I THINK I FOUND IT!!!

Exercise has always been a four letter word to me. I hate doing it.

They say, you should keep searching because there is something out there for everyone. Something you will find that you really like and enjoy and therefore, will stick with it.



I tried so many things and I never found anything I enjoyed. So, I pretty much gave up on the idea of ever finding something I would really like doing.

I figured I would have to just suffer through it and what ever exercise I did was not going to make me happy. Well, until I was done with it. Then I would always be happy. Happy it was over!

Yet, today something odd happened. I was sitting alone at home. I didn't feel like doing anything really but, I was starting to get bored. I felt that urge to go to the kitchen and get something to eat.

Something sweet or salty. Comfort food. Something to fill up my time and make me happy. I'm a big emotional eater and eat for just about any reason. I could be happy, sad, tired, bored, depressed. It didn't matter, food was always my place to turn to for comfort.

I knew in my heart I really didn't want to do that and I was proud of myself for actually noticing that I was headed down that path. You know the one. The one that is fun to walk down but it always hits a dead end. It always ends up making you feel bad. It leads to no where nice.

So, rather then doing that, I turned around and went down a different road. One I hardly ever go down.

It lead me to my bedroom. To my dresser. I went to the bottom drawer, dug around and way down, under lots of things I found it. That bathing suit I have and never wear.

I put it on, grabbed a towel and went to the backyard. I was actually going to go swimming.

I got in and the water was a bit cold. But, after I got dunked in, it was fine. Then I started. First at slow, then faster and stronger. I was swimming.

Old feelings came back. I used to like to swim. I used to go every night years ago. I looked forward to it.

The pool in our backyard is not really a good shape to swim laps though. So, I did water aerobics. For about 45 mins I was doing kicks, bends, running around, doing arm circles.

The big shock was... I was having fun. I really was having fun. Could it be true? Could there really be an exercise that even I would enjoy doing? I think there just may be.

Now, I have to get over my fear and worry about others seeing me in my bathing suit. That way it won't matter who is here, I can still go in and do my exercises while I have fun and not have to wait for days when I'm here alone.

Do you have an exercise you really enjoy doing? If so, what is it?

I really think that if I keep up the water aerobics, walking and hiking I will kick up my weight loss. I'm really excited about this.

IT'S TIME TO HIT UP THE BEACH!!

One of my favorite places to go walk is at the beach. Each season has it's perks.

I love the winter when it's chilly out, a bit grey and very quiet at the beach.

I love Spring when the weather is perfect out. Not hot, but still warm. The stores are starting to open up. The rental signs are slowly coming down as they houses are rented out.

Fall is a great time to walk at the beach. Hardly a person to be found but every now and then you pass another walker. The breeze brings the smells from the Ocean to you and you are often alone with only your thoughts.

But, come Summer... Well, the beach comes alive. People every where. Sounds of laughter fill the air. The sand fills up with bright colored umbrellas and families. Young lovers walk along hand in hand.

Today was the last day of school here. So the beach was filled with young people gathering, talking and planning what they will be doing all summer.

Most people were still supporting their white Winter bodies. Soon to be a gold brown.



The Life Guards were back, protecting everyone and making sure everyone stays safe.

As we, my sister Maureen and I, walked from The Newport Beach Pier to the Balboa Beach Pier, I fully enjoyed the view.

Oh come on! I may be old but I'm not blind. This young 20 something was just what I needed to keep up my desire to walk from one city to the next.

I enjoyed looking at all the pretty houses too. Yes, that is one house, right on the beach. Oh if only my dreams could come true...

I loved how so many of the houses have huge windows that open up and bring the outdoors in. Or should I say, the indoors out.

I loved the copper on top of this house with the weathered green patina.

I have to admit, walking from Newport Beach to Balboa was a great walk. I enjoyed every minute of it.

However, when we turned around and started to walk back it seemed much further. We couldn't even see the pier at Newport Beach.

So, when we finally made it back to where we had parked, I was happy to be able to sit down and rest.

I looked it up and was surprised to see it's a 6 mile walk that we did.

