Friday Five - Walking

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good

for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult

than all the medicine and psychology in the world.

~Paul Dudley White

Lookie what I got! Yep, I bought my new walking shoes, and aren’t they a thing of beauty? It's purely coincidence that green is my favorite color.

They're made by Mizuno, a brand I'd not heard of before. I told the helpful man at the store that they put me in Brooks last time I bought good shoes, but that I wanted a little more cushion. After watching me walk and listening to my foot issues (I have a neuroma in both feet and wear orthotic inserts) he brought out these for me to try - and it was love at first toe-wiggle! The whole thing was a very positive experience, which I was glad for. Last time I bought good shoes, I was walking an hour a day, up hills and down. This time, not so much - and it shows. But the salesman treated me with respect and acted as if I am a competitive runner. It was a pleasant change from how us overweight folks can sometimes be treated.

So, in honor of my new shoes, and to bolster my motivation for actually using them, I present today's Friday Five:

Pattie's Top Five Reasons for Walking!

1. Increased energy. Man, I feel like such a slug these days! I want to regain the energy I had when I was more active: to be able to do anything I want and know that I'll have the stamina to see it through.

2. It's good for my emotional state. There's nothing better for lifting depression and helping me see the bright side of life. If I could bottle and sell the emotional benefits of walking, I'd be a rich woman!

3. Being outside. I love quilting. In fact, as you may have guessed, I've become rather passionate about it. But one sits inside when one quilts, and I've allowed myself to do more and more of that this past year. I want the feel of sun on my body! Besides, it's fun to check out the yards in the neighborhood!

4. Increased flexibility. All that sitting has not done good things for my muscles. It's hard for me to bend and reach and do the simplest things these days. I believe in the mantra of "use it or lose it." It's time to put my belief into action.

5. And finally, weight loss. When I led Weight Watchers meetings, I always used to tell my members that weight loss should be at the bottom of the list of reasons we exercise. And it's true. It's usually what motivates most of us to be more active. But there are SO many good reasons to be active. Weight loss is just an added benefit.

So there you have it: my reasons for buying new shoes and implementing a walking program. I feel a bit overwhelmed about it all because I know I'm starting from scratch - and that's a hard thing to do, physically and emotionally. But it's time. Change is in the wind.

How about you? Why do you like to walk/run?

Hubby and I are going away for a four-day weekend starting tomorrow, up the coast to Carmel and Monterey. I can hardly wait! We'll do plenty of walking, I know. It won't be quite the power-walking I enjoy doing, but every little bit counts!

Until next time...

Healthy You Check-In

Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I am way behind on my quilt blocks, which are all due for this Thursday night's class. So I'm posting Monday night for my Healthy You Check-in.

In short, the week was terrible as far as eating and exercise went.

But it was wonderful as far as nurturing my heart and spirit is concerned.

My dear friend Scott visited hubby and I this weekend. It was a short trip, so we tried to pack in as much as possible. We ate dinner by the ocean Saturday night, then played a board game here at home. Hubby had a commitment Sunday morning, so Scott and I went to breakfast then the three of us attended a Pink Martini concert that afternoon, as part of the Ventura Music Festival (if you don't know their music, treat yourself and download a tune or two.) We had drinks afterward by the ocean, then dinner at a fabulous Italian bistro where a friend is the head chef. This morning Scott and I again had breakfast while hubby was flying to Chicago on business. We shopped for books and music (our favorite past-time!) then I took him to the airport. It was an enjoyable weekend filled with good food, great drinks and fun activities.

But the best part was having time to visit face-to-face with an old friend. Scott and I have been through hell and high water together and have always been there to support one another in life's adventures. He makes me laugh and helps my heart feel light.

I can’t help thinking that on this journey of good health, laughter and a joyful spirit are just as important as diet and exercise -- maybe even more so. Having a dear friend close by is good medicine! So I do see this past week as a success on an emotional level.

But Scott and I both know the value of getting in exercise every day. So we've committed to one another that we'll be more active: not for the sake of the scale, but for our hearts and minds. He'll be walking in Utah and I'll be walking in California, but we'll stay connected through it all.

After all, it's that heart-felt connection that old friends do best.


Until next time...

Just Say No

If you accept the expectations of others,

especially negative ones,

then you never will change

the outcome. ~ Michael Jordan

Once again, my sincere thanks to all of you who posted such loving and supportive comments on my last entry. I've been letting everything soak in over the past few days since I ran into my former Weight Watcher member: your thoughts, emails from friends, my feelings about everything that's happened since I stopped working for Weight Watchers. And I keep coming back to a phrase a dear friend emailed to me:

You are not your body.

