Fitness Tuesday Update: Low 140s

Today's Facebook status:

FitnessProject Tuesday Update: been ill for awhile, hopefully am edging toward wellness...still managed to do a little Tai Chi here & there, have lost another 1.2 pounds this week, for a grand total loss at the end of Week 22: 33.6 lbs.

Despite feeling crummy still after two weeks dealing with a respiratory Thing, I'm truly thrilled with how I'm slowly & steadily I'm moving towards that image I hold of a fit, limber me creating art, drinking tea, doing Tai Chi & finding ways to give to the community.

Yet I'm a tad depressed though about asthma, weak lungs - and how every cold I've gotten for two years now has settled in my chest and become bronchitis or almost-bronchitis. I had hoped that my wonderful new habits in diet, exercise & sleep might change this pattern. Well, I still have hope that they will.

As I look at my life over the past few weeks I had a lot going on. Mostly wonderful goings-on, the 3-day Arts Fest, a daylong fiber event with me teaching a triloom weaving workshop, family visitors -- and days with Sophia who was ill with a bug of her own and couldn't go to day care, some other family & financial issues....

So...a whole lot of good & bad stress. As we all know, stress leaves one vulnerable to illness, never mind the cortisol/belly fat connection! I'm going to be more attentive to stress management, I think.

Fitness Tuesday Update on Wednesday - No Deprivation

Here's yesterday's Facebook status:

Tuesday Fitness Project Update: Despite enjoying Saturday's chicken cherry chili, the pumpkin whoopee pie, the fabulous Indian meal at Martha's (which ended with Lana's brownies AND chocolate ginger) I still lost .6 lbs for a grand total at the end of Week 21 of 32.4 lbs lost. BMI now out of the "overweight" and into the "normal" range.

Yes, still going without the safety net of the food journal AND eating socially at special occasions AND still losing a wee bit. This is good. This is practicing for maintaining my weight at whatever winds up being my final goal.

The special occasion was a daylong "Celebrate Fiber" event out at Sycamore Farm on the east side of Terre Haute. I taught an afternoon weaving workshop, but went out early to, well, celebrate fiber! That meant I was there for lunch.

In the evening, Martha, the owner of my local yarn shop, had a wonderful dinner at her home for the shop teachers - takeout from the local Indian restaurant (my favorite of world cuisines.) There were five different entrees, a mountain of rice, naan, and a variety of...condiments, I guess...a sort of relish, raita, etc.

So. I think I made some wise choices and decisions. At Sycamore Farm, I opted for the chili offering instead of the local beef hot dog with corn slaw...and did not eat quite all of the serving. At Martha's I had a little of everything and then just a little more, one tiny brownie and not two, and I did not eat all I wanted to eat. But I certainly ate well and ate enough.

After ending the meal with a cup of raspberry tea and enjoying the company and conversation, I felt nourished and comfortable and had not one pang of guilt.

Not even over that little pumpkin bread whoopee pie I had at the Farm. (I actually ate only half of it then, the other half as my late afternoon snack.)

Fitness Tuesday Update - Weight Loss Should Be Easy

Today's Facebook status:

Tuesday Fitness Project Update: Still struggling with exercise issue. Still grateful for Tai Chi. Still eating without a net (food log.) Still losing steadily. At the end of Week 20, another 1.4 lbs released, for a grand total loss of 31.4 lbs.

That really says it all. I've done nothing this week to up the exercise. Nothing. Just going up and down the stairs a lot as I'm working more in my basement office/studio. And using my next pound down number as a sort of mantra. I think the latter really helps to keep me focused, to keep my eyes on the prize, and the food portions appropriately sized.

From the beginning of this project, I've had a strong positive sense that I will definitely reach my goal: change poor lifestyle habits, lose weight, get stronger. As I have gone into the Last Ten Pounds(Maybe) phase of the journey, I'm getting a lot of negative suggestion from well-meaning people about how difficult that last ten pounds can be, about what a struggle I have ahead of me.

I reject that. I reject that any of this journey to care for my Self by caring for my body is a difficult struggle. It is a joyful challenge.

And from the beginning, I've also had this strange recurring thought:
Losing weight should be as easy as gaining it. I'm not saying it is, but I think it should be and I think it can be. And it begins in the head, with thoughts and conscious attention to them.

The idea of losing weight as easy is heresy in the current religion of weight loss. I've never watched a Biggest Loser episode - but I have seen bits and pieces of that and other televised weight loss/fitness shows. The overriding image is of sweat, tears, faces contorted in pain and misery...and buff people yelling "encouragement."

Is it required that we suffer in order to feel that we've accomplished something?

My life won't begin when I reach my goal. My life is now. My life is the journey. And I'm going to cultivate an attitude of joy and excitement for the duration. No suffering. It feels good to eat well, to sleep enough. It feels good to move...it feels even better to move with ease.

I should sweat a little more, get my heart pounding a bit faster on a regular basis. And I will. But I don't need anyone yelling at me. I'll do it and it will feel good.