Tag Archives: health

Propelled

12 May

Acting on inspiration and motivation isn’t always easy. Sometimes, the moments slap you in the face and wake you up from a funk or rut. Sometimes, you fight them off and resist giving in to their magic. I would say I lived in the world of resistance. I just didn’t feel like being inspired or motivated and I didn’t have the confidence to really try to act on it.

Then, after months of watching others who felt like they couldn’t do it succeed, I thought to myself, “What the hay? Might as well give it a go. Worst that could happen is I look ridiculous or injure myself. If I don’t like it, I’ll just stop and try something else.”

I knew I would be bummed if I gave up so I set my expectations low. So low, that I didn’t make it known that I was attempting to follow the inspiration. So low, that I didn’t invest in myself or set high goals.

I put on my very old trail sneakers and well-worn yoga pants and stepped on the treadmill.

I started there, nervous to be seen on my neighborhood streets. I would walk and run and walk and run. I would try to run for an entire song. Rock! I did it. The next time, I would try to run for two entire songs. Oh yeah! Ten minutes straight? Man, that felt so good.

The treadmills at my gym automatically stopped at 45 minutes so I had a small goal to beat that time. Run/walk a 5k before it boots me off. I got so close one day. So close. I felt proud of my attempt but still frustrated. I thought maybe I should step out of my comfort zone a little more and try running through my neighborhood.

It was wonderful. I loved it. I felt faster and less focused on my running. It made the distance and time fly. (To me.) I started to understand why my husband and my good friends loved running. Inever thought I would love running – and there are times when I really hate it, but I keep going. Propelled by my determination to succeed and feel healthy.

For true runners, this is like breathing for them. I am not a true runner in the sense of speed and distance. I do now feel like a true runner in the sense of my heart is in it. It makes me feel empowered. I am accomplishing something I never thought I could. (I even bought real running shoes and running clothes!)

I am writing about this because I understand when someone says, “I am not a runner.” I was there. I still feel like that sometimes. But now, I’m on a mission to prove myself wrong. I may not be as fast as many people or have incredible form or able to run as far, but I run my race and I’m getting stronger in body and soul.

It’s moving me forward.

Image

My farthest run so far.

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Today’s Health Lesson Brought to You by Subway

1 Mar
image

Nia's Note from her Heart

Such treasures can be found in a child’s classwork. This week, Nia’s pile of graded math and spelling tests contained a note to her 30-year-old self. It was a pink heart, decorated with her hand-drawn hearts, and filled with thoughts that range from “aw” to “ha!” and then back to “aw” again.

Because I couldn’t capture all of her words in the picture above, here is what she wrote:

Dear 30-year-old Nia,

You need to take care of me! You can take care of me by getting enough sleep at night. You could also take care of me by eating at Subway (if you go to eat out) and pick out baked chips. You could exercise and go to races and smile for other people and cheer for them as they go by.

Love,

Nia’s Heart

I love so much about this. The Subway commercial is hilarious but her thought that cheering on people in races would be good for her heart is so beautiful. Eight-year-old Nia really knows what makes a sweet heart. I hope her 30-year-old self hangs on to it and keeps it safe.

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Observations From Around the Block

29 Jan

I’ve been spreading my wings and trying my treads out at running around our neighborhood. I usually like to just stick to the treadmill because I don’t have to worry about stray animals or kids on bicycles who think it’s fun to circle me like they are on horses and I’m a cow they are trying to lasso back to the farm. Anyway, I digress.

There are a few things I’ve noticed while running by people’s homes. (No, I’m not a peeping peeper. But I will glance in the general direction of your open garage to see how you have things organized. Some people keep pretty impressive shelving systems.)

My random observations include:

  • Why do people not pick up the newspapers that are thrown on their driveway each week? Do they feel like they didn’t put them there so they shouldn’t have to pick them up? I’ve seen some papers so old and so run-over that they look like they exploded. Also, at what point should the person throwing them down (if they are free papers, that is) think, “They already have five bagged papers scattered about that they haven’t read, maybe I shouldn’t toss another to the mix.”
  • People plant trees and bushes as obstacle courses to sidewalk users. Fun times. Bob and weave.
  • A lot of people use some good smelling dryer sheets. Man, I love that fresh scent that breezes by me when I jog passed an in-use dryer vent.
  • I cannot spit. I pray that no one witnessed my attempt. I will not try it again. It didn’t make me feel better or solve anything that I thought it would solve. Instead, it just taught me what my brain thought before the attempt took place. “Spit? But you cannot spit!”
  • My neighborhood has hills. My goal is to run up them all, eventually.
  • There are several half-marathoners in our ‘hood. I know this because of the stickers on their cars parked in their open garages or on their driveways. I am not letting this intimidate me. After all, I’m married to one of them and I’m well aware that he can run two 5K’s in the length it takes me to run one and I’m ok with that.

Overall, I’m just proud to be running around the block. That’s something I never thought I’d do and it feels cool. Plus, I get to enjoy the elements.

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Cookies and Health Tip for Santa

24 Dec

When Santa arrives at our house, he’s in store for a plate full of cookies, a glass of eggnog and an important message about his health. Nia’s note to him features a thank you and a fit tip.

 

Um, Santa, I don't mean to be blunt but...

Hope he’s not too offended. We did provide (tempt?) him with ample cookies to sample:

And Nate’s note is full of thanks – without  any round reference:

To Santa, Love Santa

The kids even left reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter) on the front lawn. They wanted to leave cookies too but then something about weight was brought up again.

Now, where are those cookies?

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Needing a Kick in the Butt

2 Jun

For the past year, I’ve been working pretty hard to lose weight and for a while there I was holding steady at a range I was content with, 130-132.  Recently though, my numbers have been going higher and higher and I’m looking for a way to kick my butt back in gear so I thought telling on myself might help.

I’ve been thinking about why I’m not losing weight/holding steady anymore and here’s what I’ve come up with:

  • I buy and eat chips.  Lots of chips.
  • I buy and eat cookies.
  • I buy and eat ice cream.
  • I devour big portion sizes at dinner.
  • I eat way past 9:00 pm.
  • I drink way too much sweet tea.
  • I haven’t been going to the Y.  (Maybe 3 times in the last few weeks.)
  • I love me some beer/fancy drinks.
  • Did I mention I eat way too much?

Before I started writing this post, I found my old post where I talked about wanting to lose weight.  At that time (last August), I was happy with weighing 135ish.  Now though, that number makes me sad.  Now when I see that number on the scale, I immediately start self-loathing.  It’s always been my worry that I’ll never be satisfied.  That even when I do reach my goal of 125, it won’t be good enough.  I’ve gotten close a few times over this past year (128 was my lowest), but each time I creep back up to the 130 range (and now 136).  It’s ridiculous because now I feel that if I could just get back to 130ish I’d be happy.

I hope this confessional post will help give me the push I need to get back on track.  It all starts tonight with dinner.
 

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