Daily Routines and Habits!!!

 Have you ever noticed how "bad habits" come so easily but so hard to break them?  When we want to do a "Good Habit" it is even harder to form it and make it a part of our daily routine. 

Erika, Tiffany and I have been walking since January.  It has taken me till April to be able to do 1/2 mile twice a week.  On Friday we had another lady join us, Ramona.  She assured me, she cannot walk fast.  I said, "No problem, neither do I!"  I will just Ramona put me to shame....I am UPPING MY GAME!!!  She just took off and we never did catch up with her.  By the time Erika and I rounded the back end of the building, Ramona was just about rounding the front end!!  Erika tried to tell me "don't compare yourself" but maybe this is what I need to poke me along a little bit more.

With swollen legs and arthritic knees, it is just so hard for me with every step I take.  I can feel they are getting better and I just need to be patient and keep moving forward.  The thing I have realized though, is that I miss walking when we do not go.  When I say "do not go" I mean on the weekends not during the week.

I truly hope you all have found a partner to go walking with you and you commit yourselves to one another on changing your habits.  I know it is not easy.  I also know I am very lucked and blessed to have Erika and Tiffany out with me everyday, knowing I can count on them.

I will continue to battle the No Sugar and No Soda because that is how I feel I do the best.  I think this time around though I am going to focus on exercise and getting stronger in my legs.  I have noticed other things I have changed without even trying.  Every once in a while, I want a nice piece of hot bread, but I don't buy bread anymore.  I go for a salad with a chicken strip across the top.  I am a very simple eater.  My problem was all my snacking and my sugar!!

I know so many things can affect your eating habits.  I hope somewhere in all my babbling and this blog, you have found ways to help combat your issues you are struggling with.  I met a lady in the grocery store yesterday who was struggling with what Shrimp Cocktail Sauce to buy.  Seems like an easy choice right?  She concentrates on the labels and one had 760 sodium in one and 820 sodium in another, and this was for only 1/4 cup of cocktail sauce.  Salt is another one of my bad habits I need to find a way to battle.

But for right now, I want to add exercise to my daily routines and habits.  So what about you?  Now that we are 1/4th into the year are you still striving to work on your habits from the beginning of the year?  Or have they been pushed aside with the excuse of "not enough time".  I can tell you, until you start making the life style changes and make good habits, and break the old habits, you will chase yourself in circles.  Remember if you need support, come here and vent!!  Let's do this!!!

What Have You Learned From No Sugar and No Soda?

So how did every one do with the last challenge of No Sugar No Soda till Easter?  I think for me more than anything it has helped me break the habit of not getting the candy bars and pop as I head through the checkout stands.  Here are some things I have learned: 

• I don't eat till I am full, I eat till the food is all gone.  And it doesn't matter what kind of food it is.  That is why I cannot buy a bag of candy, or package of cookies and think I can eat just one.

• Walking everyday, I can finally see the benefit of the exercise and I can start making plans for the future.  I will be the first to admit it has not been easy and there have been many mornings I did not want to go.  But having buddies to go with changed everything.  Erika even told me she was so sore and achy this morning, she didn't want to go but she did.  She knows I will be there and I know she will be there every morning.

• Advice and remarks from others, although well meaning can still be very hurtful.  But you need to stand your ground.  I know people only want to "help" but you are the only one who knows what is best for you.  My weight is coming off slowly, but I am not really on a diet, I am trying to make life changes.  By taking shakes, or other "weight loss" alternatives does not teach you to change your habits.  You need to change your habits!!

• When I do eat sugar, I realize my patience and my "last nerve" becomes very short.  Laying off the sugar has a lot of affects on my body chemistry. 

• I decide to lay off the sugar now "by choice".  I have decided this go around I will allow my self a treat once a month if I want one...but it has got to be worth it!!  Really worth it!!!  Ha Ha

 So what have you learned from laying off Sugar and Soda?

Are You Up For a New Challenge?

I have a new challenge for all of you. As I mentioned in my last post, I have finally begun to see some progress in my legs and walking.  I have gone from walking 1/4 a mile to 1/2 mile.  It has not been easy, but I can tell you it is becoming so worth it for me.  It's a matter of getting up and moving!  Last Saturday I was at a baby shower and heard a couple of the ladies talk about a 5K they had just done that morning.  I listened to them and thought, "Man I could never do that!!!"  In talking to one of the ladies I jokingly said, "I do good to do my 1/4 of a mile, and just last week started doing 1/2 mile a couple days a week". She said, "Laura it doesn't matter how far you go just get moving!!!" 