It's SO easy for women to define our success or our failure in life based on our appearance. It's no secret why we do: we're surrounded by messages that we must look a certain way in order to be accepted in society. It's almost impossible not to buy into it.

But I think it's critical for all of us to remember that we do NOT need to measure our success as a human being based on what anyone else thinks we should do or be or think or feel. We can - and must! - define success on our own terms.

I chose not to weigh last night at my support meeting because I knew the scale would likely show a gain. I also knew that I have done many good things for myself this week that have nothing to do with the scale: I walked three times -- longer and harder walks than I've done so far; I've cut back on enjoyable commitments I made prior to being empanelled on the grand jury (there just aren't enough hours in the week right now.) Plus I was called to interview for a job that I want very much (keep your fingers crossed for me!) I did NOT want the number on the scale to diminish all the good things that are going on in my life right now.

When I worked for Weight Watchers, I knew that the best thing I could do for my members was help them gain a sense of self-worth, to fight against the messages society gives to all of us about our bodies. Losing weight and getting healthy is hard work. It can only happen when we care enough about ourselves to invest the time and effort it takes.

So starting today, I reject the propaganda that I can only be happy if I'm thin. I reject the lie that I am valuable only if I lose weight. I embrace the idea that my body is strong and lovely and carries me from place to place while I accomplish many good things in my life!

Because of this belief, and not because of the warped messages society sends me, I'll treat my body with love and respect by exercising, eating healthy more times than not, and pampering myself physically as often as possible.

I am not my body, but I choose to care for the body I have!


Until next time...

Today is What Counts

It is our choices that show what we truly are,

far more than our abilities. ~ J.K. Rowling

First, THANK YOU to those of you who commented yesterday. I appreciate your support more than I can express. If nothing else, it feels SO good to know that I can say what I said and know that someone understands all the crazy, mixed-up feelings this journey creates.

I am feeling like the sun is shining a bit more today. I certainly know I'm not out of the woods and will face the same issue - do I want to do this or not? - again and again. But for today, I am feeling a bit more like my old optimistic self.

You know what tipped the scale (pardon the expression)? It was a conversation I'd overheard the day before. I attended an all-day planning retreat for my Master Gardener program. At one point, two women sitting by me began talking about their workouts and how one woman was just beginning a Pilate's class. Turns out that one of the women is a personal trainer. Also turns out that both these women are right around my age - and they look fabulous!

As I listened to them, I found myself thinking, "Yeah, I used to walk every single day... I used to work out with a trainer twice a week... I used to weigh 50 pounds less than I do now." But as I drove home from the meeting, I had to face the fact that what I USED to do a few years ago and what I MAY do tomorrow really don't count for much when it comes to being healthy. The only thing that truly matters is what I do TODAY.

So after I posted that poor-me entry yesterday, I put on my shoes, pulled out my iPod, and went for what turned out to be a brisk 45-minute walk. I also kept the commitment I'd made at the previous nights' weigh in: to track my food no matter what I ate. I was accountable and I kept my promise to myself. It's amazing how good that can feel.

It's a new day, a fresh start. My friend Rosemary is coming in about an hour so we can walk this morning. One foot in front of the other, and one day at a time. It sounds like a cliché, but it's sure true for me.


Until next time...

Healthy Me Check In: WANT Power

It's so hard when I have to,

and so easy when I want to. ~ Annie Gottlier

I am giving myself a big old non-scale victory this week, for keeping my commitment to walk more often.

I've walked for 30 minutes on four out of the last nine days. I realize that I still have lots of room for improvement: I want to eventually walk every day. But just for today, I'm not going to worry about that. I'm going to celebrate my achievement. Yay Me!

There is a lot of talk within weight loss circles about motivation and willpower. But you know what I think the secret is? It's about wanting something so much that nothing can stand in your way. Think of any toddler you know: when they get their mind set on having something, nothing stops then from trying over and over to get what they want. This isn't WILL power: it's WANT power.

It's the same with us. I've felt rather wishy-washy about exercising until we made the decision to go to Alaska. Now, more than anything, I want to be fit enough to be able to enjoy the great outdoors. Notice I didn't say, "thin enough." That's not my goal, although I know losing weight will be a by-product of my efforts (if I stop eating all the extra treats - see yesterday's post!)

I have Alaska clearly in mind as I head out the door to walk. That goal helps push harder and pump my arms more, and to almost enjoy the idea that I'm sweating like crazy (yuck!) The thought of Alaska is actually making me consider - gasp! - going back to the gym so I can start strength training again, which I once loved doing.

