isn’t Monday, it’s time to get back on track and start again to focus on my health and fitness, and work to bring the future that I imagine closer to the future that I will have.

TomorrowThis came along at just the right time and is now the desktop on my computer so that it reminds me  every time I mindlessly play solitaire and waste my time away, that I need to be making my future happen – and it won’t by sitting on the computer playing solitaire!!

So I’m going back to my plan of eating five times a day, 3 smoothies and two low fat/high fibre snacks, to help kick my metabolism into action.  My previous weight loss has diminished over the past week or so, and the numbers have crept back up on the scale so I’m going to add some cardio and strength training, though I have to watch that the cardio is low impact, since I have shredded my plantar fascia and need to be able to walk at the job.  😦

At the same time that I’m rebuilding and renewing on the health front, I’m redesigning the way I tackle the job hunt and starting to reach out to LinkedIn contacts and ask for help.  You know, they thing “they” say is the “new and only way to find a job these days.  It’s pretty much a full time job looking for a job – a job that will be fulfilling, challenging and rewarding, not just a job.

So lots of renewal going on here.  I hope you keep renewing every day, as well.  Make sure what you are doing today is getting you closer to your tomorrow!

Enjoying the sun

Related articles

Wasted

22 May 2013 Leave a comment

by murfkitten in Fitness, Renewal

I’ve seen the future and, honey, let me tell ya, it isn’t pretty.

I recently visited a dear friend who has some significant health issues.  She is a diabetic, significantly overweight and has great difficulty walking and climbing stairs.  And if I don’t do something about my own weight, that will be my future.  It isn’t a future that I want for myself – a future of discomfort, of needles and of heavy – emotionally and physically.

Jillian MichaelsI went to the Jillian Michaels “Maximize Your Life” evening just before seeing my friend.  While I liked the show, I didn’t LOVE it to be honest with you, but she is right – the choice is mine to make as to what I want my future to hold.  Do I want a future of pain and the inability to walk or do I want a future of lightness, activity, full engagement and health.  Gee, let me think about it…

Do I want this….

Walker

or Do I want this…

Enjoying the sun

So, it’s time to get back to The Body Reset Diet and start forcing myself onto my own aching feet to get myself more fit and physically active and back to life!!  Heading towards the life that I want and away from the life that could be.

I’ve spent enough time here on the chair thinking about getting back to life.  It’s time to start doing it and stop wasting precious time.  And on that note…  Enjoy!!

Day 3

07 Jan 2013 3 Comments

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness

The stars have aligned as I start this new journey.  I have only one shift at work over the coming two weeks, so it’s just a perfect time to kick off the exercise and food control parts of the journey.  Sure, I’d like to have more work but I’m also celebrating having the time to start my plan.  And what is that plan, you ask?  Well, here’s the outline of it at this initial stage:

ImageI am starting Dr. Alejandro Junger’s 21-day Cleanse, Detox and Diet program today.  If you haven’t checked into this program, it’s definitely worth a look.  It isn’t anything like the Lemon Juice/Cayenne/Maple Syrup plan, as the Clean program includes food – Clean food.  Lots of organics, lots of steaming, fish and chicken and grains.  It’s gluten free too, so introduced me to brown rice pastas which have turned out to be a nice surprise.  And there are smoothies too, which are really good!  And make eating on the run really easy.  I read several reviews of this plan before doing it the first time (when I lost 10 lbs, by the way) and they were all positive and described the cleanse as very doable.  I can attest that it was for me and I definitely looked and felt a lot better – clearer headed, clearer skin (and I have clear skin, so it was kinda amazing) and just so damn proud of myself for sticking to it!

Run/walk on treadmill – Many years ago now I bought myself a good quality treadmill and I am pleased to say that I did not let it become a clothing rack.  I’ve used it (albeit sporadically) since I’ve owned it and have to say that it was, without a doubt, the best investment in myself and my fitness that I have ever made.  Whenever I’ve been feeling shlubby, I just hop on the treadmill and do 30 mins of some movement (even if it’s -30 outside) and I feel better just for having done it.  Love my treadmill!  So I’m using it to help get back at it again.  My version of Old Faithful because he’s always there for me and he will be again.  I’m starting out with a 30-35 minute walk/jog at 3.2.  I know it’s slow and nothing like what Jillian Michaels would approve of, but it’s a start for me and I need to be sure that I can still walk afterwards to work (Plantar fasciitis, remember?).

