Pushing 50 Update: 03/22/2012

Psst... before you read, would you please take the poll in my sidebar?  Thanks!


If you read my last post "Pushing 50 is the Only Exercise I Get," then you know I am on a one year mission to get into shape before that dreaded birthday arrives.  I don't wanna be Fat and Frumpy 50, but rather Fit and Fabulous 50.  It's been a week, and I'm not there yet, can you believe it?  LOL  Nope, I have a long road ahead of me.  I've found myself wondering if a year is even enough time.  I need a LOT of work.



It didn't start out too well.  Actually I didn't start out to well.  Literally.  The very next day after I posted my ambitions to get it together, I came down with a nasty bug.  So much for exercising, organizing, and eating right. The bug had me down pretty much all weekend.  I really didn't even think about my new goals until yesterday.  I did get a hold of my hairstylist niece, and I'm hoping to get my hair cut Monday.  If I do, I'll probably get around to coloring it some time next week. 



I don't think I've taken any of my supplements all week.  Maybe once.  Not yet today.  I am going to have to add that to my "things to do" before I allow myself on facebook list.  


My laptop is broken, so I haven't researched any natural cures for asthma.  I'll get to it...


I did get an under the bed shoe organizer for like $3.75, and organized all my shoes!  Woohoo!  I have a tiny room and nowhere to put them but under my bed.  It's always been a challenge to crawl under it and find two to match.  Now I can!  I also cleaned out a box of papers that had taken on a life of its own.  It is now my "stationary" box, which is what it was supposed to be all along.  


I can't say I've done anything really fun with the kids.  Too much sickness around here.  (I wasn't the only one with a bug.)  Perhaps today I'll get outside with them for a bit. 


Yesterday I really did try to keep my food portions small.  I promise.  :)


I still haven't missed a day of Bible reading.  


Now for the big news.  I WENT TO THE GYM TODAY!!!  Yes, my dear friend Barb came and picked me up at 9:00 a.m., and off we went.  I only did 15 minutes on the treadmill, which was enough to make me feel light-headed and my legs feel wobbly.  But I did it.  I did it. I did it. I did it!!!

Pushing 50 is the only Exercise I Get!

Ugh! I will be 50 in less than a year, and the truth is, I'm falling apart.  I mean, personality wise I still pretty much act like a goofy teenager.  I mean, a rather mature goofy teenager, but on the inside I don't feel like I've aged hardly at all.  But on the outside....

I mean my hair is thinning and graying, my chin is starting to sag, I'm getting those little puppet lines at the corners of my mouth, and, well, you get the idea.  I'm just a tad overweight (ha!) and totally out of shape.  I can't walk up the stairs without getting out of breath.  I can't walk down the stairs without my knees hurting. Other various joints and muscles seem to take turns aching. I get indigestion all the time, and half the time I can't even swallow my food because it gets stuck in my throat!  My asthma isn't getting any better, and I sometimes get chest pains.  My blood pressure, which has always been very low, is suddenly getting high.  In other words, like I said, I'm falling apart.

TMI?  Or can you relate?  If you said the latter, would you like to join me and help motivate me to change my wicked ways so that I gain at least regain whatever health I've had in the past?  (I've never been a really healthy person.  Allergies and asthma have always kept me from feeling great, but I sure haven't always felt this bad.)  I've looked up all my ailments and found the same old thing just about every time.  I need to eat less and exercise more.  Now there are a few other things I can do to help the outside.  I can cut and color my hair; I can wear more flattering clothes.  I plan to do anything and everything (okay, not surgery) to help me look and feel my best. 

I do have to say that I have a handle on the most important things.  I do manage to pray and read my Bible every day.  I made a rule for myself that I am not allowed on facebook until I've done my Bible reading.  I'm using a Bible in a Year program and I haven't missed a day!  I am also making a conscious effort to spend more fun time with the kids.  A couple weeks ago we played Apples to Apples,  and a few days ago we all danced like crazy people in the living room.  I noticed that all we ever seem to do is clean and do school.  When we do something together, we usually just watch a movie, but that seems so lame.  I don't want to sit around and watch other people pretend to live life, I want to live life with my family for real!

