Patience is not my forte

Did I really think that just 2 weeks of doing this fitness reboot would make a difference? Yes.
As evidenced by previous posts, clearly the mental fitness has not kicked in; I had at least hoped to drop 2-3 lbs of the 5 I put on this winter. Has not happened. I have given up ice cream, drink tea (herbal, no sweetener), and had more complete breakfasts (cereal WITH banana, oatmeal WITH raisins and nuts). Still holding steady at the 5-lb-over-desired-weight mark.

11 days, one off

I should be proud of myself, getting up every day before today by 6:30 and doing some form of exercise. But Instead, I am wallowing in self pity, upset about my relationships and life in general. I thought it would be a panacea, getting control of my body again, but instead it makes me feel more resentful that I have only 6:00-7:00 a.m. to myself, and then I am returned to a rather unfulfilling life.

Progress

I have, I think, successfully adjusted to waking up between 6 and 6:15 a.m. I have gone out to walk every day since the start of this blog- I know, a whopping 3 days, but that includes a weekend. It's more than that, though- I have had a shift in attitude. No longer does 6 seem early, it seems logical. Of course, it is getting lighter earlier, so I am not getting up in the dark, and by the end I am in daylight. But still, I am up and at 'em. (whoever 'em is.)

Looking forward to my circuit class tomorrow, plan to work really hard at it, maximize my workout time. Also starting my singing group on Wed., big week! (Mild sarcasm is difficult to display in a blog.)

Internal Alarm Clock -IAC

I did an experiment today to see if yesterday's wake-up-at-every-hour-to-not-miss-new-6 a.m. -class was an anomaly. It was. I set my "IAC" for 6:10 a.m. to not only keep training the body/mind (as mentioned in previous post) but to go out for a brisk 30 min. walk. It seemed like a safe bet that I would jolt myself awake again.

Well, the IAC failed. At 6:15, I heard the group of ladies who walk together regularly pass by (only possible because of the unseasonably warm temps-BR window was open). I hopped out of bed, got dressed and was out walking by 6:25. GLORIOUS SPRING DAY made it easy. We'll see when Nov. gets here how that goes.

Up and exercising before 6:30 two days in a row. Weekend starts tomorrow. We'll see how that goes, too.

I guess it's not THAT early

Today I went to my first ever early morning exercise class. I am not a morning person, never have been, and becoming a parent absolutely sealed the deal regarding the sanctity of sleep. Unfortunately (and ironically), it is because I am a parent that I cannot exercise whenever I want. Ergo, I have figured out it has to be first thing in the morning.

Did it feel good? Yes, but we'll see how long the thrill of actually getting up lasts. I think I will feel less exhausted if I can actually sleep the night before. (I was up every hour wondering if the alarm was about to go off).

I have figured that even though the class is only twice a week, I will have to get up at that time every day to really get into the routine both to train my body to live on less sleep AND my mind to trust that the alarm will indeed wake me up.

Of course,I plan on going out walking on non-class days (probably taking a weekend day off) but there is a chance I will just stick around the house and have some solitude. (Does anyone remember solitude)?

Just my way of recycling I guess

Spent 2 hours digging through the Goodwill Outlet Store Sale Bins (known just as "The Bins") hunting for treasure among the crap. I get pleasure and gratification out of knowing that I have saved 4 pillowcases, 6 little snack bowls and yards of fabric (plus a crock pot) from ending up in a landfill. And with a little crafty magic, the pillowcases will become cloth shopping bags using the crock pot to melt wax and decorate the newly made bags with batik designs.

Saving the world? Not quite, but one more way I can feel like I am positively contributing (or at least reducing any negative impact on) our world.

Starting point

I was planning on listing all of my "stats" to show where I am starting from, but it is hard to quantify one's mental state, emotional status, etc., and hard for other reasons to list weight, measurements, and heart rate! Suffice it to say, I do not remember the last time I felt less healthy in all senses of the word. I don't ever remember having such a long spell of sedentary physical habits, nor of having such an extended period of general malaise. Oh, and I haven't weighed this much - other than during my pregnancies- since 1990. Guess that's enough to show my starting point.

Enter Pithy Motivational Statement Here

"Time to get back in the game." - Generic Sports Quote
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Lao-Tsu

All things being equal, my life is pretty great. But I still want more. I want to feel healthy, deeply healthy. I want to feel fulfilled, not just satisfied. I am striving toward a more complete and richer existence. This blog is not only to help me "put it out there"- I am aiming towards seeing what one year of true dedication, outward and inward, to my objectives can do- but also to increase my accountability by putting my progress in writing.

Game on.