He's Only Just Begun

My youngest began kindergarten yesterday. I have a mix of emotions. Among them is the realization that this is the first time in almost 11 years that I will have kid-free mornings. It's been a crazy 11 years.


And it's been a busy month. (Good grief, only one post for August). We made tremendous progress on my parents' "new" old home, I finally have my computer back, the yellow jacket sting has cleared up as well as the cellulitis (but not the cellulite) and the colitis -- recap here.


I was happy to finally venture away from the safety zone of my bathroom. I even signed up (and paid) for WasatchWoman's 5th Annual Love Your Body 6K Run/Walk -- my first running event!!! It will be October 9th. Within the first week of training, plantar fasciitis made itself clearly known, again. I first developed PF last January. It improved, but I must have become complacent because it's back. It doesn't look good for the 6K. I can't even do exercise walking until I've had a full week of no pain. Shoes must be worn all the time including night trips to the restroom. I have really good shoes complete with orthotics. They are lovely with my Sunday church dress.

: p


I have to admit, this PF thing had really gotten me down. Walking boosts my mood and energizes me. Without it, I had slipped into a depression. I felt defeated. (Or, is it de-feeted?)


Being the strong, resilient woman I am, I shifted my focus to foot friendly exercises like resistance training, pilates and yoga binged. (So much for being aware of what is good for my colon -- last post). I sort of wished I could turn on the colitis again to keep me from binge-eating.


Now what? I'm going to clean my house. During my pity-party, I pretty much ignored my chores and myself. I didn't want to deal with anything. I didn't want to cook anything. Fitness had left the building -- physical, mental, and most of all, spiritual.


Tomorrow, I'm going to work on becoming clutter-free, clean the kitchen and bathrooms and get rid of dead clothes. I'll have to baby the PF, but it has to get done.l I'd also like to clear the family room floor so I have room for my resistance training, pilates and yoga. With the little one now in kindergarten, I have those couple of hours in the morning.


Do you remember when you were in kindergarten? For most of us, falling down was fun, jumping and running in bare feet were good for us, we ate when we were hungry and stopped when full -- even if only half the ice-cream cone or cookie was eaten. New tasks were adventures not burdens. We knew how to play. Happy was easy.


It's back to basics for me. Tomorrow, I will begin drinking water about every 1 1/2 hours, again. I've totally neglected hydration. Water should help my mood a bit.


(I also want to thank Joy and Skye for the Versatile Blogger Award; I haven't forgotten about that and am very grateful you thought of me. That will be my next post).

Back to Basics Challenge #3 - Stop Eating B4 Bed

Hi! How's your hydration? I've been doing really well thanks to my timer. So, far, I'm pleased with how I've been doing on the challenges.


Water: great
To-do list: good (I keep adding stuff to the list -- it's more than 3 -- but it helps me stay focused)
Move: great (I've been walking 2-3 miles each day plus JM's 30-Day Shred and arm resistance) -- I save the goofey dance when I'm in a slump.
Thankful Journal: good


T.O.M. arrived 3 days ago and knocked me down. I just did not feel like moving. But I did. I got at least my walk in, although slowly.


(Okay, I'm falling asleep here at the computer. Let's get the next challenge underway):


Physical
1. Continue to hydrate
2. Continue to move more
3. Stop eating or drinking 2-3 hours before bedtime (unless you have a medical condition where you need a cracker or milk with your medication before bed or some other very valid reason). That's my challenge for myself this week. It's a big one that has worked for me before.


Why do I want to do it? I don't need those extra calories to sleep. I have plenty to get me through the night. If those calories aren't used, then they are stored. Sleeping with a full tummy could also lead to indigestion and gas.


What if I'm hungry? Don't get mad at me for saying this, but, "It's okay to feel hunger." It's not okay to deprive yourself of nutrition. It's not okay to starve. However, if I had balanced, full meals during the day and my nutritional needs are met, then it's okay for me to feel a little hungry before bed time. I'll plan for my breakfast the next day so I don't just grab anything.


Mental
1. Continue making "to-do" lists the night before.
2. Dance to get out of slumps


Spiritual
1. Thankful journal (continue) -- or at least mentally review what you are thankful for regarding the people in your life. It helps to write it down and reread during times you just don't feel thankful at all.

Back to Basics Challenge #2 - Move - Give Thanks

Physical

1. Continue to hydrate

2. Move More and/or Finish Stronger

{This may not be much of a challenge for those of you that are very active and are already set in an exercise routine. For you, I challenge you to Finish Stronger. For example, run your last steps as if you had the energy you started with, lift that last rep as if you're not fatigued and with control and full movement (grunt and growl if you have to).}

For the rest of us -- Each day play an upbeat song you like and "dance" to it. (I have a playlist on the side of my blog if that helps. Scroll down. It's on the bottom. I suggest song #2 "Big N Chunky" for a fun song to start moving ...thanks, Larkspur).

