V ä v a! V e v e! weaving cloth one thread at a time

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Ever have one of those months??

So, it's coming to the end of the month and I have to ask . . . Who has stuck with their New Years resolutions??  No pressure, I'm just asking.  Have you been good? . . . Or very, very bad??!!  Me??  I have been very, very bad.  I have not exercised more or eaten more healthy local groceries.  Bad me!  BAD, bad me!!  Off to the corner for some time out to think about what I did (and didn't do)! 

It has been less than 30 days and I couldn't even stick to my resolutions for 30 days!  Okay, then. . . what is the problem??!!  I have one of the best organic food stores quite close to my home. 
I have a wonderful trail system, also close to my home, (used to be a railroad line, now converted to a walking/riding path) that is miles long and surrounded by wonderful woods, wetlands, and wildlife.

So I have the environment that should allow me to fulfill my resolutions which were to eat more healthy, organic and local foods . . .


and to get more exercise.
 
What caused me to derail almost immediately??  The honest answer to that one is what happens to each of us when trying to change bad habits to good ones.  We get our sites set on lofty goals and don't build the structure that is required to maintain the weight of our goals!  In other words, we often set our goals too high and we go for those goals hell bent on achieving them in 6 months or less, without doing any preparation or easing into things and building up slowly!!!  So, it is a recipe for failure!  Then throw the variables of everyday life into the mix and failure WILL happen, and you can be sure it will take place sooner, not later!  So here is why I failed:  I had decided to change my eating habits.  I decided to get more exercise.  I did not define what it was that I needed to eat or what kind of exercise I needed to get.  The goal was way too vague and open to slack interpretation.  Agree so far?  So I should have defined that I would be eating more fruits and vegetables from Lakewinds.  Good!  Even more definition would  be great!  Like, decide how many fruits and vegetable I should have per day.  Maybe even establish a diet that guides me for at least a couple of weeks so I am not susceptible to slacking or misinterpreting my resolution.  That's even better!  As for the exercise, I should have identified which areas on my body needed help first and established that as Phase I.  Don't think for a minute that I could start out like an Olympian running miles and miles and bench-pressing twice my weight when I am overweight and out of shape.  I have to start out SLOW and build up.  So, I should prepare an outline that defines what I will be doing for the next few weeks and add to that and tweak it as I achieve each phase.  Wonderful!  I feel like this is providing a much better basis on which to start!
 
One last thing to add to the formula for success:  Motivation!  I am doing this for MYSELF!!!  I want to live longer!  I want to bend over without grunting!  I want an end to blubber-bind!  I want to walk up the stairs without becoming winded!  I want the pain in my knees to be able to subside when they are no longer required to carry all this unnecessary weight.  I want to be able to fit in a nice swimming suit and not gross myself out!  And if that doesn't do it?? . . . I'll just have to get a critter with a big head and little tiny arms!!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Starting fresh

Starting a new year gives us the excuse to wipe the slate clean, to start over, to begin again!  Given such an opportunity, many people decide to take on huge challenges.  The top 10 resolutions that people make are:
  1. Lose weight
  2. Get out of debt
  3. Quit smoking
  4. Get fit
  5. Spend more time with family and friends
  6. Enjoy life more
  7. Quit drinking
  8. Learn something new
  9. Help others
  10. Get organized
Quitting smoking and losing weight make it into the top 3 resolutions that people make!  One of these I have managed to do successfully now for 18 years, and one, well . . . not so much . . . so I know from experience that either of these is like trying to quit breathing!  They are a huge, HUGE undertaking and I give all you people who are trying to do either of these things kudos and encouragement!!  One second at a time, right?!  Don't look too far down the road or you will panic and reach for your nemesis!  Just relax and lean into it!  You're doing great!

For all of you who are taking on equally huge challenges, keep up the great work!  Remember you are doing this for many reasons and one of the main ones is that you are doing this for YOU!!

For myself, I have decided that I need to exercise more, and on a regular basis.  I also need to start eating a more healthy and local diet.  In taking on these two things I hope that I will lose some weight!  As some of you know, depression kept me prisoner for over 10 years, and I self medicated with food.  Those old habits die hard!  But now with depression a part of my past, and a wonderful new year poised in front of me, I feel empowered.  During my illness I looked to others for strength and solutions.  Now, my strength has returned, my head is screwed on straight and I feel I am in control and can actually handle whatever comes my way!  What a liberating and invigorating feeling!  So now that I am ready to take on the world in my mind, I have to get my body ready as well.

I will check back with you over the next year to fill you in on my follow through and progress!  I love starting fresh!