So here are my immediate goals:

- Get a hair cut and color it

- Take my supplements regularly.  (Co-Q 10, D3, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc)

- Actually exercise.  I am going to start with a whopping 10 minutes 2x a week.  Lame, but it   doesn't scare me!

-Stop eating "second dinners"

-Really, really try to cut back on sugar and white flour

-Keep track of my blood pressure

-Research natural treatment for asthma (I hate it that I am constantly using my inhaler.)

-Do something fun with the kids at least once a week

-Organize one area of my house at least once a week (While this is not directly about me, I am totally affected by a messy house. I feel so much stress about it. When I walk into a clean room, I actually feel a physical sensation of relief.)


-Continue to pray and read my Bible daily

-Keep up with this series!  I always start things and don't finish.  I even won a Perfect Procrastinators Award, but never mentioned it or put the button on my blog because I kept putting it off!  LOL

Anyway, if I actually DO this, I plan to be a fit and healthy 50 year old in less than a year!!!  :)

Become a Loser and win a Prize!!! LOL

This contest is now closed.  Congrats to Debra!!!

 

OK, friends, I have pledged to lose ten pounds, and I am helping to feed the hungry in the process!  No, I'm not going to give away my leftovers; I'm participating in the Pound for Pound challenge!!!  I hope you'll join me!!!  Here's some info from the folks who are sponsoring this effort:

The Kroger Co. Family of Stores, General Mills, NBC's hit TV Show "The Biggest Loser" and other key sponsors are partnering to donate up to $1,080,000 to Feeding America this year.


Here´s how you can help:

Visit http://www.pfpchallenge.com/Kroger to make your pledge to lose weight and to get more information and to find tools to change your life for the better. It is free, easy and only takes a minute to make a change that can help you and help the hungry in your local community.

Through June 30, 2010, for every pound you pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 14¢ to Feeding America® - enough to deliver one pound of groceries to a local food bank.

As the official supplier of the Biggest Loser Ranch and partner of the Pound for Pound Challenge, the Kroger Family of Stores wants to help you achieve your goals. If you´re a fan of the Biggest Loser, you may have seen several great General Mills products featured on the show. These products, including Yoplait Greek yogurt, Total, and Multigrain Cheerios, are available at your local Kroger Family of Stores and can help you stick to your weight management plan.

So are you into it?  I hope so!  I know some of you are already the perfect weight, but it' a rare person that doesn't need to lost a pound or two. 

Now for the contest!  Would you like a $30 Kroger* card so you can buy some of the products that are featured on Biggest Loser?  Just leave me a comment telling me whether or not you have joined the challenge.  You don't have to tell me how many pounds you pledge to lose if you don't want to. :)   I'll accept comments until Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 11:59 PM.  Anyone can enter who is at least 18 years old and is not in my immediate family.  Of course, you'll want to be in an area where there is a store where you can use the card!  LOL  You must leave me an e-mail address or some other way for me to contact you if you win!!!

I'll also let you get an extra entry for following me on Twitter, Facebook, or as a Google Connect friend.  If you subscribe via Feedburner, I'll give you THREE extra entries.  You must leave a seperate comment for EACH of these additional entries. 

~ The Kroger Family of Stores gift card, information, and giveaway were all provided by the Kroger Family of Stores and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

*The Kroger Family of Stores includes Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralph´s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillon's, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Pay Less Super Markets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.
 
Good luck!!!  :)

Fit Mommy Friday ~ Week 8 ~ My Sly Moves

Well, first I have to admit that, as I write, I did exercise three times, but the first two times were not for a full ten minutes, so before I go to bed tonight, I need to put in at least ten more minutes to satisfy my commitment to God and all my Fit Mommy friends!!!

