Nice article about my TrekDesk walking...

http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/technology/fit-and-focused-accounting-professionals-discover-trekdesk

I love how well written this article is... :)

A new low...

As of this morning - I am the lowest weight I have been in over 4 years... :)  That makes me feel pretty darn good...  It is only downhill from here - with the numbers - but not with the work/lifestyle that I need to keep up with to keep seeing results and maintain what I have worked so hard for...

This lowest weight is 34 lbs lower than 1/24/2011 when I recommitted myself to trying to get healthier and 44 lbs lower than my all time high...  While I am not comfortable sharing my actual weight on an open forum - the actual number on the scale isn't really the point - the numbers on the scale relative to each other are what matters to me - how much of a change I have been able to make in those numbers while making healthier choices.

I picked up a new-open-box scale yesterday at goodwill (people buy stuff at Target, open it - return it because they didn't like it and then Target donates it to Goodwill because the box/package is not in resale condition)... I got a scale that retails for $50 for $15 at Goodwill...  The other scale that I have been using is frustrating for me... I can get on it first thing in the morning and it will say one number, move the scale on the floor a few inches and it will say another number... Still later (after sitting at the computer for 10-15 minutes in the morning) I can step on it again and see another totally different number... All of these numbers are +/- 3-5 lbs of each other...  Yes consumption (of water and food) and time of day can cause numbers to fluctuate through out the day if you weigh yourself in the morning vs at night - but we are talking a maximum of 15 minutes apart and sometimes just a few seconds apart!  This has been annoying to me - and yes my husband had a simple suggest of just weighing ONCE on the old scale and then I would never have any concern about varying numbers... (Funny guy...)

So finding another scale was nice... I got on it several times this morning (like I used to do on the other one) and it was consistent every time I got on it...

Know another interesting thing about it?  It reads my weight as being 7 lbs lighter than the old scale...  I am not ready to record myself as having just lost an extra 7 lbs overnight - but I sure like the number it had on it!  It is below another threshold I had for myself that is exciting...  A few more days seeing that number and I think it will become "reality" for my mind...

I think I will switch over to the new scale totally as of the first of March - and just make notes for myself that I did - so I still have a valid amount of weight lost (back to the numbers relative to each other) for February and then for March using the new scale...

Fun, Fun, Fun...

The Revolution

The Revolution on ABC started about a month ago - and I am so happy to have found the show and promptly set my DVR to record the show, as I learn so much from watching it.

Ty Pennington (from Extreme Home Makeovers), Tim Gunn (from Project Runway), an OB/GYN Dr, a counselor, and a celebrity trainer round out the cast for the daily show that shares all sorts of tips for making yourself healthier from the inside out... From dressing for your body style, to eating healthy, to training tips for toning up areas that you would like to take care of, to easy do it yourself design and home repairs, to walking through emotional problems from your past that keep you from meeting your full potential - this show is chocked full of interesting and educational material!  They also have a "hero" each week that within the 5 days of the week they show you her transformation over 5 months of the team working with her to get healthier...  They show her triumphs, her struggles, training, learning to eat better and working through emotional issues that keep her from being healthier...  It is such a neat concept that they have all of these stories to share with us and we can see the progress over a week - rather than a whole season of the show!

I rarely watch the news because there is so little material that is positive - so this show is a breath of fresh air with nothing but positive energy (if not positive - they help you learn how to turn it into one!)  It is the perfect compliment to my continued journey to be healthier...

If you haven't checked it out - you should!

Just chillin...

This weekend I did something I haven't done in a long time... I chilled out... a bit of cleaning here and there, but not much more than that... Normal laundry, TV watching, playing games with the kids... But for the first time in as long as I can remember, I did not do one thing - exercise...

Sometimes it is good to give your body a break, and a break I did give it!  While it felt good, I know that if I had done it for any longer, I would probably try to make it a habit. And a habit of not exercising is not good for my body, mind and soul...  It feels good to be back walking at my Trekdesk today - getting my body back into moving - what it really likes!

Be sure to give yourself a chance to rest from time to time - your body will appreciate it...

Move on...

Ever have a day that someone brings in a dozen donuts & you can't resist having one?
Ever go ahead and have something like this and then it turns out to not be "all that..." ?  Like it didn't really taste all that good, afterwards you are feeling like UGG... That wasn't worth it?

Well gotta just move on - no regrets, just bottle up the feeling of UGG and remember it for next time when you are faced with a decision like that again.

As you can tell - I ate a donut like above this morning & it just wasn't all that... the 210 calories I ate were not worth it, I could have ENJOYED something else for less calories and less regret...

But it is not the end of the world - I move on and make better choices going forward from here...  :)

One bite at a time, one decision at a time...

Water, Water, water

I usually drink 99% of my fluid as plain old water - water from the water cooler at work, or the well at home (no tap water for me - after drinking well water for so long, I can taste all the stuff that city water has added to it and it doesn't taste good at all...)  Anyhow I digress...

A general recommendation for water consumption is 1/2 ounce for each pound of your weight. I probably come close to that...  But by being in the right place at the right time last week, I have found a way that I am enjoying getting the water in me even more...  How you ask?  Well while shopping at Goodwill, I was looking at one of the treasured carts of "new stock" that comes in as markdowns from Target and Fred Meyer & I found a camelbak water bottle... It was only $3 - they retail for $9 - so it was perfect to give one of these a try. I normally am not a fan of something that uses a straw - but I LOVE this...  Only drawback to the one I found is that it only holds 17 ounces... The bottle had been using before this one holds 24 ounces - so I am refilling the bottle constantly...  I really enjoy drinking out of it so I just splurged and purchased a 1 liter bottle off of ebay for $16 - and I will have 32 ounces in a bottle at a time - it will be great... Not only will I be back up to using a larger bottle that doesn't need refilled as often (less stops while walking at the Trekdesk) - but it will take less bottles full to get to my goal in a day of how much to drink...

A win win all the way around...

That is what is great about fitness, dieting and getting healthier - different things work for different people. All of us are different, each of us have our own tastes, preferences and things that work for us. For me this water bottle and sipping from the sipper that is like the traditional camelbak bite valve works great & I find myself drinking more.  Some of my coworkers use water bottles that you have to unscrew the lid - me, before switching to the straw, I could only use flip tops - the thought of having to unscrew the lid constantly would drive me bonkers (and anyone that knows me knows that isn't a long drive... LOL)

Remember whatever works for you is what you should do - each of us are on our own journey to health & the paths we take are our own - sometimes seeing what is on someone else's path will help us with our own, but ultimately it is what works for YOU that matters...

Extra, Extra...

It's in between times to eat and you feel yourself wanting to reach for something to munch on... Do what I do, grab some gum... It gives your mouth something to do & tricks you mind into thinking you are eating something (since you are chewing), but without calories or spikes in sugar!  That's all good in my book...

I have one of these packs on my TrekDesk, in my purse and in the car in order to have them handy whenever I need them... I will also pop in a piece of gum while cooking so that I am not tempted to nibble on what I am preparing for dinner...

The only thing that chewing gum hinders for me is my water consumption - because the gum never seems to taste as good right after I drink - so sometimes I will take it out of my mouth, take a drink of water and then pop it back in and it is all good...

Any way about it - it is one of the tricks I have learned in order to limit my snacking...