In my last post I said that I was going to have to up my fitness game a bit. I have just passed my January goal of walking 100 miles.
For February I am going to keep walking and will use 100 miles again (even though there are two fewer days) and plan to incorporate some running into the 100 mile total. I am also going to do two 30 day challenges which will take me until March 1st to complete.
I have done each of these in different months in the past. I'll be doing them together next month.
The 30-day Ab Challenge and the 30-day 3000 Squat/1000 Push-up Challenge.
That will give me a little upper body, a little lower body and some good core work.
I think I'll leave the Twitter link (and also the Facebook link) turned off for my daily walking and will spare my friends the almost daily posts of the two challenges, as well. My RunKeeper friends will see my walks/runs and I will probably post some progress reports here.
Have a great February.
Be well!
John <><
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Beach body -- NOT!
It's said that you diet to look good dressed in street clothes and exercise to look good at the beach.
Well, I guess I need to get to some serious exercise!
On the bright side of things there are plenty of fit bodies on the beach and although I am not one of them, I am at least to the point that I don't mind taking my shirt off at the beach anymore.
Having said that, seeing the many fit people -- men and women, young and old -- that are in pretty decent shape (and I mean that as in good condition as well as having a good form), I am thinking that I need to up my fitness game in the coming months.
I am just 4 days and less than 10 miles from hitting my 100 mile walking goal for January. I haven't decided on fitness goals for February just yet, but it will definitely be more than just walking! I'll get back to you on those next Monday (Feb 1).
Be well,
John <><
Well, I guess I need to get to some serious exercise!
On the bright side of things there are plenty of fit bodies on the beach and although I am not one of them, I am at least to the point that I don't mind taking my shirt off at the beach anymore.
Having said that, seeing the many fit people -- men and women, young and old -- that are in pretty decent shape (and I mean that as in good condition as well as having a good form), I am thinking that I need to up my fitness game in the coming months.
I am just 4 days and less than 10 miles from hitting my 100 mile walking goal for January. I haven't decided on fitness goals for February just yet, but it will definitely be more than just walking! I'll get back to you on those next Monday (Feb 1).
Be well,
John <><
Sunday, January 24, 2016
January goals update
With a week left to go in the month of January, I am at 81.6 miles towards my 100 mile goal of miles walked. I don't think that meeting this goal will be a problem.
Today I walked 2.5 miles early and by myself; then I walked another two miles with Chris. We'll probably get in some more walking before the day is over. To spare everybody the RunKeeper updates of multiple shorter walks, I have turned off the link to Twitter (which also links to Facebook). I may just keep that turned off since I really doubt that anyone really cares that John is out walking. Only those of you that are connected via RunKeeper will continue to get those updates.
I will say that walking barefoot on the beach works the calf muscles much more than walking the streets of Ozark. I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow!
Weight loss is still a struggle. I've managed to slowly drop a few pounds this month and don't expect to lose any this week on our trip. I'll be happy if I end the week without gaining any weight. I've been doing better at eating less and keeping to healthy foods since the end of the holidays. We have been dining at home more and trying to make better choices when choosing a place to eat out.
I would like to get below 200 lbs. (90.7 kg) and stay there.
I have done a little work towards some strength training, but haven't been too consistent.
I guess that'll be a February health goal.
Health wise -- I feel great!
And in the end, I suppose that is as important as anything.
How are your 2016 goals/resolutions coming along?
Be well,
John <><
Today I walked 2.5 miles early and by myself; then I walked another two miles with Chris. We'll probably get in some more walking before the day is over. To spare everybody the RunKeeper updates of multiple shorter walks, I have turned off the link to Twitter (which also links to Facebook). I may just keep that turned off since I really doubt that anyone really cares that John is out walking. Only those of you that are connected via RunKeeper will continue to get those updates.
I will say that walking barefoot on the beach works the calf muscles much more than walking the streets of Ozark. I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow!
Weight loss is still a struggle. I've managed to slowly drop a few pounds this month and don't expect to lose any this week on our trip. I'll be happy if I end the week without gaining any weight. I've been doing better at eating less and keeping to healthy foods since the end of the holidays. We have been dining at home more and trying to make better choices when choosing a place to eat out.
I would like to get below 200 lbs. (90.7 kg) and stay there.
I have done a little work towards some strength training, but haven't been too consistent.
I guess that'll be a February health goal.
Health wise -- I feel great!
And in the end, I suppose that is as important as anything.
How are your 2016 goals/resolutions coming along?
Be well,
John <><
Friday, January 22, 2016
Healthy eating: The traveling challenge
Tomorrow we begin a week long trip to the beach in Cancun Mexico.
