The Crunchy Bits:
Blood Pressure 112/81 pulse 84
Blood Sugars
6:00 AM 68
10:15 AM 95
12:00 PM 99
4:00 PM 85
7:30 PM 69
9:30 PM 103
Breakfast Breakfast Smoothie
Snack Swiss chard salad w/ 1/2 avocado, 1/4 cucumber, 1/4 beet & 2 tbsp newman's own balsamic vinagerette. 1/4 c. almonds
Lunch 1 c. black beans
Snack 1/4 c. guacamole, 3 celery stalks 1/4 cucumber
Dinner Veggie panang curry over black beans (aprox. 1.5 c)
Exercise AM yoga, 10 min walk
The Froo-Froo Bits:
THIS WAS A BAD DAY. Emotionally I was a wreck. I was tired, and that magnified everything 1,000-fold. Physically, I was tired too, and that didn't help one iota. I got my walk in, but only 10 minutes. After that, I started stumbling, and actually had to sit for a few before I could get back to my office because my legs were shaky. When I got back, I called Nick and asked him to tell me that I really DIDN'T look like Jaba the Hut, that I really wasn't lazy, and that it was really all okay.
See, I have a problem - a stubbornness problem. I set a goal and no matter what, I MUST REACH THAT GOAL. Even if its not really a good idea. That's part of why I don't set goals lightly or often. I decided that I would up my walking time 5 min/day every week until I was at 30 min/day, 5 days/week. That sounded reasonable to me. The problem is that I'm starting at zero. My body is REALLY out of shape. I couldn't get a full five days in last week at 15 min/day, and it didn't even occur to me not to add on my 5 min this week. So I did - and fell flat on my face (not literally, but only b/c I was able to grab onto the wall).
So, I'm having to learn how to take the blow of a) not meeting a goal, and b) renegotiating with myself. I'm discovering that I'm a bitch when it comes to negotiations. I don't want to give ground, especially to myself. I keep telling myself that its just laziness, and that I'd be better off just sucking up the bad and bulling through it. Except that's not really true, and I don't think its really a good idea to talk myself into that mindset.
So, I'm backing off a little. Nick asked me to take today off from walking, so I am. I'm going to walk for 15 min for the rest of this week. I'm thinking that maybe next week I should aim for 15/day for 5 days. In other words, I'm thinking that I shouldn't up the time until I can walk for all five days of the work week. It shouldn't take that long, really. Maybe an extra week.
I have to remember that it took me 36+ years to get in this shape, and its not going to get better if I kill myself exercising. Slow & steady & let the weight fall off as it will (which its doing fantastically). I need to keep progressing, and adding a little bit every week, but not to the point where I drive myself to where I was yesterday. That's not a good place.
Might I suggest that perhaps you should give yourself the goal of walking the prescribed time at least four days per week for at least two consecutive weeks before increasing the time? Maybe include the proviso that neither the Monday nor Friday walk may be skipped unless sick (cause either one would give you three consecutive days without walking). Obviously, there's nothing to stop you from walking 20 minutes on a 15-minute day IF things are going well, but not pushing the increase until you are comfortable with the current level probably is more conducive to success (and positive feedback that will lead to more success). JMHO.
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