8%!!!

Body fat lost in 3 weeks! Gained 14lbs muscle. Thanks AF Loudon!

YOGA

I may have mentioned that my niece is becoming a certified yoga teacher. Yesterday, she led the first of four free classes that are a requirement of her certification. I use to practice yoga daily but I didn't realize how many years that had been until I started attempting to twist my body into positions that looked easy when Kim did them. She's very good at her job though because she offered all of us gentle adjustments and taught us how to use the props to make our bodies more comfortable in these unfamiliar shapes.
When I arrived at the class, I wasn't feeling well at all. I'd been sick the day before and I'd had to reschedule my last session with Josh, the personal trainer at the gym where I'm enrolled in a senior fitness program. My new session with him was the morning of the day that I had Kim's yoga class at noon. I evidently wasn't as recovered from the previous day as I thought. I nearly made it through the entire session but no quite. I was so exhausted when I was leaving the gym that my hair was soaking wet...I swear there were icicles  before I got home...and I managed to pull on someone else's jacket. The funny part about that is that, when I reached in the pocket to pull out my keys, I also found an inhaler in my hand. The even funnier part of the story, it took my several minutes to realize I was wearing the wrong coat instead of thinking that someone had stuck their inhaler in my coat pocket. I don't think anyone noticed....I hope. One good thing about the gym, everyone is so intent on themselves that they don't notice other people. But the fact remained, I was beyond exhausted, I was spent and my muscles, which still had to walk over to feed the horses, were trembling. So, when time rolled around to go to Kim's class, I still wasn't recovered from my earlier workout. Still, I couldn't miss her first class and I went on thinking the first day had to be easy. Well, it was all ground work thank goodness but the stretches really pushed me and that turned out to be a good, no great thing. After the yoga class, I felt not only rested but energized! My body was feeling the stretches but I didn't go back home to lie down and lick my wounds in front of the TV as I'd planned. Instead, I went shopping and ran errands which I'd hoped to do after the class but had been sort of doubtful of before. So, the bottom line is: I can't wait for Kim to start her regularly scheduled classes in March, I'm looking forward to next week's standing class and I'm excited that the gym that is hosting her classes is not five minutes away from my door!
And have I mentioned how proud I am of her? She's going to be so successful at this and she's doing it because yoga has helped her so much and she wants to share that feeling of balanced mind and body with others.

Other Ventures, Same Destination

As those who have been reading my posts for awhile know, this page is not just about fitness or health or even aging. It concerns all aspects of my life as I keep learning, growing and improving. I'm in the process of finally completing long awaited improvements and repairs to our home. I won't go into the details about that but it truly matters in the larger scheme of things because, as I check off these "burdens" I've been carrying around for so long, I truly feel that I will be more active and centered which will benefit my fitness and health, I will be far more creative which will further my work and career and I will just have a more balanced life overall.

So, what does that have to do with the image I've included with this post and my activity today? Well, instead of the cleaning I promised to do, I've been doing sketches of the house, searching on Pinterest and looking up copyright free images of patents because I want to print and frame them. This one, a patent for a toy horse dated October 31, 1886 (I think, that part is blurred) will be framed and hung in my office. When I finish the office...well, really after I finish the house, I will start posting about the individual rooms and projects on my blog and probably a little bit here. So, remember this print and hopefully, before the year is out, you will see it framed and hanging alongside some great art I've collected and been given by artist friends over the years on my office walls. One great thing about being older, we've had longer to accumulate treasures.

An Emergency Situation

I belong to a site that sends me daily health challenges. Today’s challenge was to learn about medical emergencies and when to visit the ER. Despite my hazardous record, I have managed to stay out of the ER for nearly a year now! That has to be a record for me and I’m crossing both fingers and toes in hope that the streak continues. What can I say, I’m accident prone. Those accidents take me to the ER only if I need stitches or there is the chance of concussion. I’ve also gone to the emergency room when I was having chest pains which luckily turned out to be chest infection not my heart. But, even though I might appear to be an expert via experience, I plan to read this article (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm ) because as I get older, whether an ailment or injury is nothing or serious is becoming more questionable. 

I’m already seeing improvements from joining the gym and working out with Josh. I accused him of trying to kill me during this past Tuesday’s workout and I’m still very sore but that means it’s working. And my weight is down a few more pounds. It’s falling off slower now but I’m still excited because I’m almost into another “decade.” It will be amazing to see that second digit change again. And then, on to another ten pound goal! Git ‘er gone!!!

