I don't have any specific goals for 2016 other than to keep
doing what I'm doing, and try to curb the junk food. Looking back at where I was and what I've
done, moving forward I'm going to try to focus on the things that have helped
me the most.
Looking back
I joined SparkPeople a couple of years ago, and while it did
help provide a modicum of motivation/accountability, it wasn't enough. I got lots of trophies, but didn't find any
real gratification in it. I'm still a
member, but don't mess with it much. I
think I've outgrown it, and that's not really a bad thing.
I got my Fitbit in September 2014 and it was great to be
able to see how many steps I was getting and push harder to meet a daily
goal. I feel naked without my Fitbit and
won't leave home without it (Who am I kidding?
I won't get out of bed without it!).
Regardless of what else I do, Fitbit will be a part of it.
In June 2015, I joined the 1,000 Mile Challenge and that
pushed me even more. Not only was I
trying to meet my daily step goal with Fitbit, but now I had to keep putting
one foot in front of the other in order to complete 1,000 miles in a year's
time. I was off to a great start in June
and the first part of July, then life got in the way and I did almost nothing
the remainder of July and August, and slightly more in September. In October, I jumped back on board and have
since done enough that I'm back on track for completing the 1,000 miles on
time, and even slightly ahead of schedule.
Since I've enjoyed this challenge, I've also signed up for
the new 1,000 Mile Challenge that starts tomorrow, January 1, 2016. I'm ready to get that first mile under my
belt for the New Year!
While these other things have contributed nicely to keeping
me motivated and moving, by far the best incentive for me has been
Leap4Life. I was tempted into joining
L4L several months ago by the promise of earning money by walking and running,
and while that's still a nice bonus, it's just that - a bonus. You earn points on L4L by being active on the
site, and by joining and completing events (goals) every day. Leap4Life also has team events, and to me,
that is key to keeping the motivation at a high level. Having a workout partner is a great idea, but
knowing that others on my team are counting on me to do my part is usually
enough to have me lace up my shoes and get moving, no matter how badly I want
to just be a slug on the couch. Having
one accountability partner is good, but four others on a team is even better!
Having said that, I found that the communication and
interactive process on the Leap4Life site leaves a lot to be desired, so I
created a Facebook group and my friends/teammates and I do our communicating
there. I started with one team of five
members, and after word spread, created another, and another ... I just started
our fourth team yesterday! Some were
Facebook friends years before L4L came about, and others are new friends I've
found through the 1,000 Mile Challenge and Leap4Life. Regardless of how we found each other, we've
all become fast fitness friends, and have a lot of fun while we challenge each
other to meet our goals. And yes, there
is the occasional bit of friendly competition, but it's ALL good!
Where I am
While all of these things have helped keep me putting one
foot in front of the other and logging those miles, I haven't lost any weight,
which puzzles me. My level of activity
has increased greatly, in some cases doubled, but it's not reflecting on the
scale (and no, my clothes aren't fitting any differently either). I know I'm still eating more junk than I
should, but not more than I had been, so I don't know why the increased calorie
burn isn't showing up somewhere. I'm
walking/jogging an average of 3-7 miles a day, with the occasional burst of
10-15 miles when I need to meet a particular goal.
There hasn't been any significant change in my A1C or
cholesterol numbers either. I'm still
battling severe, chronic pain, but saw a rheumatologist this week and hopefully
some of the tests he ordered will shed some light on the cause. I'm remaining positive through it all, and
not going to stop moving. Surprisingly
(or maybe not), the only time I'm not in pain is when walking. Once I sit for 3-4 minutes, I hurt from head
to toe when I get up, until I've moved around a bit and loosened up. Once I push
through the pain for a few minutes, walking doesn't hurt and I can walk
pretty much all day without issue - so walk I will!
Where I'm going
Moving forward, I'm going to continue what I'm doing, which
is ... moving forward! I would like to
do more of my walking outdoors, but Ohio winters won't always make that
possible I've got the treadmill and now
that I have the Kindle and can read while walking, I'm able to get a lot more
steps in, but I'm also not getting the fresh air that's much healthier (and
although probably a negligible amount, the treadmill DOES use electricity, and
I'm trying to scrimp and save every penny).
Unless weather conditions absolutely prohibit it, I'm going to bundle up
and try to get in at least a short walk up the road and back every day, and
longer if time and weather allow. I do a
lot of walking outside in the warmer months, but not so much in winter, so
would like to step that up a bit. I will
still use the treadmill, but figure any amount of steps I do outside is better
than none.
I'm also going to make a concerted effort to curb the junk
food. I know cutting it out entirely
isn't going to work for me, so I'm not even going there. I do eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but
also more than my share of snacks. Since
money is so tight right now, I'm going to use that to my advantage to help rein
in my food budget. I don't spend a lot
on food for just myself, but balk at the price of fresh produce yet will turn
around and pick up a bag of candy or cookies.
The plan is to put that back on the shelf and instead buy something that
isn't processed. If I can afford to buy
junk, I can afford to buy the extra bunch of broccoli or mushrooms to add to my
breakfast omelet. Sounds good in theory,
doesn't it?
What about you?
Do you have a specific plan for 2016 to achieve (or
maintain) better health and fitness? Are
you going to continue what you've been doing, or try something new?
If you'd like information about anything I've mentioned
here, leave me a comment, or connect with me on Facebook. You can also find out more information about
Leap4Life by looking at the labels at the very bottom of this post and click
the one marked "L4L".
I'm going to close out 2015 in style and put on my hoodie, lace up my shoes, and head out the door now. Won't you
join me?
~ Marie Anne
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment on my post. Much appreciated!