2015 Is Your Year

Walking To Fitness

 

I've made a lot of noise recently about my pedometer, about giving you a pedometer and about YOU getting your own pedometer. Previously if you had asked me I would have said that fitness devices were a waste of time, but I have come to appreciate them as I set daily goals for my work out (currenly I am mostly walking and jogging - I change my routine every few months so my body doesn't get used to one routine and stop Dropping It).

 

Over time I have become a firm  believer in setting definite goals in terms of weight loss, meals and yes, daily work out. Initially, when I started setting my daily work out goals, I found it really difficult to track. I had goals like ... walk for 45mins; jog from this point to this point... you know? I was really blind and my results showed this - it was hit or miss.

 

Then I got my first pedometer, and I could track the number of steps I had taken, I could track calories burnt, distance overed. Needless to say I was encouraged to beat my previous performance, set goals and push myself to the next level (that's how I started jogging - previously I just walked briskly). It really has been fun!

 

If I could give anyone any advice for the coming year, it would be this...get a fitness tracker. The humble but trusty pedometer is actully just the first rung on the ladder of fitness trackers. I am aspiring to get a FitBit Flex in the new year (another story for another day). Yes, this is me on the right showing you the number of steps I took in my 30minute morning walk/jog on Tuesday.

 

In a previous post I put up an infographic to spur us on, so we set BIG WALKING GOALS; I'll insert it here again.

 

I believe that one of the major reasons I put on so much weight (160+kg) was that I lead a very sedentary life. If I knew then what I know now...oh! But there is no room for looking back - it's upwards and onwards, right?

 

So, as we talk about fitness goals, walking/jogging and pedometers...don't forget that you can win one! Just read any blog post, make a comment, and the reader with the most comments wins! Yippiee!!

 

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Before I Eat

It is no secret (at least I hope not) that I am learning as I go along on my journey to health and wellness; or that every day is still a struggle not to over eat or eat the wrong things.

I’ve learnt recently that:

1. I should never leave to chance my meal plan. When I leave my meal plan to chance, I invariably end up eating what is available rather than what is nutritious [think meat pie, Philadelphia wrap… you know!)

2. That my meal plan should be that… ‘a plan’. Some can, but I cannot afford to just up and go for a meal when I ‘feel’ hungry. Again, this normally results in the wrong thing being consumed; or me pigging it out when I am not really hungry; or worse still… mindless eating.

So, the other night as I reflected on what I have learnt about myself and my relationship with food, I realized that I have to come up with a system to help me stay on the straight and narrow. Systems don’t work for many people, but they do for me – I am wired that way (did I hear someone say OCD? Well, only slightly). It was Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones who said that “everyone has a success mechanism and a failure mechanism. The failure mechanism goes off by itself. The success mechanism only goes off with a goal. Every time we write down and talk about a goal we push the button to start the success mechanism.” So, this is my success mechanism.

So about my system… you know how The Rotary Club has their 4 Way Test that serves as their guiding principles? I thought up my own 3 questions which I hope will guide me when I eat. Don’t laugh, but I have actually created cards with these 3 questions for my wallet, my office wall, my kitchen wall… literally everywhere where I sit to think of, make or eat food.  See what my wee poster looks out and check out my ‘Questions Before I Eat’…

What do you think?

 

I am simply asking myself to confirm:

a. Am I eating for hunger or boredom?

b. Am I eating to live or living to eat?

c. Am I eating the right things? This is in no way a standard, but working with my nutritionist, this is what she has recommended for me.

I have not gotten to the point where I am 100% perfect with my choices (had a couple of biscuits too many today – fluff not fuel), but I aim to keep at it until making the right choice is second nature to me. Hopefully, this way I can manage calories going in, and keep dropping it for life. Plus, these questions should come in really handy when I am faced with food choices over the festive period.

 

Time will tell how successful my system is, and how successful I am in keeping to it. Stay tuned for updates.

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2015 Drop It! Pedometer Giveaway!!!

 

Join me in 2015 as we walk our way to life!

To support you, I am giving away a FREE pedometer to THREE loyal followers. Read the information on the poster for more information!

 

Let's "Drop It 4 Life!"

 

For more tips, articles and information join us on Facebook: Drop It For Life!

 

Merry Christmas & a Happy 2015 to you all...

 

Liz

 

Ps: You can share this on your Facebook wall...the more the merrier, right? Thank you!

Tortoise, Hare & Weight Loss

I recently read an article which had an interesting take to the old tortoise and hare story. You know the one where the tortoise and the hare competed in a race and the tortoise, against all odds won the race? Normally we are told that the moral of the story is ‘slow and steady wins the race’ or ‘the strongest don’t always win’; some even say that the story is about the triumph of brains over brawn. Be that as it may, this new perspective was inspired. In it the author flat out challenged this entire story with a simple question…

‘Why was the tortoise in competition with the hare in the first place?’

Interesting question, right? They never do tell us why, do they?

Anyway back to my point… think for a minute about Mr Tortoise and Mr Hare...

Tortoise	Hare
Hard back Hairless Slow crawl	Soft skin Fur Speedy hop

Can you see the difference? But what is my point?

Well my point is that… I am not in competition with anyone, so I need to cut myself some slack sometimes. Can I personalize this?

YOU ARE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH ANYONE, SO GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!

 

Some of us are made to be pear shaped, while others are more apple-shaped; some have hourglass figures; others are built with strong shoulders. I could go on about all the various body types out there, but I think you get the message.

I think that...

• Just because someone trimmed her tummy drinking cinnamon and honey tea each morning does not mean this will work for you. (I know it would all but kill me, with my allergy to honey… [shrug])
• Just because someone lost weight surviving only on popped corn for 100 days does not mean that will work for you.

 

And who says I am supposed to be a size 6, or have a BMI of 18.5? I’ve found out that contrary to what the text books say, the BMI index really does not address the differences in physiology based on our races. I am content in the fact that I just wasn’t formed to be a size 6, were you?

I have no issues with size 6 frames (a friend of mine is actually a size 4… she is tiny!) It’s good for her – anything bigger and she would be UNHEALTHY; but we all need to understand our bodies and find what works for us, and have a go at that! Let’s not strive for the impossible to the point that we look like 'zombies in spring' aka unhealthy. Or even compromise our mental health on account of some ideal...

In my opinion, the bottom line is not my dress size or my hourglass figure or lack thereof (although I do have an hourglass figure …after a fashion … cough-cough); the bottom line is the condition of my health. How healthy are you?

Blood pressure?    Diabetes?    Sleep Apnea?        Depression?         Joint pain?

Health is the stuff that life is made off, so if we are going to compare notes or compete, let’s do so on the basis on health.

If and when the tortoise and hare do compete, let the price go to the healthier of them. Although I would rather the Mr Tortoise stick to the Tortoise Marathon and Mr Hare register for the Hare Crosscountry.

My goal in 2015 is being the Winner in my own personal race, ‘coz I am not in competition with anyone else…

So, what are you in this DROP IT race for?

 

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Don’t forget, you can get weekly updates sent straight to your email if you type in your email address in the space provided on the right, and click ‘submit’!

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