100 Days Challenge - Day 42 and 43 - Making it Matter and Making Choices

The theme of Day 42 in "The 100 Days Challenge" by Linda Spangle which I am using as a resource on my journey is  Make it Matter.  The description of this theme is:   If you aren’t sure if you really want to take action on something such as your weight, ambivalence will usually win. To get past this roadblock, you have to raise the importance of your goal and make it matter. Think about all the things that bother you about being overweight, then just convince yourself that it’s crucial you make changes in this area.

Since I just re-listed my goals two entries ago, I am not going to restate them here.  I do agree that being overweight is detrimental to my health - there can be no more important reason than this for being at a healthier weight than I am now.   

What I truly need to work on at this time is to stop procrastinating on exercise!  During the last three weeks, I've only gotten in two days of exercise.  While I've had some legitimate reasons for not being able to fit in exercise,  I've also been lazy.   So I'm going to move right on to the theme of Day 43:   Choose To, Not Have To.  The description of this theme is:  Instead of saying, “I have to,” when discussing your actions or goals, substitute the words “I choose to.” Any time you feel like you have to do something, say “I choose to.” Then take steps that move you toward the outcomes you want.  

No, I'm not beating myself about this, but I do need to find a solution.  I feel I need to change my attitude, and start being pro-active rather than negative about the need to exercise.  In the beginning of this journey, I used the phrase:  "Do it Anyway!".  At that time, it worked well for me.   I like the idea of making it a personal choice instead.  We all do much better when we CHOOSE to do something rather than do it because we HAVE TO do it!   Recently, I have been making some other choices in my journey in my daily meals.  For example, I am waiting until I'm hungy (on a scale of 1-5, probably at 3 - in other words, not starving!)  before I eat, which in some cases means skipping breakfast or eating a brunch instead of breakfast and lunch, or eating two meals a day instead of three.  There are times I've also eaten one main meals, and then had a few healthy snack-type meals (ex:  yogurt, berries and granola).   


What I plan to work on at this time is create the same attitude - of CHOOSING TO rather than HAVING TO for my exercise routine.  I will report back about mid-week of next week and evaluate the results of this change of atttitude.   After all, we may not be in control of everything that happens in our lives, but we ARE in control of our own attitude!    

100 Days Challenge - Still Working on Motivation

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. 
Successful men and women keep moving. 
They make mistakes, but they don't quit." 

                                                                                       - Conrad Hilton 


Hard to believe a whole week has passed by since my last post!   Where did the week go???   Truthfully, I've been down in the dumps lately, mainly because I've been gaining weight rather than losing weight!  :(    Not enough focus, and not enough motivation.   I've only gotten in two days of exercise the past two weeks and have made several "transgressions" on my food intake.   Granted, there were  "life happens" type of events which took up a chunk of my time.    However, if I were more motivated, I'm sure I would have found the time to focus more on my journey.   I'm not going to beat myself up about it...I'm just going to do what the runner in the photo above is doing - keep putting one foot in front of the other - literally and figuratively!    


I have learned a few lessons through my above-mentioned "transgressions".   As I posted on Miriam's blog,  at a restuarant this past weekend,  I did something I rarely do - I indulged in a "death by chocolate" cake (shared with my husband) , and sure paid for it later...felt sickly most of that evening and could barely look at food the next morning!  It was way "too rich" for me -  "over the top" in calories and carbs!  Clearly, I have developed sensitivities against such carb-rich items  - a "red-flag" lesson for me, for sure!    My well-being has also been adversely affected with the added weight I've put on this past month or so and I feel like such a "slug"!   That is one feeling I can't wait to lose, along with the five pounds I've put on!


Today is Monday  and while most people dislike Mondays,  Monday to me means a "new week and new beginnings"!   I'm once again taking control!  I started the day with a nice long walk (45 minutes).   I've eaten moderately throughout the day, and will return to my food journal this evening.   One day at a time, I WILL get back to doing what need to do to look and feel healthy. 


I would like to share this poem about MOTIVATION  (from the DWLZ newsletter); it truly spoke to me and where I am TODAY on my journey!


MOTIVATION

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry;


Two days which should be kept free of fear and apprehension;

One of these days is YESTERDAY, 


With its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. 


YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control. 


All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY. 


We cannot undo a single act we performed. 


We cannot erase a single word we said. 


YESTERDAY is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW,

With its possible adversities, its burdens, its larger promise. 


TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control. 


TOMORROW, the sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds; 


But it will rise.

Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW


For it is as yet unborn.

This leaves only one day - TODAY. 


Any man can fight the battles of just one day. 