Slimin6Debbie Siebers Slim in 6 program from Beachbody.  Now don’t let the title of this program freak you out into thinking I have an unrealistic goal here.  I get that I won’t be Slim in 6 of anything (except maybe slimmer in six months!) quickly and without work.  But I enjoy Debbie Siebers and her workouts.  This program uses bands to help build lean muscle mass and strength training, some cardio and some floor work.  Covers all areas in 3 stages – there is a Start It Up for the first two weeks, then you move to Ramp It Up for another two weeks and finally to the Burn It Up program to really kick it.  Of course you can do it at your own pace and do one of the programs for more or less than the recommended two weeks, and I like that flexibility.  She also provides options for newcomers and pros.  All in all, I like the program and it will add nicely with my treadmill workout to give me an overall fitness plan to start.

So that’s the plan, in a nutshell.  Also logging and tracking my foods in the journal from the last post.  And, oh yeah, down another little bit (but only a little bit).  But it’s down!!

Have a good one!  Be gentle with yourself, but not too gentle!  🙂

Renew Anew

02 Jan 2013 1 Comment

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness, Renewal

Well, the New Year has come and it is time to make those same old resolutions as with each year past.  Or not.  Perhaps it is time to make a plan instead of a resolution, as resolutions fail more often than not.

Trust me, I have failed many times but I continue to get up and try to move forward.  Be that in weight loss, fitness, self-awareness or in my career.  In each area, I have struggled, succeeded, overcome and failed.  Again and again.  But I keep on getting up, brushing myself off, and rising again.  It is one of my more positive character strengths, and I don’t know where it has come from but I’m very glad it is there.

So I have a plan.  A plan that is about forward movement and movement in general.

The plan includes a meal program that is a reasonable, Weight Watcher‘esque plan that will see a gradual weight loss progression towards my equally reasonable goal of losing 20 pounds in 4 months (by April 30, 2013).  More weight loss, earlier would, of course, be better for me but I’m not going to me mean to myself and require more than my body and life can give.

I desperately want to get back to running, but I’m scared to do so given how badly my feet hurt (and my plantar fascia is strained) on the floor at my workplace.

Anatomical diagrams illustrating the component...

Anatomical diagrams illustrating the components of the plantar fascia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I can’t jeopardize my work to run, despite that I think they would both be better off!

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to be gentle with myself.  It’s a struggle for me to do that, as I am a typical Type A personality, but if I’m not gentle with myself who will be??  I have realized that I make mistakes, I fail, and I am human.  All of these are ok.  It is NORMAL to gain weight, lose weight and gain again or to succeed and fail.  You can’t know success until you fail, after all, so it’s all about what you learn as you go.  Having had a great deal of success and a great deal of failure, I’ve learned that it’s the getting back up that is the ultimate payoff.

I’m not registering for Weight Watchers this time out, though I think it’s a good program for many people.  Mostly I’m not because I can’t commit to the meetings or the costs at this point.  I’d much rather put my available funds into a good pair of running shoes that will see me through another 500 km.

I will do my first official weigh-in tomorrow (Jan 3) and that will be my starting point for the next few months.  It would be too brutal to do an official weigh-in today, the first day after the holidays, so I’m opting to be gentle with myself but realistic.  Tomorrow is good.  I’ll start there with a goal to be under 200 lbs by the end of April 2013.  I’m hopeful, but am more than that.  I’m pro-active. 🙂

So at this time of the year, I think it is important to be kind to ourselves.  To recognize that we may have tried before and not succeeded as much as we may have wanted, but that we can re-commit and continue in our journey to Renew Anew.

Renew Anew with me, folks.  We’ll get there!!

Image

Pack ‘er up, Baby!

26 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness

So I’m packing up the past and moving in a positive and healthy direction!  Throwing out a lot of darkness and disappointments, and packing away some very good memories  that I need to get beyond in order to move forward.  They’ve been a great comfort, but have also stalled me, kept me stuck in a rut and in a place that is holding me back from where I want to be.  So it is time that they be carefully packed away for safe keeping until those memories can become warm, comforting memories of the past instead of a roadblock to progress.  Moving on!