One day this week, I don't remember which, my kids actually decided to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I happened to be in the room during the part of the movie where the Oompa Loompa does his dance.  If you remember from last week, the Oompa Loompa is my dance instructor.  So I danced along.  That only lasted around 3 or 4 minutes, though.

On Wednesday, I had some groceries to put away.  I put on the Rocky theme as I put them in the cupboards.  I was having a grand old time hamming it up as I exercised my way from the living room to the kitchen several times, often "weight lifting" with things like cans of soup.  That was maybe another 4 or 5 minutes.

Then Thursday, I decided that the since the Rocky theme worked for me, I ought to use it.  I had my daughter hook up her MP3 player to my computer speakers so I could play the theme as I exercised.  We put it on loop.  I "trained" like Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky movies.  I jumped rope, boxed, ran in place, etc.  I have to say, there is just something about that song.  When I am exercising to the Rocky theme I just feel compelled to exercise.  It's funny that it works like that, but it does.  I even went over and did 12 minutes! 

Last night I planned to do 10 more minutes.  (It was actually Friday as I am a day late finishing this.)  I did 5 but had to get up help one of my kids do something.  I never did go back and do that last five minutes.  However, I am not going to kick myself over it.   I was only 5 minutes short, but I am sure I got a few extra minutes in here and there.  For example, during Praise and Worship time at church, we play some songs that we clap and sorta "move" too.  What can I say?  David danced before the Lord, and you should all just be glad I was fully dressed. :)

Now, I am even making some strides in my eating.  I am participating in Lent this year.  I have been doing this for the last few years.  I'm not Catholic, so I don't follow Lent as far as no meat on Fridays or anything, but I do give something up and try to just get closer to the Lord at this time.  Yes, I am always trying to get closer to the Lord, don't get me wrong, but there is something about putting aside my flesh in anticipation of Easter that just does something for me. 

Now, I am not "doing Lent" to lose weight or anything like that.  It's purely a spiritual thing.  However, I have to say that it can't hurt in the purely physical sense.  I have given up all pop and candy and will only eat sweet snacks in a social environment (this has only happened once and I ate a Weight Watchers snack at my friend Barb's.)  I haven't weighed myself, and I think I won't.  I don't want to lose my focus. 

So, there you go.  I am trying really hard to work in some exercise in a fun way.  I am trying to serve the Lord, but what can I say?  Serving the Lord is good for me in more ways than the spiritual. 

I am so pathetic compared to, say, our  fearless leader Denise who is practically an exercise guru.  However, compared to where I was at, I am an exercise guru myself.  Next week I am simply going to try to continue to do my three days of ten minutes. I'll keep working on my sly moves, and who knows, maybe I'll even knock myself out!  (Sorry!)

I have just one more thing to say:

YO ADRIAN!!!

To see how all the other Fit MOMMYS did this week check out Chai Mommy's blog here. 

WIN A FREE MAKEOVER OR PROGRESSO PRIZE PACK!!!

Sorry!  My contest is now closed, but you can still enter to win the NYC Makeover!!!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by! Won't you be my friend? Just check out my sidebar for lots of way to stay connected to my blog!!!

Can you even imagine winning a free makeover in New York City? Like, yeah, that would be totally cool! I need all the help I can get! Well, I was excited to find out that I can enter the contest, and so can you! The instructions for entering are below, but please humor me and let me tell you about another contest that I am having with a little help from MyBlogSpark right here on my blog!

A while back, I was contacted by MyBlogSpark to see if I might want to try out their Progresso soups as well as get a free jump roap and mug. Well, duh! LOL Soup is great to have around during the cold winter months. They make for an easy to prepare and tasty lunch. What I really like, though, is that they sent me 15 cans of soup including both Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups. If you read my blog much, you'll know that I am TRYING to get in better shape. I figure eating a light lunch is just one small step I can take to achieve that goal! (*Note: Mr. Personality, I just realized, is eating a can of my soup as I type!)

Would you like to win two cans of soup, a jump rope and a mug? It's easy to enter. Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite soup is. I will choose the winner on March 1, 2010 You must enter by 11:59 P.M. on February 28, 2010.  You must be 18 to enter and unrelated to me!  :)  Note: This does NOT enter you in the contest for the makeover.

