Officially on the Road in my New Life
February 16, 2008 is the official date of my “new birthday” as I look at it. This is the first day of the rest of my life, determined to be healthy for that day my granddaughter graduates… but more importantly, for me, because I want to feel good, not only about myself, but physically as well. Thusly, why I call it my Life Plan, and not a diet plan.
I was ecstatic and looking forward to putting to work all the research and ideas I had sprung and thrown together and being optomistic that it would work. It HAD to work.
I weighed in at 252 pounds; WAY more than I’ve ever weighed, even when pregnant. I felt horrible, inside and out. I didn’t sleep well because the fat surrounded my throat cut off my breathing and caused me to snore horribly.
My initial goal was set for 20 pounds before my next visit with Dr. T on May 12th.
The diet my doctor gave me as I said earlier was absolutely horrible; tuna, a slice of wheat bread, skim milk, an egg, rabbit food… Firstly, I don’t eat tuna; it’s probably one of the worst things for you to eat. If you don’t believe me, you should read the facts, of even (and especially) albacore tuna. Not only are they bottom feeders, but are a red-meated fish, which means they are candidates for too much mercury; albacore containing the highest levels! Even without the warnings, I’ve just never been a fan of tuna, though on (rare) occasion I will partake of a tuna-salad sandwich.
So, faced with the dilemma of a diet that will surely fail, I modified it for my own tastes, so that I’ll definitely STICK to the plan.
Exercise
Of course, exercise is an important and vital part of a good di—er Life Plan find more.
Currently, the rates for joining a health spa are just outrageous ($65 per month and $350 down where I live!), but I know that soon they’ll be having those summer-get-fit specials. So, for now, I will use my small weights for exercising my arms. Abdominal crunches and such can equally be done at home. Once I’m developed into a rhythmic exercise schedule, I’ll get out my old music cassette tape designed for an aerobic routine, though I’ll have to modify that due to the very limited space in our apartment.
Walking the dog is an added bonus. Power walks for me — and him; poor guy.
Steps for a Healthier Life
One book in particular was especially beneficial to me was Valerie Bertinelli’s that was recently put out. I took a lot of the details of her involvement in the Jenny Craig plan and modified those to my own lifestyle as well, such as getting myself a pedometer.
I try hard to make those 10,000 steps a day. I also considered a lot of her determination and reasoning, such as why the need to eat, hunger or something else? And so much more. I hope one day she reads this and knows she has at least touched upon the life of one person in a positive way. Maybe I’ll write to her.
To ensure that I keep up with what I eat, every little nibble, along with the WHY of an unscheduled nibble to help me learn about myself , as well as keeping a check on myself, I created a spreadsheet. Not only will tally my calories for me, but I also record my daily steps taken from my Pedometer, as well as weekly notate my weight. Additionally, I indicate what exercise I do with quick and easy symbols; yellow happy faces for meeting the 1,500 calorie goal, purple happy faces for working out at home, blue happy faces for working out at the gym.