This will probably not be my usual long winded spiel. I have a very busy day and my first appointment is at 10:00. That might not seem so difficult to make but I still need to feed my horses and break the ice in the water trough. I still think it’s a bit cool at 22 degrees for me to walk Bodie. That will save me time but won’t make the dog happy. But I think this busy day will be good for me. I will admit to a cold weather vice, when our temps finally drop to the cold weather norm(we have been spoiled by several weeks of abnormally warm January weather), I want to burrow in. I like burying myself under cozy blankets and a couple of cats and the dog and bask in the warmth of the TV while watching Home Town. Home Town is my new favorite show where a Mississippi couple renovate the older houses in their home town. When you are being lazy, it’s nice to watch others accomplishing a lot. Besides, they give me lots of ideas for the renovation of our house. It would be great if I was actually getting some of the work done already but planning is important too. I’ve come up with some great ideas that I think will make us even happier with the results. I’m excited to start sharing them with you and hopefully will in the next few months. Now, I’d better get to the horses and feed them some nice belly warming hay on this frigid morning. 

For the first time, I'm dreading my training session with Josh at Anytime Fitness. It doesn't have anything to do with the workout itself which I've found challenging but enjoyable so far and I'm starting to see little improvements which is great. But I just do not feel great today and my knee is wonky. Pain shoots down the inside of my left knee every time I put weight on it or pivot or bend it and even when I bend over from the waist and keep it straight. It's not horrible but it also feels odd, almost like something in there is popping in and out. It's stiff and well, just wonky. I still plan to go in early today as Jay suggested last time I was there so I can warm up on the treadmill and with stretches. Maybe that will help. I tried working out to a video on Amazon but the knee just wasn't cooperating....there were a lot of squats and kicks and neither felt very good. I'm not giving up. This is just one day and one glitch. Tomorrow, I will probably wake up feeling great! And tomorrow is my sweetie Steve's birthday. Sixty-fifth, can you believe it? I can't because most of the time he does act or move like he's mid sixties now but, like me and my wonky knee and sleepless night, he does have days that I'm sure he feels those years. But tomorrow is a new day for us both and for all of us. And I'm still not giving up on this Thursday despite the knee, the rain which is turning to sleet and the fact that I still haven't finished cleaning the kitchen up....I woke up at 2am with the knee and did half the dishes while preparing Steve's lunch and then left the other half while I lay down at 6am and slept nearly two more hours. Still doesn't feel like enough sleep or maybe that's just this grey day. Well, just back from feeding the horses and I have twenty minutes to get ready and leave for the gym. Then I have an appointment for a hair cut this afternoon. It will be a busy-ish day and I'm in a lazy-ish mood but I'd better start moving. Whether you're energetic or lazy today, enjoy every moment and live with purpose.

BE INSPIRED

I just finished another inspirational coaching call with the wonderful Velma! She always inspires me and she tells me I inspire her, that I fire her up. It seems that we really feed off of each others comments and ideas. Velma not only encourages me and councils me, she inspires me with insights into her own life. We talked a lot today about claiming our lives and letting our lights shine. We talked about it being okay to be proud of our accomplishments and we should, in Velma's own words, "Applaud ourselves and never wait for others to applaud for us." I am really excited about this year. It's not because I have hope it will be a great year with no problems or troubles and just smooth sailing and blessings pouring down like rain. That would be nice but it's so unrealistic. The reason I feel good about this year is that I'm feeling good about myself and my ability to initiate positive change in my life.

Before I spoke with Velma, I was talking to another person who inspires me, my niece. She is becoming a certified yoga instructor and I'm so excited for her. I'm also proud of her because I know how hard she's worked for this and I know how long she worked for others benefit and let her own dreams slide. She's not only achieving her dreams now, she has found her own self in the process.

Many would say that I've had my dreams reached in the past but although I have accomplishments that at the time I would never have dreamed of, I was not that happy at the time. I let the feelings and often resentments of others control how I felt about myself. Instead of being proud of my hard work paying off, I downplayed all the good things that happened to me and I hid my light under that bushel basket. I may have reached some of my dreams but I had not found myself.