Also, you must leave me an e-mail or blog/ address unless I know you personally and can figure out who you are from your comment. I will NOT include your comment in the drawing if I don't know who you are and have no way of contacting you.

Now, on to the BIG contest!!!

Progresso “Souper You Debut” Contest

From January 4 through March 15th, you can visit http://www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to enter the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City.

Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 21st-23rd. The prize includes round-trip airfare, a two-night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, a $1,000 wardrobe shopping spree, and personal consultation at a New York department store.

To enter, you’ll need to do the following:

Go to www.Progresso.com/SouperYou to learn more and enter the contest.

Submit your essay (200 characters or less) telling Progresso why you love Progresso Light or 100 Calorie Soups and why you would like a makeover.

In addition, please submit a photo of yourself that visually reinforces the theme of your essay.

Once you enter, you’ll have the chance for your photo and/or an excerpt from your essay to appear on http://www.Progresso.com/SouperYou, so be sure to check back frequently! Once the 10 finalists are announced, you can visit www.Progresso.com/SouperYou from March 29 through April 12 to vote for your favorite.

In addition, throughout the duration of the contest you can visit http://www.Progresso.com/SouperYou  to download a coupon for $1 off any three varieties of Progresso Soup!

So there you have it. Two contest for you to enter this time around! I'm looking forward to announcing the winner, and maybe even winning a makeover myself!!!

NOTE: The Progresso soup, gift pack, information, and giveaway were all provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark.

Fail. Fail. Fail EPIC fail!!!

Imagine me hanging my head in shame.  Well, I'm not.  It's too hard to eat that way.  No, I did not exercise this week.  Not once.  Not one jumping jack, not one crunch, and ZERO push ups, unlike some other people.  I am truly a bad, bad girl.

I've tried to think of a good excuse.  I didn't feel well earlier in the week.  I was out a bit more than usual.  I was wearing my boots and not my running shoes.  I am already wasting away to nothing.  No.  Not one of those excuses will work.  I was just a very, very bad girl.

Sweet Michelle has been so good to me and has even reminded me to exercise, but I haven't.  I meant to.  I really did.  But I did not.

So this week, I am going to have to make myself accountable to someone else.  Or should I say Someone else?  Yes, that's right.  I am going to make myself accountable to God this week.  If I tell him I'll exercise, I'll exercise.  At least ten minutes three times this week.  I have to.  I can break a promise to Denise, Mrs. White, Michelle, etc.  But when I make a promise to God, I will keep it!!!

Now, Michelle, that does not leave you off the hook.  I'll still let him use you to remind me!  :)

And BTW, Mrs. White, don't worry about that M&M Mars stock!!!

To join us, just go to Chai Mommy's site and check it out!!!

Fit Mommy Friday ~ Week 5

 

I know you're all dying for an update from me.  Well, I actually do have a little bit of good news to report!  Thanks to Michelle's nagging encouragement, I did exercise twice this week for ten minutes!  (Yes, I mean ten minute EACH time!  LOL)

On both Monday and Wednesday I actually set my little microwave timer and exercised.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that ten minutes has me feeling like I need to call 911.  I am that out of shape.  To make things easier on myself, on Wednesday, I had my daughter put on Weird Al so I could dancercise away those pounds.  I haven't weighed myself lately, but I doubt too many of those pounds have actually dancercised too far home, but it's something, isn't it? 

Can't say my eating has been great, but I do try to hold back just a little.  Looking forward to Lent when I give up all sweets completely.  Of course, then I am just compelled to eat a lot of salty stuff, so I'm not sure how much good it does me spiritually, but I suppose it can't hurt.

Anyway, that's it.  Not much to tell, but I am making baby steps. 

Michelle, I'm counting on you to keep on me again this week!  :)

To see how the rest of the gals are doing, click here. 