Hey, I think I just proved to myself that exercise doesn't have to be bad. It can be very enjoyable. I just can't think of it as exercise.

Summer is a perfect time for us to get outdoors, get some fresh air, see some nice things and get our bodies moving. You won't even notice you are really doing nothing more then exercise!

IT'S TIME FOR A RE-COMMITMENT!

For several months I've been doing pretty good on Weight Watchers. I lost almost 50 lbs and eating healthy was becoming 2ND nature to me.

But then something happened. A few weeks ago I lost the excitement. My desire to lose was gone. I got lax and didn't really follow the plan the way I should be. I got stuck in a weight loss plateau.


I still went to weigh in every week and I stayed for the meetings. I didn't give up totally. I knew if I stopped going to the weigh ins I would be in trouble. I would not have gone back and most likely ended up gaining all my lost weight back.

Today, our meeting brought us all a challenge. To do a 5K by June.

We were given ways to start training now and if followed we would be ready for a 5K by June.

I was happy about this as I seem to well with a challenge. It gets me motivated again. Gives me a goal to shoot for.

I knew this week I was going to be back on track and I also knew I was going to exercise more.

In fact, I was talking to one of the guys in my meeting and he said he walks at least a 5K four to five times a week. I asked him where he walked and he told me. In fact, he said he was going to go walk after the meeting.

Then something scary happened. He asked if I wanted to join him. YIKES! I wasn't ready to start my re-commitment so soon. I paused for about 10 seconds and then said "Yes, I would love to go with you."

So, after the meeting we went to one of the parks in the area and walked to an area he had mapped out before. He said it was a loop of 3.2 miles which is a tad over a 5K but was a close as he could get it.

Off we went. We talked, saw lots of animals, enjoyed the smells of the blooming plants and before I knew it our walk was over.

It didn't seem like we walked that far. The time flew by.

We walked to the parking lot and got into our cars. I wasn't ready to stop walking yet and so I went out to a few thrift stores to get a few extra steps in.

OK, I wanted to see if anything good was out there too but I really did want to get more steps in.

I was happy that I had a good start to my new week. Then my phone rang. It was my nephew. He wanted to know if I wanted to go for a hike with him tomorrow. I quickly said yes.

I don't know why I hit this plateau. I just know I want to break out of it and I'm going to do everything I can this week to do so. I think I'm off to a good start.

I'm not going to give up. I'm going to reach my goal this time. I don't know when. I haven't really set a deadline. I just know that this time, I'm going to make it!

Have any of you had a weight loss plateau before? If so, what did you do to dig your way out of it?

WORKING OUT

I figured that since I don't seem to be able to make it to the gym (not for any other reason then I just hate it) I would stock up on some workout DVDs and do them at home.

I have to tell you that I am really the worst when it comes to working out! So no matter how bad you are, know I'm even worse!

In fact, my first try at doing a DVD was to lay in bed and watch it. After all, I had to see how hard it was before I even gave it a shot!

So the other day I put in the Biggest Losers Boot Camp DVD. It has different levels you can pick from.

As I watched it Bob kept saying how everyone was feeling the burn and getting a great work out in. How doing these steps was burning off the calories and helping them lose weight.

The exercises are done by past winners of the Biggest Loser and they were all saying how much they felt the work out and felt the burn!

Now I've not been a Biggest Loser fan for long and have only watched this seasons show. But, I've seen how they work out. For hours and hours and they do some really hard stuff.

So, of course I was not believing how hard these level one exercises were. They didn't look hard at all. In fact, I figured even I could do those.

Today I put the DVD in and did my first Boot Camp lesson.

Let me tell you.... it's true! Those easy looking exercises really do make you feel burning in your arms, legs, back and stomach!

I couldn't believe it. I wasn't sure if I could make it through them.

The good thing is each exercise is short so you move on to the next one quickly. No breaks! Bob wants to keep your heartbeat up and you moving at all times.

So when we came to the end I was happy. It wasn't that bad. In fact it was kind of fun. WHAT! Did I say that? OK, not fun but surely doable.