I may be 63 and those past successes are history but I am finding myself now and I think anything is possible if I'm willing to put in the work. I'm also learning, as Velma often tells me, to not listen to the negative. I'm going to start filling my FB pages and my blog with only positive words, words that encourage and words that inspire and words that help us all to grow. And that will be a good start at making 2019 a great year!

Now, finally, to my progress report on health and fitness. Since I've started being more diligent reading those packaged food labels and making as much as possible from scratch, I've started losing weight again! Today, I was down a pound. That's the first weight I've lost since December 22 but I also have been yo-yoing a lot. So, that pound is actually three pounds from my highest weight this month and no matter how you look at it, it is a positive loss! lol Velma was as excited as I am about joining the gym and working with a personal trainer. Also, there are those yoga classes my niece is teaching soon. I'm thrilled over those. I told her that I'm finding it is just like all of the progress I've made thanks to her coaching during the past year, it is good to be accountable to someone else. I'm finding I can do it on my own but I'm not going to push myself like Josh at AF pushes me and I certainly don't have the knowledge he has to do it right on my own. Last session, I got there early and was just waiting around until Jay, one of the other trainers at the gym, spotted me and started warming me up. He suggested that I start arrive 15-20 minutes early and warm up before I meet with Josh. I told Velma that will be my goal from now until the next time we speak. I would also like to start working out here at the house again. I'm beginning to remember why I use to love exercise so much. It may hurt at first but you soon start feeling so great. It doesn't just benefit you physically but like my niece and I were discussing about yoga, it brings balance and well being to you mentally and emotionally as well.

Check out the post on this page that tells all about my niece's new yoga program. It's called, Be Inspired, and I promise that Kim will inspire you! Come join us. The first four classes are free.

Problems and Possibilities 

I’m feeling a little under the weather today. Why? Because I’ve made quite a few mistakes with my diet in the past month, I think I fell out of ketosis and my body is trying to get back there now. So, Keto flu has left me achy, queasy and a little grumpy...although that last thing probably has little to do with the diet. Lol 

I have not lost an ounce of weight since December 22 (my two month mark.) I thought I was doing good keeping my fat, protein and carbs in proper balance but I was failing to read the labels on some packaged foods. A lemonade powder I was adding to water several times a day actually contained a lot of sugar and a days worth of carbs in one packet! I guess I fell for that “all natural” deception. Then there is the pimento cheese I thought was safe. I was eating it for lunch daily for at least two weeks straight. Since the avocados I picked up yesterday still need to ripen, I thought I’d pick up packaged guacamole but the store didn’t have any. I spotted the pimento cheese and got excited until I read the label...something I’m finally learning to do. The first ingredient was cheese but the second and third were potato and corn starch! I checked other brands and that was true of all of them. I’m going to have to start making my dips and dressings from scratch. So who has a great ranch dressing recipe?

My coaching call with my health advocate, Velma, is Wednesday. I don’t have a great report for her with my weight, up two pounds, or my measurements, lost in hips, arms and thighs but up slightly in my stomach and waist. I do have an explanation for the weight gain and I’m working to correct the problems in my diet. And I think she will be thrilled to hear I’ve joined a gym and I’m working out under Josh’s guidance three times a week. I think it’s the three workouts I’ve had so far that have caused the change in my arms. My arms are the one thing I’ve wanted most to change (I know I’m weird) and the one part of my body that has shown no change until now. My thigh measurement has changed little also so that little quarter inch is significant. 

I think I’m on my way to getting this weight loss train back on track and this emphasis on fitness and health is already benefiting me in many other parts of my life.

First Session

First workout with the personal trainer yesterday. I learned not to say, “Nah!” When asked if the weight is too heavy. Lol I lived through it, not too sore and looking forward to another session this morning. It’s not easy but I know the results will be worth it. 

Yesterday, we did squats, step ups with weights and curls at the top, planks, dead carries and rope waves. First set was easy but I did too well because he increased all weights and longer planks. Second set was harder because of this. The third and final set tested me and I actually got queasy at the end. Josh made me feel better, telling me that he’d actually had people throw up first time out. I just hope I don’t have a repeat today. Right now, I’m feeling pretty darn good. 

A New Year

This is DAY ONE!....make that DAY NINE of 2019!