As you know, eating a healthy diet on the road can be challenging -- especially at an all inclusive resort!
On the good side, there will be plenty of healthy choices -- fresh fruits and veggies, fresh seafood, not too sweet desserts.
On the bad side, there is just so much food!
If you just sample a little of half of what is available you'll have over eaten by plenty! It is so difficult not to try the many different dishes that are available. I love trying new foods and new ways of preparing food. It's a party for the eyes and for the taste buds!
So here is my strategy:
Make healthy choices often.
Use moderation always.
No guilt for the inevitable indulgences (it's only a week).
Enjoy!
I'll let you know how that works!
Bon appetit!
John <><
As you know, eating a healthy diet on the road can be challenging -- especially at an all inclusive resort!
On the good side, there will be plenty of healthy choices -- fresh fruits and veggies, fresh seafood, not too sweet desserts.
On the bad side, there is just so much food!
If you just sample a little of half of what is available you'll have over eaten by plenty! It is so difficult not to try the many different dishes that are available. I love trying new foods and new ways of preparing food. It's a party for the eyes and for the taste buds!
So here is my strategy:
Make healthy choices often.
Use moderation always.
No guilt for the inevitable indulgences (it's only a week).
Enjoy!
I'll let you know how that works!
Bon appetit!
John <><
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
100 miles
I am glad that I have been banking some extra miles on the days that the weather has been nice. Yesterday and today have been chilly days in the Ozarks. Yesterday was the first day this month that I didn't get my 10,000 steps and the first time that I didn't go out for a walk.
It's cold out right now, 24 feels like 3 and getting colder.
Chris will be home soon and is making chicken noodles. Sounds like a good post walk meal. I'm going to bundle up and get in a quick few miles to stay ahead of the goal of walking 100 miles this month.
Brrrr...
Be well,
John <><
It's cold out right now, 24 feels like 3 and getting colder.
Chris will be home soon and is making chicken noodles. Sounds like a good post walk meal. I'm going to bundle up and get in a quick few miles to stay ahead of the goal of walking 100 miles this month.
Brrrr...
Be well,
John <><
Friday, January 8, 2016
End of Week 1, 2016
The year is 1 week old.
How are those resolutions coming along?
For me --
I have managed to lose a few of pounds -- 3.2 pounds since 12/28; and have been tracking my food intake.
I've managed at least 10,000 steps every day (79K+ in 7 days) and walked 24.6 miles on my daily walks.
Still need to do --
We are still eating out too often. I think that I need to have dinner ready (or at least started) when Chris gets off work to keep us at home. That will help. At least I've been making good choices out -- veggie sandwich and Caesar salad, grilled salmon salad, chicken nachos (okay, maybe not so much on the nachos).
Also, I need to find a routine for exercise other than walking -- body weight exercises, weight machine circuits, cardio, yoga.
I finally bought a new pair of shoes and may start a little running. Maybe not. Truthfully, I'm just not motivated to do much running.
I'm considering upgrading my RunKeeper app to get more information from my workouts.
All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with the first week start.
Maybe I'll try to keep up with the Friday status reports.
I hope that you are satisfied with your first week. If not, begin with the second week of the year.
Be well,
John <><
How are those resolutions coming along?
For me --
I have managed to lose a few of pounds -- 3.2 pounds since 12/28; and have been tracking my food intake.
I've managed at least 10,000 steps every day (79K+ in 7 days) and walked 24.6 miles on my daily walks.
Still need to do --
We are still eating out too often. I think that I need to have dinner ready (or at least started) when Chris gets off work to keep us at home. That will help. At least I've been making good choices out -- veggie sandwich and Caesar salad, grilled salmon salad, chicken nachos (okay, maybe not so much on the nachos).
Also, I need to find a routine for exercise other than walking -- body weight exercises, weight machine circuits, cardio, yoga.
I finally bought a new pair of shoes and may start a little running. Maybe not. Truthfully, I'm just not motivated to do much running.
I'm considering upgrading my RunKeeper app to get more information from my workouts.
All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with the first week start.
Maybe I'll try to keep up with the Friday status reports.
I hope that you are satisfied with your first week. If not, begin with the second week of the year.
Be well,
John <><
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
A Fresh Start
My first post of 2016 should be about new beginnings, goal setting and motivation.
Sure. Okay. Whatever. It is the trend of the industry. Losing weight and getting exercise are the top resolutions and so the industries that exploit them hit it hard for the first few weeks of the year.
I have no financial stake in anybody else's health and don't stand to make any money off of anyone, so I'll stick with telling you what works for me and where I am heading in health and fitness for 2016.
