Gremlins on Bicycles

I must be SUPER hot!

  Over these last 8 weeks I've learned a lot about healthy eating, exercise, the importance of sleep and a lot about myself. I'd like to share with you a few of these epiphanies and "A-Ha" moments.
  I'm a cheater. Although I like the diet we're on and I appreciate the benefits to my body of eating healthier foods, I tend to cheat more often than I want to admit. I post all of my cheats in the blog, so I'm held accountable. And having to confess my dietary sins probably helps me to have more restraint. But I relish a good cheat. A slice of pizza, a sushi roll or two, a delectable sweet treat on occasion. And I pay dearly for my indiscretions. I'm not losing the weight as fast as I would like, and I have only myself to blame. And Jeff. I definitely blame Jeff. We do it all together-the successes, the epic failures and the self-righteous "we've EARNED this slice of pie!" leaps into utter dietary chaos.

How do you say no EVERY time?

  I feel better when I exercise. So back to my penchant for cheating-once or twice instead of walking, I have passed the 10,000 steps with the old "bicycles"-remember those? Lie on your back and pump your legs as if you were riding a bicycle. Yes, it's still exercise, but definitely not as effective. 10,000 of those really hurts, too! And one day, I didn't get my steps in. Not even close. Like, less than half of my goal. Pathetic. And I don't feel as good when I don't get a good walk in. My knees tell me when I haven't been doing my walking. I was getting 16,000 to 21,000 steps a day for a little while there. I was feeling strong, healthy. The walks were starting to get easier. And then I slacked off. I dropped to the bare minimum. Shameful! Also, when I don't go on those walks, I miss out on the time with Jeff-sharing our day and just being together. I miss out on that daily connection, and that is just as important to my health as it is to our relationship. No joke. It's comforting and relaxing to have that time for just the two of us to really focus on each other and what's going on in our lives. Even if he does have his headphones in and I tend to drift away sometimes-we still are making the time to connect with each other. That's good for both of us-keeps our stress levels down which is helpful in lowering blood pressure. Or so I've heard.

So much less fun than a walk or a REAL bike ride!

  I suck at remembering to take my vitamins and it makes a huge difference. When I go a few days without my daily multi-vitamin and my calcium supplement, I feel so run down and "meh". And my joints hurt more. I need to be really consistent with that. And I'm not. I take them at all different times of the day, with or without food or I forget entirely-sometimes for several days at a time. I know it's going to make me feel better, and yet I don't make it important in my daily routine. I'm adding a new supplement to my regimen called "Relief" with glucosamine and chondroitin and all those good things for joint health. I hope It Works. I'll let you know. Cuz some days those walks are super hard on my knees, especially the last big hill to get home. Now I just have to remember to take them. Maybe I'll try keeping them by the bed so I take them first thing in the morning or right before bed. 

I wonder if there is a supplement for my wallet?

  It really does make a negative impact on my weight loss if I A) don't get enough sleep and B) if I eat late at night. I try to get my full 8 hours of sleep every night, but some nights I toss and turn and can't fall asleep or I wake up once or twice. If that happens, I definitely see a weight gain or minimal weight loss. The same holds true when I eat dinner after 7:00 p.m. A very wise and healthy friend told me not to eat after 7, and I thought that sounded so silly. What am I, a gremlin? Don't feed after midnight!!!!!! But it's true. Even a small bowl of low-carb ice cream (which I think I have to give up entirely. I always gain weight after eating it) or a late dinner will throw my weight loss out of whack if I eat after 7:00. 

Me, after a bowl of low-carb ice cream at midnight. Pretty hot!

  I am my own worst enemy. I beat myself up over my failures, I let myself slide on my own commitments to the diet, I'm never happy enough with my accomplishments because I know I can do better. 
  I need to learn to be kinder to myself-be as supportive as I would be with my best friend. I know that TOTALLY sounded like a Facebook meme that your most upbeat friend would post, so I'll end with one:

I aspire to be as beautiful of a woman as this man is...