I’m doing a restart on my year of living purposefully. I lost count on my previous year every time I got interrupted. I’m certainly not dismissing last year or the months I pursued this goal. I wasn’t always successful but how many successes I did have! I’ve learned so much and made incredible progress. One of the main changes I’ve noticed was really realized yesterday. When I was filling out the questionnaire that preceded my evaluation at the gym yesterday, one question was how hopeful I was that I could achieve my fitness and health goals. I put 100%. When I was telling Steve about this, he said, “That would have been a much different answer a year ago.” I agreed that I probably wouldn’t have checked a 3 or 4 on that 1-10 scale. When I say that this 30+ pounds I’ve lost makes me feel so much better, I’m not just talking about physically. My emotional and mental clarity and mood have improved so much...even though I still can’t remember anyone’s name. Lol

So, with appreciation for how far I’ve come in the last six months, I’m doing a restart of The Year of Living Purposefully. That year is 2019 so let’s make this DAY NINE! I’m super excited for what’s ahead and I will be journaling as both the year and I move forward!

Day 01

I’m off to a slower start than I wanted. I definitely need to improve my sleep. I’ve had a difficult time falling and staying asleep since that fall I took a month ago. I twisted my back and that exacerbated pain I already had. I’m going to try a hot shower before bed tonight and a couple of Tylenol. Hoping that helps me to sleep a blissful seven hours and wake up excited about all of the possibilities in a new day. 

I may be just starting to buzz today but I’m excited about my first training session at Anytime Fitness this afternoon. I realize that, me falling back to sleep at 5 AM and getting such a late start combined with a day interrupting gym visit is doing nothing to help my desire to work on the house and work with my horses or even getting Bubs back to the vet for a check up finally. My life will be thrown off kilter for awhile as I adjust to this new addition. But let’s be honest, exactly how much was I accomplishing before? I honestly think I will be getting far more done in all areas of my life as exercise becomes a habit and I gain energy and drive. 

One small note, Justin and I discussed nutrition yesterday. He’s very supportive of the Keto diet I’m on. He asked about my coffee habits. He suggested I drink water instead with, and before, breakfast in the morning and save my coffee for later in the day. He also suggested using coconut oil and cinnamon in my coffee instead of the butter in bombproof coffee. I tried it today and the smell is heavenly. 

Gym

Well, I joined a gym today. I’ve done this before probably twenty or more years ago but already I can tell this is going to be a completely different and far more beneficial. Both Ciara, who gave me my tour, and Justin, who did my health and fitness evaluation were so welcoming and encouraging. I’m very excited to get started. My first session with a personal trainer is tomorrow. I’m on a twenty-one day program specifically tailored to people past fifty. Justin kept telling me that I’m going to make amazing progress and see tremendous change in those twenty-one days. I can’t wait!

Broader Horizons

We drove up to the missing link of the Foothills Parkway, which of course is no longer missing, this morning. There are such beautiful vistas and much of the Parkway hangs off the side of the mountains offering a very wide view. It was lovely even though it took longer than anticipated. That section of Parkway, from Walland to Wears Valley, is only about 17 miles and the drive to Walland is an hour at most but we took a “short cut” recommended by a friend of Steve’s. I don’t think his advice was faulty but our sense of direction was. We took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up back in Maryville instead of at the Eastern end and start of the Parkway. So, instead of the promised beautiful views, we saw subdivisions and jiffy marts. Oh, well; it was still lots of fun. And we eventually did make it to Walland and it was well worth the extra mikes it took us to get there. 

This new year is starting off so much more positively than last. Last year, Steve’s mother passed away after a short illness. Her passing came two days before Steve’s birthday on January 18.  Two weeks later, a cousin we had watched grow up passed suddenly and unexpectedly. It was not a joyful month. Myself, I was at my highest weight and grateful for winter’s layers for hiding some of it. I felt lethargic and depressed most of the time. 

This year it seems everyone is doing much better. Two of my nieces are launching new businesses. I’m so very proud of both of them and their courage. My friend, Ginny, and I are making great strides in our household decluttering. Steve got a new tractor which will help make farm life easier. He and I are also making plans to finally make some major changes on our home in 2019. I’m also constructing a business plan for when I finally get back to work on my art and other creative endeavors. I’m just feeling so positive about the coming year. Oh, and did I fail to mention that, since this time last year, I’ve lost over 34 pounds?! Yay!

