Reuniting With Spark People

Here's the impetus for my beginning a blog.  Earlier today I looked up this awesome weight loss site I utilized a few years ago.  www.sparkpeople.com  It's a FREE site that has LOTS of help for anyone interested in becoming more health conscious.  After entering my current personal data (weight/ measurements/fitness test results/etc), I chose to write a journal entry describing my current sentiments about myself.  That led me to this realization:  if I merely SAY I want to become healthy, I know I won't accomplish it.  If I let others know of my desire, I'll feel more positive pressure ("drive" both internal and external) to make it happen.  So THAT's where the blog idea originated.


But here's my journal entry from yesterday:


OK...here's the gist. I weigh exactly what I did 2 years ago this fall. That could be positive...but I was out-of-shape then. My 3-minute step test then was SO much better than today's. Today's result of 126 places me in the "Poor" category. I knew I was not in good shape, that really confirms it.

For months I've been feeling awful. My calves and forearms are so tight all day long they feel as if they're continually swollen! They don't allow me to sit comfortably or even sleep. I have to take advil to get through the days/nights.

I KNOW I should exercise regularly. I KNOW I feel so much better when I do. I LOVE the high energy feeling of being in shape, but it's been too long since I've felt that way. Every day I tell myself I WILL get up and walk. Every day I start with something else first and then never get around to walking. Granted, I work industriously at whatever I'm doing, but that is not the same as cardiovascular or strength conditioning. I also subvert my own health by making what I know are poor food choices. (Even though I don't eat excessively most days, I don't eat well.) And my chronic knee pain doesn't help and gives me easy rationalizations for avoiding what I know I should be doing.

Six or seven years ago I went from a size 12/14 to a size 4. I didn't lose that much weight really (142 down to a maintainable 125), but it made a tremendous difference in how I felt. My 16-22 year-old-children told me to slow down because they couldn't keep up with my then normal walking pace. And they were all in incredible shape! I took my BMI down from 33 to 17...now that was amazing! Today my BMI is 23.3. While that is still a healthy number (normal for women is 22-25), it is not the best indicator of my overall health.

I have always said that I don't really care what I weigh. I care about how I FEEL and currently I don't feel energetic enough. My hardest challenge in life has always been self-discipline...in all areas. (spiritually, physically, emotionally, housework, bad habits, etc.) and BALANCE. I find that when I start focusing to improve one area of my life, many other areas fall into line where they should.

When I achieved that greatest body shape of my lifetime 6-7 ears ago, my motivation was bi-fold: 1) I no longer was homeschooling and felt that it was finally MY time to become a better me, 2) I realized that with Andrea engaged, it might not be too long into my future before I might have grandchildren and I did NOT want to be too tired and run-down to fully enjoy them!

Three and a half weeks ago I learned that I now am about to be a grandma for the first time! I've even been experiencing "nesting" of a sort. I started renovating the kids' bedrooms and with Fred's help we completely redid all of hem! They look so nice, fresh, and new!  (Although I actually began this project before I knew the grandma status was forthcoming.)

I've even got the house attic halfway clean including purging it of all non-memorabilia homeschooling. And I now have the boxes on-hand to complete that task. Then on to my sewing room so I can enjoy making gifts for the grandbaby!

There's much more I want to do! (clean the garage attic & purge it of all non-essentials). Help Fred clean his workshop and study (again purging). Get the yard/house/shed/mower/tools/etc. ready for winter. Finish that room addition bathroom that's been just sitting there for years! Continue to help Melissa with laundry/meals/housework while she suffers with morning sickness. Spend more time connecting with our kids because of the distance that separates us. Sort through our closet (clean/purge). Maybe revamp our bedroom. Paint the foyer & upstairs hallway. Fill the empty picture frames in this house! Have more time for shut-in visitation.

But all that takes energy and motivation. I'm gaining the motivation, but I need the energy. I won't gain energy if I keep avoiding the exercise.

AND...I want to fully enjoy this grandchild. That cannot happen unless I am at the peak of my performance. I really wish I lived near exercise facilities so I could take advantage of them. Driving a half hour each way and paying to use such places deters me. But I make worse time and money choices. It's time once again to focus on my own health. Not just for my own benefit, but for the benefit of all around me. God can use me greater when I'm in greater health.

So....what am I going to do about it?

I can make all kinds of plans, but my plans often fail or I lack follow-through or get discouraged. My mindset is being changed and that is the first step. Once I decide to change, the determination will follow, slowly at first, testing my resolve.

I KNOW I want change. But how much am I really willing to work for it? The next few weeks/months will tell, won't they?

But here I am in this moment. Will I get up from this computer and exercise or will I clean the attic? Both good choices, but one is better! Can I force myself to make the better choice knowing the other choices will find their way to completion or will I continue in my current undisciplined habits?

All great accomplishments are begun with a single step.     


(or pedal!    I have to say...Tom Roepke has been a great inspiration to me lately.  He is 5 years older than I am and if he can take on the challenge of riding 800 miles in just over two weeks, surely I can walk a few miles a day!  Way to go, Tom!  Way to inspire others!)