The rumblings of change

Day after day I get up and workout hard, and eat less, and stay focused. And so far I weigh and look about the same as I did one month ago when I started this workout routine. However, underneath the surface I can tell I'm stronger. I can do twice as many push ups, stretch twice as far (and for those who know me you know that means now I can almost touch my nose to my toes), and am starting to at least feel the muscles under the surface.

I've read that fitness and overall weight loss is an up and down journey. The most important change occurs when I start to form a habit. If I can lock into a new healthy habit then the results will be evident throughout my life, and may not really show up for awhile. Just like if I developed an unhealthy habit, which could lead me to creeping weight gain and a slow decline in overall health. Any change takes time. Right now I'm setting the foundations with healthy habits so that I am growing healthy under the surface, which will slowly become evident on the surface as well.

So far my new healthy habit that I hope to practice now and therefore keep for a lifetime, is working out in the mornings before my family is awake. This gives me a way to relieve stress and get my heart rate up before I meet the needs of the day. Another healthy habit I am working on right now is eating smaller portions and eating healthy (whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean meat). I read the book, "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy" by Dr. Willett from the Harvard School of Medicine. And I've adopted the food pyramid created by the Doctors of Harvard as the guiding tool for my healthy eating. See below.
So I've started at the base of the pyramid and am focusing on the stuff at there. Daily exercise and weight control, then eating whole wheat and healthy fat and then on up in moderation.

Another healthy habit I am working on includes exploring emotional healing for myself and my family through some great recovery tools and by joining a women's support group. It has helped me risk more in my relationships and is helping me draw on God in a more intimate way, which feeds every area of my life. Now if I could engage this sort of healthy processing of emotions on a daily basis through great communication with myself, God, and others, I would be on my way to healthy living on a whole other scale!

Slowly but surely the pounds are dripping off. But more importantly slowly but surely I'm become a different person, a healthier one, and who wouldn't be proud of that!

A Perfect Week

I did all my early morning workouts this week, except on Friday the DVD player quit on me so I went running instead. My weight swung high the first week (when I was sick) and is now back down to around 160 so I haven't lost any weight. But I am feeling stronger. This program has lots of upper body weight training, yoga, and pushups and pullups. so my arms are definately getting stronger. I think I might go swimming today, my day of rest. I've also had lost of fun video chatting with my brother Eddie as we workout. It always helps to have a friend urging you out of bed in the morning!

From Sweet Dreams to Kempo X

I've learned the hard way that I need to be on the alarm clock side of the bed, or else I sleep in.
Let's just say my husband hits snooze and somehow an hour later I'm late for work and have missed my workout. I was on the alarm clock side this morning, and even then I got up a 1/2 hour late. I made my workout but wasn't able to ride the bus into work. I'm trying to get up earlier in the morning so that I can both work out and ride the bus into work.

The day I'm able to do this will be a miracle and I will post it here, because it will require me getting up at 5:30am, working out for 1 hour, then showering, then walking to the bus stop at 7am, then riding the bus from 7:20 to 7:40am, and arriving to work early! Wouldn't that be fantastic. I would be a healthy, earthly-friendly, early-bird worker. In my dreams ;-)

Well, actually it is my sweet dreams that keep me from this dream of becoming a better morning person. That and the interrupted dreams that my son still gives me at night, with the waking up and needing attention, or delayed dreams due to needing to debrief with Nate or clean the house until 10 or 11pm. To make this work I need to get to bed closer to 9pm, than 11pm. It is a lifestyle change and it will take time. It also involves the compliance of my great husband since for some reason I can't fall asleep without him next to me. So either we both become morning birds, or neither of us do, unfortunately. For right now I'm happy if I just get the workout in, get no shower, and drive my car to work, getting there a bit late. I know it's not really close to my final goal - but its a start.

Kempo X was fun this morning. Lots of shouting though, which I was afraid might wake my guys so I kept it quiet. I tried to Skype my brother so that we could work out together, but I couldn't reach him. My heart rate got up there even though it didn't feel that hard. It was fun and I've been thirsty for most of the rest of the day. I think I will try to make it to the gym to go swimming. I can see why my brother likes it - very close to boxing or karate. I like Yoga better. Maybe a gender bias there.