I’ve been making other plans also. My friend and neighbor, Leesa, invited me to try out the 24 hour fitness gym that she uses. I plan to sign up this Tuesday. I think that getting myself on a regular exercise schedule will benefit all areas of my life and enable me to actually get more done. And of course there is that healthier, fitter and possibly slimmer benefits. Also, in February, my niece, Kim is going to become a certified yoga instructor and the gym she will be teaching at is not five minutes from my house. I’m excited for her and for myself! 

I really believe 2019 will be the year I become the me I am meant to be and I hope that’s true for all of you as well. 

Turkey sandwich using Keto bread

Breath

This is what I see every morning as I walk across the field road to go feed my horses. I have four but those two , mother and son, are always standing together under that tree waiting impatiently on me. I don’t always recognize the beauty in that because most of the time my mind is dwelling on all the tasks I need to do today, worrying and planning for the future or mourning the past. How sad for me, how sad for all of us. I think this is a common human condition. We romanticize the past, we dream about the future and we constantly feel overwhelmed in the now, so much so that it blinds us to the blessings right in front of us. Let’s all make a new year resolution for 2019, to be more present in our own lives, to take off that blindfold of worry and truly appreciate each moment of our lives. We don’t always have to be taking action, we can stand back and just admire what is now. 

Little Bites

I spoke with my health coach, Velma, yesterday. She’s always encouraging and inspiring. She pointed out something I hadn’t realized, in 2018, I lost over 32 pounds! I always gain insight during our coaching sessions and yesterday was no exception. I realized something that I think may end up being totally life changing. For years, really for my entire life, I’ve been a list maker. Lists can help keep you organized and focused but for me they just don’t work. The main reason for their failure is that I expect too much from myself. I make long lists of tasks I need to do during a day and then at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve failed if every box is not checked off. Yesterday, I spoke about doing one little thing that seemed impossible every day. If I break my big impossible tasks down to small doable bits, I will most likely start to make real progress. Expecting too much from myself hasn’t worked but expecting a little at a time may just start moving me quickly toward all of those goals I’ve set for 2019!

Doing the Impossible

Well, it's the start of a new year and new opportunities to reach those healthy goals. I'm staying on track with my diet. I'm two months in and I've lost 22 pounds so far. I still worry about how I will maintain the weight loss once I end the Keto diet. I'm thinking, I may still restrict all starchy carbs and try to be moderate with the fruit that I love but still add in more vegetables and fruit. I'm still losing weight and I am more active but I've yet to establish an exercise habit. I did order a few dance exercise dvds and I hope to get started on those soon when life settles back to a post holiday normal. I really enjoy using dance as an exercise. It's fun and energizing. I probably wouldn't have had the idea to do that if it wasn't for Earnestine Shepherd. I know I've mentioned her before, she's the world's oldest female body builder at 80+! The most amazing thing about that is, she never exercised a day in her life, avoided it like the plague, until she was 55! How did she start her exercise regime?....Dance. She started with just ten minutes a day which will be a good start for me as well. Yes, I could do more but in the past, I've always pushed myself right at go and ended up overdoing and burning out early. So, if I want this to be a life long habit and I do, I will try starting slow and building slowly until I reach my optimum number of minutes. I know that being active and having an exercise habit will cause my energy to multiply. Ms Earnestine is proof of that. Google her to find out more of her incredible story.

The image is from a coloring book that I published this time last year based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This drawing is, Six Impossible Things by Breakfast. If you're familiar with the Alice books, that is what the Queen of Hearts says we are capable of at least imagining. Some days, I feel it is impossible to accomplish even the simplest tasks. So, if that is the case, I feel that, when I do even one thing, I've accomplished the impossible. Let me tell you, that way of seeing life makes you feel pretty darn good about yourself and will spur you on to accomplish even more. I mean, if you can accomplish the impossible, what can't you do?

I keep trying to come up with more variety in our Keto friendly diet. Last night, I made smoked turkey and spinach in a homemade Alfredo sauce smothered with Italian cheese. It was good!

Happy New Year!!!🎉🎉🎉

My wish for2019 is that we all continue to grow....grow healthier, grow more productive, grow more centered, grow more loving, grow happier and embrace our lives, ourselves, our family and friends and appreciate them all for the blessings they hold.  Live 2019 with purpose and presence. Happy new year!