In a FUNK!

I had plans, BIG plans on March 1st...and a week later, I get a stupid cold.  I can work through colds, the minor ones, but this one, it was sneaky.  It came on mild, then after a few days, it hit HARD, then everything seemed fine.  Fine except for feeling like I got hit by a truck.  I seriously felt like I did when I had mono in my teens.  During this ordeal, I decided that a little break from exercise would be good to muster my energy back up.  So here I am, back to about 95% of health, planning to get back on the wagon.  I WILL hit my goal this year, just need to get back on the path that will get me there.

Lifestyle-related Chronic Diseases

"Of the one trillion dollars America spends annually on health care, the CDC estimates that 70% of that is spent on lifestyle-related chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  A surprising number of people accept all this as a normal part of life, believing that some of us are just fortunate to have "good genes" and the rest must cross their fingers against bad luck...The story is sad, but the good news is that your destiny for the most part is in your hands."  -  Mark Sisson

While working on my degree, I read this over and over, and it's true!  Most of the health issues we see today, are related to our lifestyles.  If we can change our lifestyles, these diseases won't be so prevalent.  According to the above statistic, Americans are digging their graves one spoonful at a time.  Are you?

Day 6 - Quote

WORKOUT

Elliptical Trainer: 30 minutes @ level 10

100 Push-up workout: Week 1 Day 3 ( push-ups)

"Perfection is impossible.  However, striving for perfection is not.  Do the best you can under the conditions that exist.  That is what counts."  
--John Wooden

I am a perfectionist, and my perfectionism has always messed me up in my past weight loss efforts.  "I messed up today/week/month, so I may as well splurge until the end of the day and start over tomorrow/next week/month."  


The journey is successful when we show understanding and forgiveness to ourselves along the way. 

Day 4 - A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS A MUST IN LIFE

WORKOUT

Elliptical Trainer: 30 minutes @ level 10

100 Push-up workout: Week 1 Day 2 (50 push-ups)


With a positive attitude, you can accomplish ANYTHING in life.  With a positive attitude, all things are made possible and nothing can get in your way because when something does cross your path, your attitude will help you to simply walk around it.  


How do you create a positive attitude?  You make the decision to be positive.  It's that simple, trust me.  If you go into the worst of situations with the attitude that you are going to 1. get through it 2. find whatever shred of positivity that lies within that situation and 3. keep trying until you find that positive, you will come out of the situation with some experience and the proof that you can get through anything.  The more often you do this, the easier it gets until being positive is second nature.


When it comes to creating a healthy lifestyle, you have to be positive.  We live at a time where a healthy lifestyle isn't going to find us unless we work at it and hunt it down.  Health doesn't accidently find us, neither does illness.  If we go into our journey with an attitude that is positive, we will be more forgiving of ourselves and we will continue to press forward even when it gets difficult. Life is always easier with a positive attitude.

Day 3 - KEEPING THE FOCUS, REACHING THE GOAL

WORKOUT

Elliptical Trainer: 30 minutes @ level 10

YES!  I am feeling like I am getting back into focus!!  What a great feeling!!  It's virtually impossible to create lasting change in your life if you lack the focus.  I think it's one of the biggest reasons we stop working towards our goals in the first place.  


So what does it take to keep the focus?  
A plan that will work for you. 


What kind of plan works for you?  
One that not only fits into your particular lifestyle, but that is also exciting for you to do.


If you create the "perfect" plan for yourself, and it becomes boring, you need to make a new plan because you aren't going to stick with it if you don't.  Make a plan that is also adjustable, because life changes, seasons change.  


It took me decades to finally get it.  For years I would make goals, barely getting started and then something would come up and I would stop.  Time after time this happened until I got to a point where I didn't make goals anymore.  I would shy away from any and all goals and felt that goal setting just wasn't for me.  "Goals are great, and they work for others, just not for me."  Ever think that?  


Now, I know that the plan you start with, isn't necessarily the plan you stick with until the end.   You have to adjust it depending on your life circumstances.  If you do this, nothing will stop you from achieving your goal, no matter what it is.


My current plan:


Push-ups 3X/Week - using 100 push-up app on iPhone.  (This makes it so much fun to do-but you can also use the site if you don't have one)


Daily workout on an Elliptical Trainer - I used to think that TV was a great thing to occupy my brain while exercising, and it used to be.  But now, it's all about a great book!  


The book I am currently re-reading is Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation.  (I sometimes find that when I read a book super fast the first time, I miss a lot of the minor details.  Going back and re-reading, especially if it's been awhile since the first read, makes the book even better the second time around because you find all those details you missed---making the workout go even faster.  Harry Potter is next unless I find a really good book to gobble...)  With reading, I up the resistance and go a little slower but stay on a little longer and I end up with a great cardio workout with a muscle toning op.


I also plan on adding the Kettle Bell again once I adjust to what I am doing.  Summer is coming and I want to get that "after" picture before looking for a suit.  

Day 2 - A NEW CHALLENGE

WORKOUT
Elliptical Trainer: 30 minutes @ level 10
100 Push-up workout: Week 1 Day 1 (45 push-ups)

In efforts to get that "after" photo, I need to set up some goals to get me there.  Last year I was loosing weight (40 pounds total) and I took my photo in July.  I haven't taken any more photos because nothing has really changed since then, I have been maintaining for the most part.  I did gain a couple of pounds at Christmas that are still lingering (dang stress).  But they won't be lingering for long.

I started the day today doing my push-ups.  I decided to go back and start with Week 1 Day 1 doing MANLY push-ups.  What a difference form makes when doing push ups!  Don't get me wrong, girly push-ups are great and your arms and back do get a workout!!  If it's the only way to do a push-up, then do it girly style!!  But if you can, go all out and do regular push-ups, it makes a big difference.

I never really thought there was a big difference between the two styles in regards to the benefit your arms are getting.  With this thought, I figured if I could do more with girl style push ups, my arms would benefit greater.  For the most part, they do.  But if you want to really get your tummy and for the most part, involve your entire body, use the standard push-up method.  I am converted!  The only way I can compare the two is that girly push-ups are like riding a bike with training wheels, standard push-ups are like riding without.  Both get you on the bike so you can ride it around and enjoy the ride, but only one is using your entire body to keep the bike from falling.

So yesterday marked a new challenge although it's not a new idea for me.  Last year I did the 365 days of working out and accomplishing such a goal taught me so much about goal setting.  It's really the only goal I was able to finish entirely on my own merit that I can remember.  This year I decided I would still work out every day, but I would skip Sunday's since they are my Sabbath Day and it just seems weird to me to workout after going to church.

I started off this year doing exactly as I planned, but as soon as a virus snuck up on me, I decided to amend the challenge to include taking days off for illness, which is a good reason.  Although I have regularly been working out, I have had a few days where I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO WORKOUT!!  This is NOT a good sign because that is the beginning of the end! How often have I set a workout goal, got sick for a week and then forgot the goal.  Then one day gets forgotten, then another, and then before you know it, you aren't working out regularly any more!

So today is the second day of working 365 days in a row. Although I still want to keep Sunday's special, I'll probably just do something different and lighter than what I do the rest of the week.  I also plan on getting a little more creative in the kitchen, to keep things exciting!

**Update-I started this new 365 day goal on March 1, but began the push-ups on day 2 thus throwing myself off and having this post originally stated as being day 1.)