And speaking of darkness and disappointments…..

This is our starting point.  Photo is from July, but nothing’s changed since then (the rut, remember??)

New reading

08 Nov 2012 1 Comment

by murfkitten in Fitness

O M G, I’ve found the most amazing Christmas gift for a writer who occasionally experiences blocks (like myself, obv,) or a writer wannabee!!  (Raincoaster – do not read this!!) 
Could not leave the store last evening without purchasing a copy with someone in particular in mind.  Yes, I realize that I am building the suspense to a point where you need to find out of which gift I am speaking,  but if you are raincoaster, go away.  Otherwise, continue to read…
What I have found, on referral from a client, is a journal that is filled has ideas to write about for each day!  It’s awesome!  I bought two!!  642 Things to Write About  It has ideas like this – “You are awakened in bed by the wife of the man you are in bed with – what are you thinking?!” or “You are the new President of the United States.  642 outrageous and witty writing prompts will get the creative juices flowing in no time. What’s on your agenda today?”  Interesting ideas to get the juices flowing, no?  (I’m just hoping that Raincoaster isn’t reading this or he/she/it might know what one of his/her/its Christmas gifts might be…)




(Raincoaster may resume his/her/its reading pleasure…)

Ok, for those of you who signed on to find out about my fitness regime and crap like that, gotta say that I haven’t started yet.  DID get the hubby to get my treadmill back in order so it is ready for me when I decide to get the butt back onto it, but in the meantime, I’m reading books about working out and getting in shape.  Does that count for anything??  Probably not, but for those who might want to know why I’m struggling, perhaps the book I’m currently reading will give you a clue to my workout routine.  It is a book by Luc Carl, called The Drunk Diet.  I think he gets me, really!!  I want to get fit, but am not fully committed to giving up the love of the drink (though in my case, a nice glass of wine, not beer)
So you may understand now why I’ve not really (or actually) begun the fitness segment of my ‘once and again renew anew‘ plan, but I’m still working towards that.  And that means I’m pretty normal, really, so I need you to hang in there with me.  I’m still working through!!  Am growing out my hair, as Luc has done, but am still trying to psych myself up for the first treadmill run.Let’s face it, though, the treadmill is less daunting than the street run, in that there is no uneven terrain and there is (more importantly) no freakin’ cold weather!!  While I love running in the rain, even a cold rain, I don’t love running in the fall transition from lovely warm fall weather to the cold, damp fall/winter weather that we are now in.  Should’a got out there before now, but now I’m working on the treadmill phase.  Once I’m back on the ‘mill, and the winter sets in with all of it’s beauty (and I love running on a summer’s eve) I’ll be fine and get back outside.  Just gotta start inside for now, which sucks.  Since I’m on my feet all day, and I have ‘bad’ feet in the first place, I’m going to restart my running on the low impact treadmill and lose some poundage, before I hit the outside streets and enjoy the Christmas lights and season on outdoor runs.
So stick with me and I’ll stick with you as we face the journey together.  It will all be worth it in the end, and you may learn something (or get some tips anyway) along the journey!!Enjoy!!

Day 2

01 Oct 2012 Leave a comment

by murfkitten in Diet, Fitness, Job Search

Day two of the journey and you’re still here!!

Just home from a session with my VERY patient Career Counsellor, who is gently bringing me to a place where I have renewed confidence to pursue new, interesting and challenging career opportunities.  Who knew resumes were so hard work to develop and meant so much??  Achievement-based is, apparently, the way to go now.  News to me, too.  Well, I guess everyone knew, but I’m a tad on the lazy side and would pretty much do anything else but work on my resume!

Clearly the new resume style works, as I now have an interview with Chapters/Indigo and I’ve wanted to work there since I quit my job in November 2011.  Interview is tomorrow, so I’m off to google what I might expect.

Was planning on signing up for Weight Watchers today but have I mentioned that I am lazy??  Didn’t get there, nor did I start my new Run My Butt Off plan from Runner’s World.  But hey, it’s only Day 2 and I have an interview tomorrow!!  Slack, people.  Cut me some!!

So tonight is a walk and an evening prepping for, oh yeah, have I mentioned I have an interview tomorrow??  Just a tad nervous…  Fingers crossed!  Hope yours are too!  Enjoying the journey.  🙂