Week 24 - Healthier Me Challenge
Greetings To All,
For the rest of this year, I'll be writing weekly posts, of my Healthier Me Challenge! In each of the posts, I'll be sharing a variety of things: my weekly goals; new recipes; excerpts from books I'm reading; and a few mental obstacles that I'm fighting, to name a few. My hope is that as I share my journey, I will encourage, inspire and motivate others to reach their Best Self!!!
Weekly Goals: Instead of focusing on words like "can't", "don't" and "bad", I decided to make some changes. So, each week, I'll adopt a healthier habit, and eliminate an unhealthy habit. It can be anything! The only rule is to adopt AND eliminate!
Week # 24
Healthy Habit to Adopt: Cardio 3x a week
Unhealthy Habit to Eliminate: staying on the Internet too late
Update:
This is the best pizza in Queens, New York!!!
No, this is definitely not a vegan or vegetarian pizza! It's got sausage, peppers, and onions...yummy!!! There's a pizza shop over by my doctor's office that has the best-tasting pizza in Queens. Since I only see my doctor once every few months unless I'm really sick, this is my indulgence.
Now, although I have no guilty feelings about eating that one slice of pizza, I have noticed a decline my activity. I didn't do any strength-building exercises at all this week, and aside from walking around taking care of personal errands, I didn't go for any morning walks. And I love walking!
The temperature in New York is starting to increase - generally, anything over 75 degrees makes me cranky - so that saps some of my energy. Plus, there's still the sleep issue or insufficient sleep that drains me of energy (still awaiting approval from my insurance to participate in a sleep study).
But there's a lot of laziness creeping in there as well...I gotta keep it real!
It's a vicious cycle: Exercise gives you more energy, but you need a certain amount of energy to exercise. UGH!!!
"Without change, there will be no change."
The first half of the year is about to come to an end, and my 50th birthday is less than 4 months away. So, regardless of how I feel, I need to make some changes...more changes...consistent changes.
I read CraigW315's post this morning, which is totally unrelated to my Healthier Me Challenge...but is indirectly related, because it's all about redirecting our thoughts, which will lead to a change in our feelings, which will cause us to take different actions, which will lead to better results. It's not difficult but it takes hard work.
So, if you'haven't already, take a look at Craig's post, and see what areas in your life need some "redirection".
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Strive to Thrive,
Veronica
Recent Comments
33
I love reading your healthier you challenge posts! :) Helps keep me motivated, and thanks so much for sharing them! :)
I appreciate that, Terry! Even when I don't feel like writing it, knowing that I made a commitment to myself keeps me motivated.
Hi Veronica. Love these posts of yours. You remember- I am secretly with you...My progress is not so big, but still...I've been doing some things for weeks now.. Too bad I don't count... but still ..:))
Hey! Thanks for including me in your post!
So, first off, that pizza looks great... Pizza is one of the things that I don't think I could ever give up... Like, I'd possibly try to give up breathing before pizza.
I agree with you about the temperature... If I get too warm it affects me. I always prefer it to be cool (Canadian, lol). I used to have thermostat fights with my co-workers in one of my old jobs. I would always be comfortable in a short-sleeved shirt while they would be shivering in their sweaters. But I was the manager, so... Ha ha!
Silly anecdote: I grew up with farenheit, but we officially switched to celsius when I was in school, so for many years (too many for me to admit to comfortably) I viewed 0 as water's freezing point, 100 as it's boiling point, and 70 as "room temperature". Lol
As for staying active, I always find-- whether it is exercising or stuff here at WA-- that it is all about momentum. Once I stop doing something, it is so much harder to start again, so it is vital for me to keep things going.
This is a great series. I love the idea of being able to track progress week by week like this. And just think of the killer shape you will be in by your 50th!
That was really an inspiring post, Craig. I felt compeed to share it.
I agree, it's easier to move, even if it's a snail's pace, then to stop for too long then try to move again. The Summer will be a challenge for me, but there's one thing I have to look forward to: outdeolr swimming in an Olympic-sized pool! I go every year for the lap-swimming in the morning. Can't wait! Can't wait!
Too funny about temperatures...lol..:))
Also love Veronica's approach of going by weeks...
Nice! One of my big regrets in life is never learning to swim.
When I was a kid, we had a cabin in Vermont that we went to every summer. One year, when I was between about 6 and 8, I was in the water at the beach. My dad was doing his usual floating-- he loved to just lie back and float out on the water for what seemed like hours-- and I wanted to follow him, so I jumped onto my inflatable dolphin and went after him.
At some point, as I got further out, I lost my balance and went into the water. I remember seeing a bunch of bubbles, and then things got dark. Then, suddenly, I was on the beach, coughing up water.
After that, I was never good around water. I tried a few times as an adult to learn, but even today, when water starts to cover my face, I get panicky and find myself unable to hold my breath for longer than about 3 seconds.
