Thankful and True

Running, running, running.  Seems I'm always running/driving the offspring somewhere to some destination.  Team sport practices, lessons for team sports, music lessons (not so much now because Grandpa likes to go and listen), team sport games.  And now?  I'm physically running.  And I say that in the lightest of terms because currently I'm walking more than jogging- as I start, once again, the Couch to 5K running program.  In the course of nine weeks, if I should last to the end, I will go from walking/jogging combo for 30 minutes to jogging for 30 minutes.  I've attempted this two times before and always gave up in the 4th week.  In the past I started later in the year and when that fourth week materialized the temperatures were toasty and I was still heavy.  This time?  I've started earlier in the year and I'm losing weight along the way.  This week's weigh in was a happy one as I made my first month's goal and I reached a weight loss of 5%.  They say you should go down a dress size for every ten pounds and so far- so true.  So happy.
    

Someday

Today is an anniversary.  Twenty-five years ago I committed to serving our country via the USAF for four years.   I remember raising my hand and repeating the words of the oath said to me.  Doing a little research for today's writing I Googled what song was the #1 hit for that week in 1991 and it was 'Someday' by Mariah Carey.  Who knew then that someday I would be retired from the military, married and the mother of three girls?!  Not me, and certainly not any of my friends.  Hopefully my mom had that much faith in me but she probably had her doubts! :-) 
I had little motivation this morning to go to my workout class but after dropping the girls at school I drove to the gym.  The lethargy stayed with me all the way into the door.  I kept walking and here I am after the fact writing about it.  Sometimes it's just one foot after the other knowing that someday I'll be glad I went today!

Janet Jackson- Control

Sitting here typing and watching the television show "Finding Your Roots".  I'm becoming enthralled with ancestors that have come before me.  We found out a few days ago that my dad's Aunt Fannie passed away in February at the age of 102 years, 8 months.  Closer relatives said that her mind was there to the end and that her body decided it was time to move on.  That's pretty good.  I'm trying to lose weight and get into shape so my body won't fail early!  While I don't embrace the idea of making it that long I certainly don't want to disembark prematurely.   As I continue to work on my genealogy I'm finding certain lines that have longevity and others...not so much.  While everyone rolls the dice, I'm trying to load mine with good eating habits and a healthy exercise regime.  To date, I've lost ten pounds in a four week period.  Eating green stuff topped with red stuff and more green stuff lightly doused with good ole' ranch dressing-light!  The exercise portion of this journey is the key to reducing at a quicker rate than most. So, I made my first weight goal of losing ten pounds in a month-one week early.  Sweeeeet.

Heart and Soul

I am hooked on You Tube videos!  This habit started out with IHeart radio 80's radio channel and the channel that replays Casey Kasem's countdowns.  Now I'm watching 80's videos more as a 47 year old than I ever did as a teenager.  The hard part?  Remembering what songs and bands that I listened to from that decade!  Sometimes I get lucky by bringing up one video and it feeds into a slew of others!  And... all three girls know the words to most of the popular songs that were created and sung thirty years before their birth! 
During my first Weight Watcher meeting we talked about endorphins and the effect they have on your motivation to exercise.  I've come to understand that 80's music is somewhat of an endorphin, as it takes me back to a time when my biggest stressor was a lunch choice, as we had open campus at noon with McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Hardee's close by!  Exercise was not a chore, but a pleasure and extra weight, was not, although every 80's teenage girl thought they were fat!  Not even close. With that said, my weight goal is a number I had in high school- which fluctuated from my first to last year.  I'll take any one of those years back! 

Regardless....

Today, a long ago acquaintance, somewhat friend who I kept in contact through Facebook posts only, was laid to rest after passing away in January.  And he might have been physically laid to rest earlier but a number of his friends gathered to pay respect in memorial.  He was probably half way through his life, passing away at 45, for reasons unknown.  Additionally, a country singer, barely on my radar, but due to her husband's blogging I  knew that she passed away yesterday... maybe the day before.  Like I said... barely on my radar.  Others paid closer attention as news of her departure to heaven made national news.  Sad for everyone involved and as I grow older the major reason for changing my eating habits.  I have attempted to lose this extra weight for almost thirteen years and I know this time span because my youngest turns 13 in July!  As the girls age, the idea of them growing older, getting married and having children of their own becomes a more prominent idea.  The idea of rocking babies and playing with toddlers appeals to me.  Who knew.  Just the idea of grandbabies propelling me to get healthy.  That and my feet are already hurting and I'm only 47! 

Slowly



 

Hiking in Arizona 2015

Oh so heavy.  A friend, who took the picture, sent it to me on our year anniversary of our trip west!  Of the goals I made last month, I accomplished one yesterday and started another today.  I jogged an entire lap at the local park and started going to a workout class at the gym today.  This week at weigh in the number did not go down, but instead of giving up it has propelled me forward.  I knew the first week's change was a bit much and I am still on track for my first weight goal, which is to lose ten pounds a month. 


Here I Go Again, On My Own

Listening/watching 80's music videos and planning out my weight loss goals.  I started out with REO Speedwagon, went through the majority of hair bands and now I'm listening to  Phil Collins.  I lost 7.4 pounds on first week's weigh in.  Mostly water, some fat, a little difference in clothing weight as I dressed in lighter clothes the second week.  Not much, but some.  I decided to wear the same pieces of clothing each week until it gets warmer.  As I watched these videos I set the dinner menu for the rest of February and all of March.  I set exercise goals, ten of them.  I set two sets of weight goals.  One by date and one by number.  The first involves losing ten pounds per month, to the date.  The second involves taking the total amount of weight to be lost and dividing by ten goals and writing them out, so I can cross them off as I go! :-)   I feel somewhat maudlin as I finish typing.  Usually listening to 80'smusic makes feel good and giddy inside.