One For the Money, TWO For the Show

Woo-hoo! I lost a little bit of weight. I am down two pounds to 301 right now. Sure, it isn't a lot of weight, but to be honest, there hasn't been too much effort, just trying to eat a little more sensibly (meaning less) and add bits of movement to my daily life. Here is how to add a bit of activity without too much effort (after all, the weight going on doesn't require too much effort)
* Park far from the front door at work or shopping. I am amazed that there are people out there in much better shape than I am who insist on parking right in front of the building and they will spend 15 - 20 minutes to get that spot. They could have parked farther away, got some exercise, and still been in the building in time.
* Take the stairs. My day job is in an office building on the second floor. Rarely has the elevator been taken. I always feel better after taking the stairs. They don't break down, and you don't have to wait for them, they are always there.
* Walk for a few minutes at break or at lunch. I am not advocating a marathon, but a short walk raises your heart rate, increases your metabolism, and perks you up.
*Do a brief stretch before you begin work. I work as a cashier on the weekends, and they always encourage you to stretch before your shift.

Here's to another successful week. Let me know how you are doing.

Perhaps There Needs To Be Bigger Steps

Good news, and bad news. The good news is that I didn't gain a single pound in the last week. The bad news is that I didn't lose a single pound in the last week. I could come up with lame excuses that my wife and I had sushi (yum) and hibachi on Sunday. I could say that I had dinner out a few times this week (and eating with my parents always has a degree of stress and you know that I always eat more under stress). I could say a lot of things, but....

I TOOK IN AS MANY CALORIES AS I EXPENDED.

True, my activity increased this week, but I will increase it next week and not eat out this week. I am back to having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast instead of the Frosted Flakes that I had on vacation last week. Like a drunk falling off the wagon, it is back on I go. I shall succeed and just coasting for a week is not the reason to completely give up. Winston Churchill had the right idea when he stated "Never, never, ever give up".

And I shall not. Help keep me strong because I will weigh perfectly within a year.

Baby Steps To Begin With

After week 1 I am proud to announce that I lost 2 pounds. I was at 303 when I weighed at the doctor’s scale at my day job on April 8, 2009. Some minor changes were made during that first week. While the food did not change too much, the amount that was eaten was. They say that it is best to take your time eating food: take the time to chew the food and enjoy the multiple nuances of the spices. It works. I found myself full after eating the first serving (something that has not occurred for quite some time).

In the quest to find the perfect weight program for losing and maintaining an ideal weight, it is hard to make the best decision. Perhaps with all of the diets and programs out there, it becomes cluttered and the message is lost in the charts, diagrams, calorie counting, fat gram percentage calculations,…well you get the idea, it is difficult at best. Perhaps it is best to keep it simple. I am not counting the calories (yet) and I am not calculating my fat gram percentage (been there, done that), I am just making a conscious effort to eat more slowly, listen to my body, and only eat when I am hungry.

Also, I am slowly increasing my physical activity. I have taken the dog out for several walks varying in length from 10-30 minutes. Of course the dog would love longer walks, but for now, we will settle for shorter. I just don’t want to burn out and I am willing to bet that you don’t want to either.

Here is to our success! Let me know how you are doing.

Welcome To My Blog

Thanks for stopping by, I have just started this, but I am excited to reach my perfect weight (and yes, I am over 40). I'll be sharing tips, pointers, have links to other items of interest, and even offer more.