I have the Biggest Loser Wii game too. I can't wait to try that out. But, I think I'll stick to this DVD for the time being as it is set up to give you weeks worth of work outs on a timed schedule.

On top of the work out I went for a long walk today too. I am bound and determined to lose weight this week. For some reason I do not seem to be losing this week. I know, I should stay off those scales!

I'm going to weigh in a day early too. I'm going to be going to Laughlin with my sister, Maureen, so we are going to weigh in on Monday rather then miss out completely.

So tell me, what kind of exercise are you doing these days? Do you go to the gym? Do you walk? Do you do the DVDs or exercise at home?

I would love to know what you are all doing.

ALL POUNDS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY

It's Tuesday and that means weigh in day at Weight Watchers for me. So I got dressed and drove to my meeting. Got on up on the scale and was told I was down another 1.8lbs! That is now a loss of 20.4 lbs in 9 weeks.

I'm very happy with my loss so far. This time has been so different for me.

Normally I go on a diet and I feel deprived, a bit depressed and just look forward to the day the diet is over.

If I eat something that is not on the "diet" then I feel bad and mostly likely quit. Only to gain back everything I've lost and then some.

This time, I'm not on a diet. I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I'm not eating diet food. I eat what I want and if I have a craving for something I eat it.

The only difference is I practice portion control and will only eat a little bit of what it is that I want. I will also exercise more to help me continue to lose.

I search for ways to get more movement in. Things like walking tours, going places that you know you will walk more, like Disneyland or the beach.

I try not to eat out as much. I drink more water and I now stop before I eat to see if I'm really hungry or just bored, tired or depressed.

So I think that is why this time it's working and I'll stick to it.

Have you thought about what a pound really is? I've posted a picture to show you that a pound of fat is not the same as a pound of muscle.

Fat takes up much more room in your body. Fat also burns 2 calories per pound. Yet muscle burns 6 calories per pound.

That is why when you work out and build up your muscle you not only look thinner but you can eat more and still not gain.

In fact, when you build a pound of muscle you not only burn the 6 calories per pound of muscle but you will burn off the fat even while you are sleeping or sitting watching tv. So, it's like sucking away 4 calories of fat and 6 calories of energy for every pound of muscle.

Just another reason why we should be moving more. Build up those muscles and burn off that jiggly fat.

So how did you do this past week? Did you meet your goals?

By Thursday I will have joined the gym. I have to be honest and tell you I'm not looking forward to this at all. I must retrain my brain to enjoy exercise. It's something I'm going to have to do for the rest of my life so I have to make peace with it.

Hope you are all doing well and if you messed up last week, well it's now in the past and time to work on this week and moving towards your goal.

I'M GOING DOWN

It's true. I'm going down. No, not down into the ocean. Down in weight. It's Tues and that means it's Weight Watchers weigh in day for me.

I'm down another 2.6 lbs. That's a total of 18.6 lbs in 8 weeks. I'm pretty happy with that amount.

I have only one more week and then I'm joining the gym. I've made it a goal to join on the first of Oct.

I'm not looking forward to joining at all so I'm really trying to talk myself into this. I know I need to kick up my exercise and not just doing walking/hiking.

I hate to work out. I'm lazy. I admit it. So I'm going to come up with some kind of reward system to get me there. Not sure what yet.

Do you have any type of a reward system set up for you to stay on plan or exercise more often?

I know a nice weight loss should be reward enough for me but some how that just doesn't do it. Although it has been enough for me to get out and walk.

Maybe I'll get myself a nice fresh bunch of flowers for every week I reach my goal of working out. That would be nice to look at every day and know they are there because I did good.

Today is the first day of fall! Happy Fall to all of you! I love Fall. The weather is cooler, it means the holidays are just around the corner, time to change the decorations in the house and the crowds have all gone home.

However, it also means, candy, cookies, big dinners and all the wonderful fruits and veggies will be gone. So Fall can be hard when it comes to watching what one eats.

There will be great squash, apples, pears and nuts though. All good tastes and good for you.

So stick with me and we can get through the months ahead and come out like shinning stars.