Kind of sucks, because my elder son loves the water and I've never been able to enjoy it with him, other than standing in the shallow end with the water no higher than my armpits. Ha ha!
That's a very traumatic experience, Craig.
I'm no therapist, but maybe, instead of focusing on something that happened in the past, you can redirect (there's that word again) your focus the present.
Have you ever thought about why you focus on the scary part of that story instead of the victory? You lived, Craig! How amazing is that! I've read enough articles to know that our brain acts to protect us. But sometimes, the very thing it tries to protect us from can be the very thing we need to experience. I'm not a parent and don't expect to be one, but I've been around enough children to know that they are very observant. How tremendous would that be for your son to see you face your fears!
I'm not trying to make light of what you experienced, Craig, nor do I have any clue on how to raise another human being on a day-to-day basis. But maybe...just maybe...it's time to bury that 40 year old incident and break free from that bondage.
What are your thoughts?
I think you're very wise. :)
I have tried to face my fears a couple of times. I was never terribly fond of heights, so I challenged that by going rock-climbing, for example. I can tell you, going up is pretty scary, but coming back down, trusting your life to a far-too-skinny rope as you dangle several hundred feet in the air is worse! I've done other things as well, challenging other fears in equally extreme ways. I'm proud to say that I always managed to succeed.
Except at swimming.
I don't know what it is. I have tried my best, but that sense of panic keeps coming back. Plus, I am not buoyant. At all. I see other people casually moving their arms back and forth, floating on the water without a care in the world. Me, I kick and wave my arms as hard and as fast as I can, and just sink.
I do my best not to show my unease to my kids. They know I can't swim, but I do my best to disguise any anxiety I feel because I don't want to impact them negatively. Fortunately, as I said above, my elder son loves water. The little one hasn't learned to swim yet, but will start this summer.
I have thought about going again for swimming lessons, and seeing if I can find a course specifically for adults who have some difficulty, but it will have to wait until I have some disposable income.
Rest assured though, it's on my list. I fully intend to learn one day because I'm adamant about SCUBA diving sometime before I die. Ha ha!
Deep-seated traumas will take a lot more effort to overcome, and may require more than just a swimming lesson, even if it's geared towards adults with difficulties.
I'm sure that at just the right time, you'll conquer your fear of swimming. It may even come at a time when you least expect it. Thank you for your openness, Craig, and always being authentic.
Lol. You keep saying I'm "authentic" and "honest". I'm just trying to be "me".
:)
But, you are very welcome.
You know the weird thing though?
I love water. Ha!
I love being around it. I used to always go down to the lakeshore and look out across the water when I lived in Montreal. I still sometimes do the same now that I live near Ottawa. I like watching it flow and listening to the sound of it. I love sitting at the edge of the water at the beach, watching the waves come and go... I would love to have a waterfront home!
People are complex animals. Lol!
Hi Veronica,
I know the feeling. I'm just getting back to my Yoga in the mornings, I had a "pause" moment too. It's not that uncommon, we all have them, and you're right, it does take a change of mind and thoughts to get you going again. That's what I had to do. Now I'm back to morning Yoga...YEA!!! I finally made up in my mind, I wasn't going to waste all that time learning this, to throw it all away. It's good for my mind and body. Have a great weekend, take care my friend.
Mary
I hesitated from writing this post, because I did very little, and last week wasn't so great. But, since I know I committed to posting weekly, I have to share it all. I was really close to deliberately not posting this week, just so I could avoid having to share my "downfall". Ahh...pride is a terrible, terrible thing...
Always good to see you, Mary. Now, I gotta write one more post for my site! UGH! It's never-ending...but I love it!!!
I hit the BIG 50 milestone last year, although I have been feeling like I'm 80 for about 5 years now! I can tell you for certain that exercise is the key to energy. It has been quite a long time since I did my favorite workout routine and you have made me decide to go and find my DVDs and my gym mat. Carrying around an extra (50?) pounds takes a lot out of you, especially if you're only 5'2".
Thanks for the post Veronica! Now I will go check out Craig's as you suggested. :)
Linda
It's funny, Linda, no matter how young people may think you look, your body reminds you how old you really are! Definitely a great ego crusher, lol.
These blogs help me to see how I've progressed and what areas need some tweaking. So, although I already know that I need to exercise, I think my sluggishness is my body's way of saying "Get movin' already!"
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PIZZZZZZZAAAAAA! I love pizza! I always get the veggie one. Approaching 50 soon, amazing. I will be 52 in October. Life changes can be difficult at times, especially as we get older. Maybe having an accountability partner would be a good idea. Keep doing what you are doing my dear. I believe you are doing good. They say it takes 21 days to break/create a habit.
Thanks, Britt. I seem to be a little hard headed because you are not the first person to mention having an accountability partner. Perhaps it's time to look into that more seriously.