11/28/2020 - The beginning of a plan

When I started this blog it was with the sole intent to either prove or disprove my doctor's assertion that the only exercise I needed was to walk. He said to walk briskly every day for 30 minutes.

I didn't lose a ton of weight walking every day for a year. I did; however, have more energy, slept better, drank more water, and didn't feel nearly as depressed in the winter months (Illinois was cold!).

In an attempt to curb my sweet tooth, I once spent a year only having sugar (obvious sugar, not the hidden kind) once a month. By the end of the year, one bite of a cake was more than enough sugar for me. The Christmas holidays hit and that was the end of that experiment.

In 2019, after my husband's heart attack, I kept track of my food, exercise, and weight on the MyFitnessPal app. It worked. I lost 10 lbs. I also quit keeping track when we went on a family trip to Disneyland and never got back into the swing of things.

This past year, I have been walking every day. Sometimes I track it on MyFitnessPal sometimes I don't. Sometimes I do other exercises - like yoga, sometimes I don't. I've learned that I do love to move. I am happier and have more energy. Yoga, especially restorative yoga, is my favorite. I also learned I love walking outside with other people, but listening to a podcast will work just as well. I have also learned that I don't super enjoy the elliptical machine (use that when it is too dang hot outside), but again, a podcast helps pass the time...and I love how many calories I burn from using the elliptical.

What I can't seem to get a handle on is my eating. 

I am all over the place. Too many sweets, not enough self-control...even when it comes to something semi-healthy like a bowl of soup. I overeat at almost every meal. I also eat too fast. 

The worst part about eating too fast? I swallow air and then have gas for the rest of the day. Ugh.

I also emotionally eat. Bad day, disappointing news, not feeling well, etc... I go for comfort foods - ice cream, chocolate, and lots of yummy carbs like mashed potatoes.

What I really want to learn is how to love eating the way I love to walk.

I have no idea how to do this.

So, the best I can come up with is combining a lot of the things that worked for me in the past: this blog, tracking on MyFitnessPal, and limiting how often I get (obvious) sugar.

But here is the thing...Sundays are completely free. I don't have to get up early, I don't have to walk, I don't have to blog, I don't have to track and I don't have to skip the family dessert.

I will weigh myself every Saturday. I will post my weight. This is kind of a big deal for me because I do not like telling people how much I weigh. It isn't a vanity thing. It is a "save myself from comments" thing. I would say stupid comments, but that might be a tad mean. Monday's post will be about this.

I might post my tracking. Haven't decided yet.

I will talk about my ups and downs, insights I have, things I have learned, and even ask for help/insights.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!