What’s sticking and what isn’t…
Just a little assessment of what’s working for me and what’s fallen by the wayside recently.
- Running is my addiction and biking I enjoy (though not quite as much as running). Swimming, however, isn’t happening at all recently. I guess it’s because I have to swim on their schedule instead of my own and the pool hours have been funky and not at all to my liking. I’d show up and all lanes would be taken up with swim lessons and water aerobics and whatnot. Still, I’d like to get back in the pool, so I need to put some effort into that. Ideally, I’d run every other day and alternate swimming and biking on the days I don’t run. Ideally.
- Strength training and push ups are totally not happening. I just haven’t been able to summon up enough enthusiasm to stay on any sort of real schedule. So for now, I’m just not going to pursue them. I’m sure strength training would be of real benefit but if it is just going to be a source of emotional friction and guilt for me, it’s counter-productive. Nobody’s perfect; my muscles will just have to understand and get the most out of my other activities.
- The classics…. gah. I have mostly given up on trying to improve my mind with serious literature. I’m currently working my way through a trunk-load of books passed on to me by my father: W.E.B. Griffith, Dick Francis, Clive Cussler, Herman Wouk and the like are the order of the day. So if you see me at a cocktail party, for god’s sake don’t ask me about Tolstoy because I’ll get all embarrassed and have to hide in the coat closet until you and your smart mouth leave.
- In the food department, nothing has changed (yay!). I still plan my meals out, still count calories, still weigh everything, still eat the same things over and over, and still write things down religiously. This seems to work for me so I’m gonna keep doing it — forever if necessary. So buy stock in companies that makes cute little spiral-bound notebooks — they’re my favorite for recording meals so you’ll make a mint off me.
Good for you for recognizing that focusing on strength training would be doing more harm than good. Obviously you have been able to create a system that works for you, your success has been outstanding. There will come a day when you get into weight training, and it’s not like your muscles aren’t involved when you’re running, biking and swimming. Keep posting and being such a great source of inspiration!!
I was so sad to read about the loss of Twinkie. When my old cat, Jim, died, I finished up getting a tattoo of him. I have a lovely cat now, but still miss Jim.
As for the running – h’mmm maybe it’s your true calling? Watching the distance runners in the Olympics and the commentator saying how they don’t weigh themselves down with big, heavy muscles. Just lean and fit.
At least you know what’s working for you and are going to stick with it!
Oh, and check out this link:
http://www.adayawaykayaktours.com/home.html
It’s the info on one of the bioluminecent tours that’s around here. People I know have done this one and said it’s pretty cool. I would definitely be up for meeting you one night to do it!
This is a very sane approach & one that I often struggle with — getting rid of the “should do” things that are weighing on me and only concentrating on a few really important things. I try to do this kind of life pruning from time to time. Projects or ideas I’ve started then realize I just don’t want to finish, for whatever reason. Always better to decide you WON”T do it than to have it dragging on your mind.
You are doing so much exercise already, I think it’s pretty sane to not add push ups and strength training on top of it. Way back when I was losing wt (many moons ago) I was doing that kind of schedule - seriously intense long cardio PLUS stregnth PLUS yoga and although my weight loss increased, I was exhausted beyond belief, and it was also at a period of my life when I had no social life at all. It worked as a kind of “boot camp” phase for a while, but I couldn’t live like that. And I realized I’d be much happier weighing a bit more but having a normal life. If that’s what my body needs to be under 165 pounds, I’m honestly just not willing to do it. (Of course there is a saner middle ground than where I’m currently weighing in, but that’s another topic…)
A woman with a plan… dangerous.
I’m rereading a Herman Wouk (how the HECK do you pronounce “Wouk”?) book right now-”Don’t Stop the Carnival”. It’s too funny!
Always good to stop and assess now and then. Good for you with your exercise and food plans.
I hear you with the swimming thing…I’m at a Y that serves a really big area, but has only 2-3 lanes open occasionally during the summer. The rest of the time, it’s filled with water aerobics and camps and lessons and the swim team. UGH! But the schedule gets reasonable in the fall…many more times (not just those between 5-6 in the morning) open up & many more lanes as well.
Everything you’re doing seems to be working like gangbusters for you & I need some of that!
Oh, and I think feathers is right…if running & biking are your things, bulky muscles will just slow you down & nothing should slow down our tylerdurden!
Awww man, I just read about Twinkie and I’m so sorry for you and how I know you’ll miss her so much. I’m glad she had a good home with you cause there’s so many more out there that don’t. I can’t think about it because it bothers me too much…
I had a little SNAFU with the chow while camping and visiting my brother. I need to have strict control over my surroundings until I get my weight down to at least 10 lbs handy to goal.Knock on wood, should be clear sailing from now till December. I’ve just taken a stroll down memory/motivation lane in your blog. I’m glad you blog here, Josephine!
hey lady. one day, will you put together an idea of what you’re eating (roughly) on a daily basis? i’m so bored with my weekly menus, and it would be good to see someone else’s to get some ideas.
kt
I’m still getting caught up on blogs since the camping trip.
So sorry to read about your kitty; they make a home for themselves in your heart and then break it, don’t they…but still, we wouldn’t give up the time we had with beloved animals who have gone on.
As addictions go, running is not a bad one.
Okay, I learned this guilt thing from my mother, so here goes…
Oh no, are we something that isn’t sticking? Have we fallen by the wayside in your life? (good guilt, right? mom’s a real role model in this area).
We miss you girl & damn it, just get back here already!
Where the heck are you?
How great is this to figure out what is working, etc.? Enjoy the books. Remember there is no test at the end, only the intangible gains. Well worth it. You sound so good and make it sound like you should be doing more?? Stocking up on spiral notebooks myself. That makes two of us…
Delita
http://3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs/delitaagain/