As my quote for today says, "It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." So here's my question to you:

What do you want more than anything?

Let's embrace our inner two-year-old and let nothing stand in our way!

Until next time...

Sugar, Sugar

Vegetables are a must on a diet.

I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread,

and pumpkin pie. ~ Jim Davis

I am eating waaaaay too much sugar lately. You know how that goes: the more sugar you eat, the more of it crave. It's a vicious cycle that's hard to break. The worst part is that right now, I don't seem very interested in breaking the habit. I've been trying to figure out what that's happening. And I've begin to wonder...

Is it because I'm walking more?

When I decided last week to start getting stronger for Alaska, I said I was going to put my focus on exercise and not worry quite so much about diet. After all, if I can hike all over the Kenai Peninsula six months from now, would I care if the scale hasn't budged from what it reads today? Does the number matter as long as I can be as active as I desire?

The answer, in theory, is no.

But the reality is something very different.

When I don't focus on eating healthy, I get way off track with my eating. Out-of-control, who-gives-a-damn kind of off track. It's as if the little girl inside me starts jumping up and down, saying, "Yippee! I get to eat whatever I want!" The result is that I've had more sugar headaches and food hangovers this week than I've had in a long time.

I also wonder if that little girl inside me -- or perhaps it's the cunning adult within! -- is saying, "You know, you're moving more now. That frees you up to be able to eat what you want. Trust me on this."

So, the good news is that I walked three times this past week, which is 100% more than I've been doing. The bad news is that I'm not training for a marathon! Walking three times doesn't offset the poison I've been putting into my body.

I seem to have forgotten the second part of the "secret" formula for losing weight:

Move a little more and eat a little LESS!

Until next time...

Be Good to Your Sweet Heart

When your heart speaks, take good notes.

~ Judith Campbell

Happy Valentine's Day!

What gifts are you going to give your sweet heart today? I'm not talking about your mate or the person you're wooing. I'm literally talking about your heart - your very tender, very vulnerable sweet heart.

Today and for the rest of the year, I'm going to give my heart gifts that are both literal and figurative.

First, I'm going to literally give my heart the gift of good health. I've walked two out of the last three days, and have a date with Rosemary to head out again this morning. Walking my way toward Alaska is a huge present that will help my heart be stronger! Watching my intake of saturated and trans fats will add to the gift. Throw in lots of fruits and veggies and my gift basket overflows.

But my heart needs other kinds of gifts, as well, and I plan to listen when my heart tells me to follow my passions:

I want to spend time quilting with beautiful fabrics of all kinds, which feeds my senses on so many levels. I'm currently taking a fifteen-week quilting class with a teacher who says there are no mistakes: it's all part of the creative process. I like her thinking!

When I discovered quilting last summer, I neglected my poor garden, and my heart is telling me it's time to spend time playing in the dirt again. I have a new spot available this year to plant flowers and herbs. It's countdown time to warm weather.

It's important to my heart that I spend time with friends and loved ones, keeping those social connections strong. Other people feed my spirit in ways I can't accomplish alone. I want to add new volunteer efforts as well.

My heart also needs quiet time, to read, to write and to try meditation. Most importantly, I need the quiet time to reflect on my blessings and keep gratitude in my heart.

What is your sweet heart telling you it needs today and for the rest of the year? Take time to listen, and don't forget to take good notes!

Until next time...

Six Months and Counting...

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you

as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own

freshness into you...

while cares will drop off like

autumn leaves. ~ John Muir

We're going to Alaska!

This is a trip my husband and I have dreamed of taking for over four years now. But something always got in the way. You know how it is: helping the kids with their education, putting a new roof on the house -- little things like that.

But this is our year. We've booked our flight for August 31 and we're going to the Kenai Peninsula for two weeks. I can almost see a whale breaching from here.

As excited as I am to be making plans, I realized something: if I don't get myself in shape, I'm going to be enjoying most of the sites from the car, rather than out walking among the trees and along the riverbeds. I don't want that to happen.

I want to experience the beauty of Alaska by being active. I'm not talking about hiking mountains and living off the land. A nice cozy hotel room sounds just great to me! But I want to explore trails and walk to Exit Glacier, without getting winded. I walk to head up a hillside path without fear that I won't be able to make it to the top. Most of all, I want the energy to be fully present and engaged during this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So that means preparing now. I've created a ticker at the top of my blog, to mark off the time I have left until we fly out on August 31st. Six months and counting to walk as often as possible, to increase my strength, to tackle the paths here that go up hill and down, in order to ready for my Alaska adventure.

I have a feeling that those six months will fly by!

Until next time...