It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity’s - 


YESTERDAY and TOMORROW – that we break down. 


It is not the experience of TODAY that drives men mad.

It is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY


And the dread of what TOMORROW may bring.

Let us therefore LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME

100 Days Challenge - Life Events vs Motivation

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing; it is about having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.  Delicious Ambiguity.” 
                                                              - Gilda Radner

What I learned this past week is that no matter how much we plan our lives, we cannot predict life's events.  I wrote my last journal entry a week ago yesterday - on Sunday, July 1st, expecting to return to my journey.  Monday went by calmly and I followed my eating and fitness plan  (a 1.6 mile walk).  However, everything went downhill on Tuesday when my Mom went into the ER due to dehydration, and in a very weakened state.   She stayed the entire day in the ER, and then returned to her foster care home with specific instructions to improve her well-being, although at first the cardiologist had wanted her to stay another day in CCU. We decided that staying in the hospital is detrimental to her due to the Alzheimers.  She becomes even more disoriented, filled with anxiety, etc.    The rest of the week was filled with daily visits with Mom and efforts to place her under hospice care as it is clear that she is experiencing a drastic downward spiral. She is probably in Stage 6 now of Alzheimers and has very limited mobility, refuses to eat, and has become very weak.   We placed her under hospice just two days ago and she seems to be stable at this time.

On Thursday evening (the day before my birthday) , I had a surprise visit from both of my children - which certainly lifted my spirits!   We had a wonderful time - and it was truly one of the best birthdays I've ever had!!   However, with all of these family events - the sad one involving my Mom and the happy ones with my children and grandchildren - I once again got off track.   Life happens!   It doesn't matter how much motivation one has, there are life situations that simply do not allow for all the components of this journey. I had no time to journal, and got in just two days of exercise.  The children left yesterday so here I am, attempting to re-start my journey.  I cannot predict how this week will go but I will once again return to setting up my fitness calendar, tracking my food intake, and I am at least back to journaling!   And we'll see how the week progresses...

100 Days Challenge - Day 41 - Motivation is a Choice

Although it may seem like it simply pops up unexpectedly, motivation is actually a choice. You create it yourself through your thoughts, your self-talk, and your attitude. To do this, you have to invent new tricks and create fresh ideas that will inspire you toward action.

                                                                        -Linda Spangle  ("100 Days of Weight Loss")

It's a coincidence that motivation is the next topic in the 100 Days Challenge, as it is clearly one that I need to focus on.   I allowed the entire month of June to go by without journaling.  While that doesn't mean I got totally "off track",   I did lose some of my focus.   The number reason why I journal is to remain focused on my goals and do what I need to do to reach them.    Like many of us,  my level of motivation comes and goes.   However, I don't give up -  no, wait...I  WON'T give up!   I am on this journey for however long it takes...which for me will go way beyond "100 days".    Journaling also forces me to be accountable, though there are other tools which also assist me in that area - specifically, my fitness calendar and my food tracker (though I often don't keep up with the latter).   I let traveling and being away from home be my excuse for dropping my journal, my food tracker and, yes, even my exercise routine!  About the only thing I did was eat with awareness most of the time - and for that reason I only gained a couple of pounds during my month long absence.   

I am remedying all of this with renewed self-motivation.  I have already created my calendar for the coming week, and today I am returning to journaling and tracking my food, as this is what I KNOW I need to do to get back on track.  Yes, this is work - HARD work - but honestly I don't know any other way to make it all happen.   We do what we have to do to get the results that we want.    As I read the quote above by Linda Spangle,  I must admit that I don't know yet what "fresh ideas" I can come up with but I do know that "self-talk" and a positive attitude have a great deal of influence on whether or not I am successful.   We can basically convince ourselves to take any path - or even remain stagnant - but within ourselves, we KNOW not only what works for each of us but also what work needs to be done to get back on track.   

I need to recognize that I am on this journey for myself and not for anyone else.   I want to be healthier, stronger, and improve my over-all well-being.  To underline that I am on a PERSONAL journey, I am going to list again my personal goals as I need to remind myself WHY I am on this journey:

1.  To strengthen my body, especially my limbs and joints.

2.  To lose significant weight which will also help decrease the weight I am presently bearing on my limbs/joints, especially my knees.

3.  To be able to truly enjoy my retirement years by becoming healthier and stronger.

MY OWN PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT:   

To take on more ownership of my journey, I'm going to personalize my assignment.  

My assignment for this chapter on Motivation is to research new and fresh ideas to help "jump-start" my enthusiasm towards my journey.   Perhaps personalizing my assignments is a good start as it's something I've rarely done in the previous 40 days of this challenge!   : )