Saturday, January 10, 2015

Getting “Fit” My body does NOT like it

 

Corey loves to hike.  This is not a secret.  His lungs are strong.  His legs are stronger. He also has been working diligently over the past 2 1/2 years to remove his weight.  His hard work has been rewarded with low heart rates, normal cholesterol and a half empty closet because nothing fits anymore!

I do not like to hike.  The thought of it makes me anxious, angry, and pretty much impossible to be around. I do not have strong legs, I do not have strong lungs…(at least my cholesterol is fine.  Smile )

So WHY do it?  I want to be with Corey.  Like Scuba Diving, this is something we can do together.  However, I LOVE scuba diving (falling off a boat, floating, descending, ascending…not hard…not hard at all)

Over the past 2 years we have been hiking in Hong Kong and we are three stages from finishing every “formal” trail. 

Over the past 2 years I have hyperventilated on every trail.  I have bitched, moaned, cried, yelled (yes…there was that one temper fit), and basically been a real pain in the ass.

SO…after last hiking season…I decided that if I was going to continue to hike, I had better do something about my overall fitness level. Being at a healthy weight does NOT mean you are a healthy person.  It does not mean you are fit.

So starting in May, I have worked pretty darn hard to get some fitness back into my life. 

For the first two months I was working out…and “sort” of journaling my food. While I saw some improvement in my heart rate…my weight barely moved.

Then I went back to Hawaii for a few weeks.  In Hawaii I was able to attend Weight Watchers meeting regularly.  

ACCOUNTABILITY.  What a concept.  For the first time in a LONG time…my weight moved…every week…down…for five meetings.  There was even that one day Corey had our car…so I walked 8 km to the meeting (I did end up going the very long way and coming home a much shorter way…but still…) I was committed.

Coming back to Hong Kong those days were over.  I took a good look at HOW I was tracking my food.  Every day I was writing down my food…but then, I would turn the page, and move on. 

After one person took a look…she said “do you KNOW what vegetables are?  SO…while I was (sort of) eating in my points range…I was not eating “”well”

I designed my own tracker in excel.  I can see my whole week in one glance…looking at my week this way let me see if my “five fruits and veg” requirement was not really happening. 

It is an eye opening experience. 

After 14 years of working and working for Weight Watchers…it is still a challenge…I want to “get away” with things.  I want my wine and drink it too. Alas, I don’t’ think that strategy will work anymore.

I got through the Holidays unscathed.  I left Hong Kong at one weight…and came back the exact same weight.  I will take it!

But now…now I want to move forward.  There is still weight to remove and fitness to improve. 

My body is fighting me…my brain is fighting.  I took a really good look at my food diary vs. my activity…and they are NOT offsetting each other.  I am earning between 8 – 10 Activity Points a day…and my weight is pretty much stuck right now.

That tells me that I can not play loose and fast with my tracking.  I can not play loose and fast with my points.  My allotment is 26 points a day…and supposedly…49 extra points a week.  I really think I am getting to the point where I can’t use all 49 and lose weight.  SIGH. 

Fitness IS one thing.  Weight IS another thing.  However…I have to think that hiking will be easier with less weight on me.  the less of me there is…the less of me there is to haul over a mountain (or up steps…or down a hill).

So my goal is to track even more diligently.  My goal is to use my points wisely.  My goal is to stick as close to 26 as possible and see…if this moves me off of this weight.

It’s back to basics…just like 14 years ago. 

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