"Can't dance," you say? Neither can I. It's embarrassing at first (even alone), and I have this paranoid feeling there's a hidden camera somewhere. Move as if you can dance. Shake it. Shimmy. Wave your arms. March in place. If you have to do it from a chair, fine, just move more than you used to. Wiggle. Jiggle. Whip out some 1980's aerobic moves. Be unapologetically yourself (a quote that I love from MizFit).

Why do it? It gives you a boost of energy and endorphins and makes the day seem more possible to handle. It also kick-starts your metabolism. And...it's a gateway activity that may lead you to trying other activities and exercises.

When? I think mornings are great (start it off in a fun way). You can do it anytime you want to be awake. Feeling a little low or depressed? Take 5 minutes and dance.

Mental

1. Continue your to-do list the night before. (Modify it to fit your needs).

2. Dance (see above) - The physical movement will boost you mentally.

Spiritual

1. Thankful Journal -- Write at least one thing you are thankful for about the people (or animals) in your life. For example, before I write my nightly to-do list, I list my immediate family members (same notebook as the to-do's). Next to their names, I recall 3 things that each of them did that I was thankful for. "Marie - said thank you to the clerk, played with little brother, gave me a hug." It can be about anyone.

Why? We are bombarded with negativity and discouragement. If we choose to see the good stuff, that will help to counter-balance what surrounds us. This may lead us to seek for more good things. If we are listing our family members, that could help us see them in a more positive light and relate to them in a more loving way (which comes in handy when all live under one roof).

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Bonus

There are some great blogs I'd eventually like to introduce to you. Cammy from TippyToeDiet had a "Trainaversay" a couple of days ago, so I'll start with her. I encourage you to read about it here. She has lost 100 pounds and writes about the day she began strength training and even shared journal entries from that day. I find it motivating.

I first noticed Cammy when she would comment on others' blog posts. She was always encouraging, positive, and funny. I eventually clicked over to her blog and was happy I did.

Back to Basics Challenge #1 - Hydrate, Mini List

Larkspur from Am I Really That Fat? challenged me to do a challenge. I've slipped away from most of the good habits I had developed and am wanting to reestablish them again into my life. I want to build fitness, and with any good building project, there needs to be a firm foundation. Every week I'll add new challenges. They will be very simple at first, but sometimes it's the simple things that are hard to maintain yet are so important.

I delved into Onederland last year briefly. I looked at what I was doing at that time to help me get there. You can read about it here, if you would like. I drank a lot of water, moved more, and brought better foods to my meals. I also did things for my mental and spiritual health.

Let's make small changes together and make them stick. I will be doing additional exercises not listed here, and you can, too, but I find I become so distracted that I forget the basics.

How long does it take to form good habits? I Googled it. It basically depends on the person and the habit. I found this article. Two - three months seems to be the average. I liked what the author said at the end of his post, "It’s essential to find things to enjoy about the steps along the way in order to keep up anything important long enough for it to matter."

Let's get started.

Physical Challenge -- Start you day off with a glass of water and remind yourself every hour or hour and a half with a timer (I use my watch) to drink some water (the amount is up to you). I personally have a hard time remembering to drink. Water helps with alertness (sometimes sleepiness is a sign of dehydration), hunger (our hunger may actually be thirst), moods (a disagreeable mood may be another sign of dehydration). We are made up of mostly water so our body needs it to function. Idea: If you are a big soda or coffee drinker, try replacing one serving of those with water. (I wonder if replacing one cigarette with one glass of water is helpful...I don't know, I'm just brain-storming).

Mental Challenge -- Mini nightly to-do list: each night think about things you need to get done the next day. Try for 1-3 doable things. Don't overwhelm yourself. For example, is there a phone call you need to return? Grocery shopping? Return something to a neighbor? Write them down. Do them the next day and that evening you get the satisfaction of checking them off. Then write down 3 more things for the following day. Keep the list, if you'd like, to see what you accomplish. I often forget what I need to do the next day especially when kids start crawling into bed with me, the dog barks, and the craziness begins. Of course we do more than 3 things each day, but is there something you keep forgetting to do? Write those down.

Come back here (anytime -- once per week or day) and report it in the comments section how you did (or not...You knowing how you did is what counts, but we could certainly cheer you on).

Maybe I could post the reports along with the next challenge.

So, what do you think? Are you up for it? Come join me.