I’m really going to have to come up with some better titles as this could get messy.
My weigh in this week was on the surprising side. I honestly didn’t expect to lose much if any weight as I didn’t really get in the exercise that I’d wanted to, so it was a bit of a shock to get on the scale to discover I’d lost another 2 pounds. That is 35 pounds now. Just wow. I’m at a point where it is really tempting to say that it is all good enough and stop, but I know that I really am not at that really healthy point yet. I do feel immensely better than I did when I started this particular journey, but I want to feel even better. With it starting to get much colder (depending on the day, Mother Nature is still acting somewhat like a woman going through menopause at the moment), it is becoming harder and harder to get the motivation to get up and move. It will take even more determination than I’ve had up to this point to keep it going.
I had kind of hoped that the daily challenge would help with that motivation, but the movement part of my goals has been the hardest to hit. Granted, this last week has been kind of crazy with Halloween and the mess that created and needed to be cleaned up and other random things that always seem to crop up as the perfect excuse to not get up and move. I did get in a nice walk earlier in the week, but that was about it for any extended moving. I did meet my commitment every day on the minimum of at least 5 minutes by doing some stretching.
The outdoor part of my commitment and the connecting part has been a bit easier. I managed to meet my ideal goal in both every day last week with the exception of one day that it was just colder than I could stand that day. I did get out there for a little over 5 minutes, but not the full 30. The cold has been really hard on me this year. More so than normal even though I’ve always been cold when everyone else is comfortable. I guess not having that extra insulation is having an effect. I picked up a couple of shirts and some tights to give me some layering options to hopefully help with that.
I am really hoping that I can establish some sort of a routine that helps me to meet and stick with all of my commitments a little better, but I haven’t quite figured out how to do that yet. It would also help if I didn’t have 50 million other problems distracting me that have decided to rear their ugly head over the last several days. I really, really didn’t need to hear that the water that came into the basement with last night’s rain wasn’t actually due to something the window guys did but was just part of a much larger problem that has been ongoing for quite some time. That I did NOT want to hear today.
lol! I know what you mean about messy post titles, especially when they include 2 sets of numbers.
A tip on the cold: When it first got cold during my year-long commitment to get outside every day, I was miserable. I knew that if I didn’t do something, I was going to start making excuses about why I couldn’t go out and I’d end up not keeping the commitment. (I have the hardest time keeping promises I make to myself!) I decided I needed to excuse-proof myself and that meant layers and layers of clothing on some days. I even went out with 2 pairs of gloves and mittens on top of those. I must have looked like the Michelin tire guy. lol! My commitment was for 30 minutes every day so on the days I just could not do it, I’d go out for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, come back in and warm up, then go back out again later until I got in the full 30 minutes. Nobody said it had to be consecutive.
I also found myself toughening up a bit. I got to know the cold and its variations so I would know how to dress and how long I could manage it. The -7 degree day I went hiking wasn’t nearly as bad as a 20 degree day when we had hoar frost. I’m not sure why, but I would guess that the humidity had something to do with it.
The other thing that helps is having another focus, one that you really enjoy. For me that was photography. It’s challenging during the winter months, but so worth the effort. It was the winter months that taught me to truly appreciate nature, and really helped me connect.
Sorry about the long comment. I really just meant to say a Well done! on your additional weight loss and meeting your goals.
Posted by Robin | November 8, 2011, 5:48 pmNo need to apologize! I love getting your input and experiences. It really does help. I am definitely going with needing lots of layers. When we went to my folks over the weekend for a cookout and hayride, I layered up thinking that I’d end up melting because I was way too warm, but I ended up being pretty comfortable overall and only got cold when the wind picked up. I’m trying really hard not to use the 5 minute minimum as an excuse to not spend more time than that outside, but it is really tempting when it is cold.
Posted by tjfox | November 8, 2011, 6:35 pmIf it’s just the extremities getting cold, have you thought about heated socks and gloves? Check through Bass Pro Shops or whatever hunting supply stores you can find. For testing the theory, you can get little packets that you squeeze and knead, for a couple seconds, and they make heat for a while (an hour or so).
Kinda overloaded, so I’ll keep this brief. Well done, and continued good luck
Posted by John Erickson | November 8, 2011, 9:46 pmOh, no! It is EVERYTHING that gets cold. I had something like three shirts on plus my coat, tights under my jeans and gloves and I STILL wanted to be under a blanket this weekend. That was with the temps in the low 50s. Yeah, I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold.
Posted by tjfox | November 8, 2011, 10:15 pmYep, she’s a wimp! (sorry sis … ’tis the truth though, yes?) When hubby and I visited in March 2010, she thought I was nuts spending time with the dog in 40 degree weather. Yeah, OK, I had other reasons, but Izzy and I had fun out there.
Foxy, I know you said you wanted to wait until you’d lost a bit more, but I really do swear by the silk thermals for both layering (not as thick as some of the others) and warmth (and natural fibers breathe) when it’s really cold (though that’s under 20 degrees for me) and windy. Another thing you might want to look into are the fleece lined jeans. I think I got mine at LL Bean.
Posted by dragonfae | November 9, 2011, 2:35 amOh! I forgot about those. DragonFae is right about the silk thermals. They are wonderful.
Posted by Robin | November 9, 2011, 7:51 amThe silks will be on my wish list later, but for now, I’m living with my tights and long sleeved shirts I picked up, all for less than I’d pay for a single piece of the silk. I’m also good with hats and gloves and blankets and… lol!
And YES, I am a total wimp, but you love me anyway.
Posted by tjfox | November 9, 2011, 12:16 pmYes I do!
Posted by dragonfae | November 10, 2011, 4:34 am