So this weighed on my mind all weekend and into the week and Wednesday proposed it to my walking buddies.  Erika and Tiffany said, "Let's do it!!" 

Next Spring we are going to do a 5K!

Mind you we are WALKING not RUNNING.  I have tried to gather other friends, most have laughed and said "Good Luck!  But no!" 

So I propose the same challenge to all of you!!!  It is a year away.  No matter where you are I am sure there are 5K's in your area.  A 5K is about 3 1/2 miles, so not really too far. When you think about going to Disneyland or Disney World it is nothing to walk that much in a couple of hours.

If you are like me and think "But I can hardly walk" this is your chance to make a goal and get up and get moving!!  This all comes line upon line.....one step at a time.  Right now we are only at 1/2 mile a few times a week then we will work up to 3/4 a mile, then a mile and so forth.

I am going to continue my blog, I will try to update at least once a week to let you know how I am doing.  How is everyone else doing?  With my No Sugar and No Soda, I have learned something interesting.  It started out by giving up Sugar and Soda because I needed control of my life.  It kept me away from sweets and broke my habit of getting a candy bar every time I went through the check out line.  I don't buy a bag of candy because I know I will eat it all.  But I can seem to control myself more now with sweets more than I ever could before.  Last Sunday we were all three in a meeting and I passed up the brownies because Erika and Tiffany were there.  I laugh at myself, because why don't I just go buy brownies?  Maybe it is because I have finally realized I don't need a brownie every time I see one. 

Little by little things will come, just start one step at a time.  I am anxious to hear how everyone else has done on their goals.  I am looking forward to Easter and having a Bunny!!!  Thank you for following my blog and my journey!!  I want to hear about yours!!

Never, Never, Never GIVE UP!!!!

I apologize for the lack of support and updates lately.  I am very limited on my computer time and it seems so much of my time is spent on catching up with email and the happenings of the world and life.  So I truly apologize!  How is everyone doing on the No Sugar and No Soda.

I know Kathy has said she has not lost any weight and so after Easter was not going to do it anymore. For me I will continue to do it, because it keeps me from just going and buying candy and then eating it all.  I actually made quite the breakthrough today!!! I WALKED 1/2 MILE!!!

Now I know what you are thinking, Laura ANYONE can do 1/2 mile.....No not anyone!!!  About a year ago I was on a cane and have decided I was going to get healthy.  I got rid of the soda, the sweets, and at the first of the year started walking.  Erika and I were talking today about when we started walking.  It was late January or February.  When we first started, I could barely do the 1/4 of a mile.  But she kept reminding me, BUT YOU DID IT!  Gradually we went from three days a week to five. Today she told me how good I did going around the building and we decided to do another lap!!  Go US!!

If there is anything I can say to any of you about fighting the weight loss battle, it is to NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!!  Maybe the no sugar and no soda is not working for you.  For me it helped me to see habits and how easy it was to grab a candy bar on the way out the door.  Also because I know longer have those things in my midst, I do not snack as I used to. 

This has also taught me PATIENCE!!!  No one can ever know the pain in my legs and knees I tolerate to just be able to walk a few steps a day.  There were times at night that my legs hurt so badly they throbbed.  I would try various medications on them just hoping the throbbing would die down enough that I could get some sleep.  There are a few things I found helped some.  The Lymph Gland Cleanse seemed to help the swelling in my legs some.  I started to take a daily vitamin, Alleve every day and some Glucosamine Chondroitin.  Supposedly this is supposed to help you rebuild the cartilage in your joints.

One of the problems I could feel with my knees, is they would grind when I tried to bend them.  Sometimes my knee would catch and when it would "un-catch" it hurt.  But through all this I decided if I was to ever get better, I had to keep trying.  Today FINALLY I saw some different results.  YEAAA ME!!

I could have never had done this without the support and belief of all of you.  And without Erika and Tiffany!!  You all rock!!!  Even if you feel you need to take a break from all this, just DON"T EVER GIVE UP!!!