Fit Mommy Friday: Week 2

Okay, peeps, you want the good news first?  Or the bad news?

All right, the bad news is that it's nearly noon on Friday, and I have yet to exercise.  That's right, not for one minute.  Now Annie Kate challenged me huge to break my record and do eight, and I am really going to try to do that.  If I do, I will come back and update. 

Now technically I did to a teeny tiny bit of exercise.  Last Sunday the fam went sledding.  I hate cold, and thus, sledding is not my thing.  Well, I suppose I'd like it if it were, say 70 degrees or more out. 

Anyway, the place we went also has toboggan runs, and I was determined to go down once.  I did.  I was fun, I admit.  BUT!  Getting off the thing was a challenge in itself.  I have bad knees and it was not pretty.  Then I had to walk back UP that hill.

So I started up the hill, s l o w l y.  Yeah, I mean, I have asthma too.  You see, I've got LOTS of excuses for being so out of shape.  So it's taking me a while and Sane Man actually had to send out the dogs!  Well, he sent out one.  He had one of the kids take the dog to me so she could PULL me back up that hill.  He stood at the top and called to her so she would go up.  Now THAT, my friends, is pathetic. 

Oh, well.

BUT!!!  I do have some good news.  Earlier in the week I weighed in at 166.6.

Today I weighted 165.6.  You do the math.  Girlfriends, that is a WHOLE POUND!  Do you hear me?  A WHOLE POUND!!!

So, it's all good.  I have made a baby step towards my goal of hitting 140 sometime again in this lifetime (without getting some terminal disease.) 

So, yeah.

To participate or just read other Fit Mommy Friday posts, click here.

Fit Mommy Friday: First Check In!!!

Hey, did you see my poll in the sidebar? Please check it out!



Well, let's see. Not much to brag about, but I did excercise seven whole minutes the other day! SEVEN!!! That is some kinda record for me! :)

I have also been watching what I eat. Now, I haven't been going crazy with an all out restrictive diet, but I have been trying to eat only when I'm hungry, and limit the sweets. I have actually been hungry several times this week, so I must be doing something right. In the past, I ate so much that I never got a chance to get hungry.

This week I'll try to do more.

Promise!

(Note the loophole: I did not promise to do more, just to TRY to do more. Just in case...)

Have a good one!

Accountability!

I've decided to do something OUTRAGEOUS!!! I am going to post my weight on my blog, yeah, that's right, for the whole world to see, whenever I weigh in.

Here it is:

168.8

Ouch! Not so pretty on my not quite 5'4" frame. Oh, well, I hope having it "out there" will insprire me. If it keeps going up, well, I'll just stop posting it! LOL

JOIN ME WITH FIT MOMMY!!!

Hey, did you see my poll in the sidebar? Please check it out!



Hi there everyone! I am going to be starting something new soon. Actually, I am starting a lot of new things. I need to exercise and lose weight. I have a couple of friends that I used to team up with on SparkPeople, and I plan to get back with that. I also am part of an accountability group with my co-op, and now I am going to team up with my "Bloggy Buddies," all in an attempt to get my rear in gear and get in shape!

I have to laugh, though, at the title of the meme. Fit Mommys. Ha! Well, not me! I am far from fit. I often HAVE fits, but that's another story. For people like me, it should be called Fit Mommys Wannabes. Oh, well. Not my meme, not my biz to name it! LOL (BTW, the gal that started the meme is the most lovely and fit woman you'd ever want to know, my cyber-pal Denise.) Anyway, you can't join my SparkPeople group, it's private. If you are part of my co-op, you're welcome to join our co-op group, but for the rest of you, why not click on the button above and check it out.

I am a beginner. I am only committing to doing SOMETHING every day. If I do one jumping jack, it will be more than I usually do. I am also going to cut out sweets for the most part, allowing myself one small portion, or taste, a day.

So, those are my lofty goals. The sad thing is, I'm not being sarcastic here. For me, these ARE lofty goals! But, as they say, beware of small beginnings. (And in my case, beware of large [rear] ends!)