So Very Close...

I really am motivated to make my goals - make my numbers - cross the finish line on the parameters I've set for myself.  And all it takes is some very small changes to get there. I actually have several tiers of targets. The set I'm talking about here are minimums. They are not very ambitious, but they are a starting place. If I make them, I am "moderately active" instead of "entirely sedentary" which is another way of saying "slug".

Yesterday I went over my "calories burned" by ONE!  I was seven minutes short on activity, and 900 steps short of my walking goals. So close! Sunday, I had a nice calorie total, I was short one minute of activity, but my steps were 40% below target. Today, I was pretty sure I was going to meet all three targets since I started at the gym. But, when I plugged in just now, I've got a little way to go. I'll make the calorie target (it takes around 40 calories an hour for me to be alive and there are two hours to go till midnight) and I'm over on the activity target, but I've got about 400 steps to go. I think I'll go start up the Wii and do something mildly interesting like run the obstacle course. I bet ten minutes of activity will get my 300 steps in.

Like I said, its a floor. But if it's a target, I should work towards it, and check in while I can do something about meeting it.

Holiday: Brakes Off?

The day started out badly- my girl was having Julekage for breakfast (Norwegian sweet Christmas bread) and it didn't take a second for me to join her. Then it was the holiday potluck at work. I was saved by more meetings keeping me away, but I did manage to snag a piece of the award winning desert from the contest- Chocolate Eclair Cake. One forkful was heaven and I could have happily stopped there, but no-- the full second was only six bites, but still too much. I was on a roll, so cookies made by my mother just fit in nicely, thankyouverymuch.

But tomorrow is another day, and it starts at the gym at six.


- iPhone uPdate

My Least Favorite Weather

Cold and rainy all day as forecast. Though actually, warmer than it has been; hence the rain rather than snow. A perfect day for hibernating, but also not bad for carrying out projects in the basement. Which is what I did, after finishing up my Christmas shopping. Truly, I'm just about done, as long as Santas helpers (UPS) do their part to get everything here.

Actually, I spent about four hours actively doing laundry this afternoon. Not just running loads, but folding and putting away many many loads of clean stuff that was strewn all over the basement. Who knew three people could have so much stuff? Some of it is out of season, some of it doesn't fit anyone, some has become wraps, but some of it just doesn't have a place to live.

At any rate, it kept me on my feet and running up and down stairs, and I made the calorie goal at least. And with an easy salmon supper, it'll do.

- iPhone uPdate

Up and Down

Friday was another low-calorie day. I can't call it slug-like, because I was high energy and quite productive at work, but it was all in my immediate office area. I brought my lunch and paused on the interactions enough to catch up on some reading, but did not move around at all. That is what it is. It's not likely to change any time soon- the volume of work, that is. I've got some new additional responsibilities which I welcome but will be hard to manage. Eating overall was on the fly but reasonable.

Today was a better story. After my training session I pounded out a full 30 minutes on the treadmill, which guarantees making goals for the day. We also spent some time on the Wii this afternoon. Way less vigorous but at least moving.

Tomorrow will be chores. If I keep moving all day the calories do get burned up. Since there is a 90% chance it'll be cold and rainy, basement chores seem like a fine agenda I might want to dive into some laundry tonight, since my rewarding cup of hot chocolate seems to have perked me up some.

- iPhone uPdate

Small Improvements

Just a quick note to say it really doesn't take much more to at least hit my daily goals. Today I made all three - calories burned, steps, and total active time. I started at the gym, which is a jump start but no guarantee of meeting the goals. I managed stairs at work - I did at least fifteen flights today. I need to work on getting even more into the mix. And I topped it off by walking between my houses - wearing the fabulous new down jacket with the incredibly soft fleece collars and pocket linings.

What is Realistic?

I'm not meeting my own goals and I'm very disappointed in myself. The slugdom continues, exacerbated by a furious pace at work between meetings confined in narrow areas.  As witness, I have my little armband limpet friend who keeps me honest on the activity side. Except for running on the treadmill Saturday, I have not made all three goals for steps, activity time, or total calories burned in over a week. I'm close on my sleep, however, though there is often a period of tossing and turning.

I'm not tracking my food, but that is partly because it is such a sad picture. I'm not wigging out on sweets, it's just too much of everything, and bread more often than I should. For example, yesterday I got a lovely chicken caesar salad for lunch during the break in my all day (window-less) meeting.  Not my usual spot, so while I wasn't surprised by croutons in the salad, I was surprised by the big hunk of tasty french bread served on the side.  And I ate it all.  It wasn't just that it was good, but also it made me crave more carbs for the rest of the day. This is a real effect based on blood sugar responses to carbs, but even if it was just in my head, it comes to the same thing, doesn't it?  I spent the afternoon nibbling until dinner, then restless and mouthy all evening. I had herb tea, and a flavored water, and more herb tea, and remained discontented until morning.

In the past, I have increased my satisfaction by lowering my expectations. Maybe I should just change my goals? What is reasonable to expect of myself?

I'm going to the gym three times a week for strength and fitness and balance training. I was thinking of cutting it back to twice, and substituting running on the treadmill at work. But that is contingent on actually running on the treadmill at work, which I haven't done, so I've kept the third appointment. I have run for short periods on Saturdays. I have not been walking between my two houses in the evenings because I have hated the cold weather. However, I'm trying to get into a winter wonderland mood, and I did just buy myself a fabulous new down jacket that arrived last night. I walked tonight, because I had my peachy new tiffany-blue jacket to wear.  Warm and toasty for those parts of me it covers, at least.

I would like to maintain walking between the houses. I would like to get to the gym at work at least once for a run. I would like to take advantage of breaks in my schedule to climb stairs at the office on days I don't want to venture outside. But I haven't had a good track record this past week (or somewhat longer, truthfully) on meeting those expectations. But I don't want to lower my expectations. I don't think I'm shooting too high, with just those modest additional steps, activities, calories burned.  It is what will make a difference in my losing versus gaining weight.

So I'll start with credit for my little walk this evening, and omit beating myself up for staying close to my desk and focused at work all day.  I'll give myself credit for having brought my lunch to work and eating just that.  We'll just pull a curtain over everything else, and move on to 6 am in the gym tomorrow.

Slow Day

A real slug of a day where I just slithered from home to work to home again, staying under rocks as much as possible. The wind was fierce and biting and the sun did not make up for it.

I give myself credit for moderate eating (at least till this evening's chocolate) but I'm sure to have a remarkably low calorie burn.

Tomorrow is another all day meeting away from the office. But I will start out with my training session, venturing out in the cold and dark to wake up in the middle of a round of pushups, wondering how I got there.

Good night.


- iPhone uPdate