Day 26 - Struggling

26 days in... lots of ups and downs this month.  Not really any time to exercise. Feels like the only exercise that I have been getting is band practice and gigging.  Two shows this month, one more in two weeks. 

Setting up and breaking down is like a "last chance workout" on the Biggest Loser. 

Excuses, excuses and more excuses.  Blood sugar is up.  Way over where I'd like it to be.  Its time to see the doc and get that under control.  We are looking into joining the YMCA again, it's a little pricey, but I used that membership more than I have used the Winfit membership to our really small gym down the road.  

Knees are starting to get bad.  In fact, while loading equipment on Friday of last week, my left knee gave out and I banged the right one with my heavy keyboard case.  I've only lost a few pounds and I'm not feeling well at all.  

I'm whining and giving excuses, but that's where I'm at, at the moment.  Hopefully this week will be a turn around.  I have been eating healthier in the mornings and lunchtime. Bringing my lunch is key and it does save a lot of money. 

Fall is here and color is changing very fast and the month has flown by.  Seems like time is getting shorter and faster.  I took the shot above, last year in October, when the color started to change.  I loved the path walking out into the water with the reflection.  It was such a peaceful day and a happy one. 

As the old joke goes... break is over... back on my head. :)

Write more soon.

Namaste

328.1

Day 6 - Wrapping Up and Moving On

Six days in.  Ups and downs.  Going on and going off.  This was a week of clearing the schedule of getting back on the "change".  Lunch out with the rep from Apex.  Partaking in a last breakfast at work for a while.  Finishing off dining during the week at the Egg'clectic Cafe for breakfast.  Getting a chance to see my awesome cousin, who I have not seen in 13 years!  Doing an outdoor gig at the Biker Bash in Durand, IL yesterday and stopping over at our singer Beth's house out in the country for a BBQ and really killer food that she prepared for us.  She was the hostess with the mostest yesterday.  Down 3 pounds to 327. 

This was a week of eeking out my schedule to clear the way for a total immersion into the next phase of the "change".  What do I mean by "change"?  There are  certain things you need to prepare for mentally and physically.  

• Getting your mind clear and focused that you are not going to pick up just anything to eat anymore.  
• Getting mentally prepared to start an exercise routine, slowly and work your way up.  Its a marathon, not the Biggest Loser.  
• Reflecting and envisioning yourself as already at the desired weight that you want to be.  

You don't need to Bob-Harper-Shock your system.  I'm sorry, but there's just something dangerous about that whole thing to me.  Mind you, the transformations are amazing, but getting yelled at into submission is just not my cup of tea.  If its yours, knock your socks off, hire Dolvett and enjoy yourself.  It's inspiring to watch the Biggest Loser, but there are so many aspects of it that I just can't stand.  Here's a great way to change the series for lots of people, to make it more worthwhile and inspirational.  STOP SENDING PEOPLE HOME!  Why not keep them for the season, weigh them in at the end and give them the prize money at that time.  Do the sixteen weeks like you normally do and then send them all home to finish that last couple of months on their own.  Bring them back and weight them all in.  Give a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place monetary prize to them and leave it at that.  You will get a hell of a lot more people following the show.  Still do the challenges for items you've been giving away in the past.  Still put them in a situations where they have to work things out with one another.  Let it be inspirational.  When you do things for the greed and for the competition of pushing someone off of a show, it just teaches a society that it's okay to do those sort of things to one another.  It sets a bad precedent.  Reality shows that have elimination just scream volumes of what is wrong with society.  Okay... I digress.  I'm rambling about something other than what I'm doing.  

This week's agenda:

1. Lunch brought with me everyday.  Meals contained to at least 500 calories without going over.
2. Two 200 calorie or less snacks every day between meals.
3. Lower sugar intake.  
4. Test blood sugar every day again. 
5. Start walking.  Not long distances, but something more than just walking with the guys to Dunkin Donuts for their afternoon or morning coffee.  A walk around the Des Plaines River trail and back to work if its not too ungodly hot out.  
6. Start edging my way into getting up at 5 am.  If I can swing myself into this routine again, then I can exercise before I get ready in the morning.  What form of exercise?  Get Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 out again for the Kinect.  Its such and awesome XBox tool.  Biggest Loser is okay, but Bob screaming, "c'mon you overweight lover" ever 5 minutes is freaking annoying as all hell and the exercises aren't that well done.  YS:FE by Ubisoft is just a killer program but most of all, it's fun.
7. Find time to meditate, journal and reflect.  
8. Last but not least, bed by 9/9:30. 

Sounds like a lot, but its really not. The best thing I can do for myself is just be myself and not beat up on myself.  If it falls into line; great.  If it doesn't; pick myself up and have a character building day! (thanks Les Brown for that jewel)  Wish me luck folks!  I'm off and running. :)