A few years ago (when I turned 53), I set a goal to lose 54 pounds by my 54th birthday. I was as heavy as I had ever been and felt that slow and steady (the way I put the weight on) was the best way to lose it. A little over a pound per week seemed like a very doable goal. I achieved that goal (exceeded it, actually), maintained the weight loss for a short time but have slowly (again) started to put the weight back on (about a third of what I originally lost).
I'm going back to what I did to lose the weight in the first place.
Back then I managed to drop the weight by living the philosophy that you eat for weight management and exercise for good health. I was so badly out of shape that the only exercise I could do was to walk, so I started walking.
I cut out most processed foods and kept track of my intake. I started drinking more water and paying attention to carbs, fats and proteins -- what I was eating as well as when I was eating.
For January, I am going to continue to walk. I generally walk about 3 miles (about 5K for my non-US friends) per day. My brother set a January goal of running 100 miles. Since a little simple math says that 3 mi/day = 93 mi for the month, I figured I can manage the extra miles to make my walking goal 100 miles for January. I'm also doing some weight lifting (dumbbells and machine) and bodyweight exercises but need to work out a better routine.
I only managed to drop a couple of pounds in December but I am okay with that given the high volume of holiday treats (egg nog is a weakness, for sure!). I expect the weight loss to increase in the coming weeks.
We (Chris and I) have decided to try to eat at home more often. We will see how that goes. I'm going to use some leftover ham, add some cheese, potatoes, broccoli and eggs to make a quiche for tonight's meal. I'll let you know if it turns out okay.
We've been eating our evening meal earlier on most nights. Sometimes Chris is forced to work late and we don't eat until around 7:30 or so.
I'm going to go back to using more protein smoothies in my daily diet. These allow me the protein and nutrients that I am looking for in a more concentrated form and I can better judge my calorie intake. Fortunately, produce is readily available in the winter throughout the US. It can be a little higher cost, but it is still available.
An interesting thing that often I see as a marketing push to get a diet started is some type of detoxifying cleanse. Personally, I think that drinking plenty of water and clean eating is really the only thing your body needs to cleanse itself -- so, here we go!
Bring on January.
Bring on 2016 ...
One day
One week
One month at a time!
Be well!
John <><
Sure. Okay. Whatever. It is the trend of the industry. Losing weight and getting exercise are the top resolutions and so the industries that exploit them hit it hard for the first few weeks of the year.
I have no financial stake in anybody else's health and don't stand to make any money off of anyone, so I'll stick with telling you what works for me and where I am heading in health and fitness for 2016.
A few years ago (when I turned 53), I set a goal to lose 54 pounds by my 54th birthday. I was as heavy as I had ever been and felt that slow and steady (the way I put the weight on) was the best way to lose it. A little over a pound per week seemed like a very doable goal. I achieved that goal (exceeded it, actually), maintained the weight loss for a short time but have slowly (again) started to put the weight back on (about a third of what I originally lost).
I'm going back to what I did to lose the weight in the first place.
Back then I managed to drop the weight by living the philosophy that you eat for weight management and exercise for good health. I was so badly out of shape that the only exercise I could do was to walk, so I started walking.
I cut out most processed foods and kept track of my intake. I started drinking more water and paying attention to carbs, fats and proteins -- what I was eating as well as when I was eating.
For January, I am going to continue to walk. I generally walk about 3 miles (about 5K for my non-US friends) per day. My brother set a January goal of running 100 miles. Since a little simple math says that 3 mi/day = 93 mi for the month, I figured I can manage the extra miles to make my walking goal 100 miles for January. I'm also doing some weight lifting (dumbbells and machine) and bodyweight exercises but need to work out a better routine.
I only managed to drop a couple of pounds in December but I am okay with that given the high volume of holiday treats (egg nog is a weakness, for sure!). I expect the weight loss to increase in the coming weeks.
We (Chris and I) have decided to try to eat at home more often. We will see how that goes. I'm going to use some leftover ham, add some cheese, potatoes, broccoli and eggs to make a quiche for tonight's meal. I'll let you know if it turns out okay.
We've been eating our evening meal earlier on most nights. Sometimes Chris is forced to work late and we don't eat until around 7:30 or so.
I'm going to go back to using more protein smoothies in my daily diet. These allow me the protein and nutrients that I am looking for in a more concentrated form and I can better judge my calorie intake. Fortunately, produce is readily available in the winter throughout the US. It can be a little higher cost, but it is still available.
An interesting thing that often I see as a marketing push to get a diet started is some type of detoxifying cleanse. Personally, I think that drinking plenty of water and clean eating is really the only thing your body needs to cleanse itself -- so, here we go!
Bring on January.
Bring on 2016 ...
One day
One week
One month at a time!
Be well!
John <><
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