All About ... Health, Fitness and Nutrition
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| Yesterday's walk ... along the paths that criss-cross the area around the marina. It was nice to be recognised by some of the dog walkers I passed as I haven't walked this route in quite a while. |
At this time of the year I usually pick one little word as my focus for the year but this year I haven't been able to settle on a single word that covers what I am hoping to achieve in 2023 so I'm starting without that word in mind ... it's entirely possible that one will become apparent. I'm also changing the way I set goals to improve and/or maintain the various categories I have determined will help me achieve a balanced life.
This year, instead of working on all the categories I'd previously decided on I want to spend at the least the first three months of this year focusing on my "leading an active life, benefitting from increased fitness and improvements in my general health" goal and linking this with my "eating sensibly and healthily and benefitting by losing weight and experiencing increased energy levels" goal. I'm not giving up on my other categories but I think the ones that consistently achieve high ratings will continue to score highly as I have already put effective habits and routines in place. It's those sort of habits and routines I now need to establish for my heath and fitness.
So it's sort of a three-pronged attack. The first part is to sort out my sleep patterns starting with creating the best environment to encourage a good night's sleep. I'll first clarify that until recently I had been sleeping well but the last two or three months has seen an increasing number of disturbed nights, lying awake for ages and then feeling too tired the next day to function properly. Some months back I did contemplate buying a much needed new mattress but then didn't follow through with the idea so that purchase is now budgeted for this month. I don't really need to improve the rest of the bedroom in any way but I may look for some better quality pillows at the same time. Starting tomorrow I'm going to stick to a strict-ish routine to try to retrain my brain, so bedtime will be between 10 pm - 11 pm and I'll set the alarm to be up at 7 am on weekdays and probably 8 am at weekends. I've had to do this before in the past so I know it works and it shouldn't take too long to sort out.
The next prong is the biggie and that's to do with establishing a proper exercise routine. I already have personal training with Amy once a week and do two additional sessions at home on my own, and in addition I aim to walk daily so that will all continue but in a much more organised way. I am buying some weights and Amy will help me work out a couple of resistance training sessions to do at home to make use of the equipment I have. As for the walking, I'll start following a schedule designed to slowly increase the amount of walking I do. I've linked to one that is similar but the one I am following (not available online) has rest days every week and then introduces other activities to alternate with the walking. Those other activities, when I get that far, could be online exercise classes or more likely will be my Christmas gift to myself for a fun approach to exercising. I've already mentioned that I bought a Nintendo Switch console, chosen so that I could also buy the Nintendo Ring Fit software. I used to use the Nintendo Wii Fit regularly before the console died on me and I really enjoyed doing it so am hoping for the same from the Ring Fit ... I know it's not for everyone, but it works for me and is something I know I will enjoy using regularly ... I've already started!
The third prong is weight loss though I haven't quite sorted out how I plan to tackle this yet. My aim is to improve fitness levels rather than actively lose weight but I am hopeful that weight loss will happen without it being the main focus to start with. Ignoring the recent Christmas treats, I already eat healthily and have no plans to change that but I am considering doing a 'restart' following all the Christmas indulgences by using the plan I was given on the Goldster healthy eating pilot I took part in in 2021 (I think but it may have been 2020!). I have a lot of weight to lose and some of that will be tackled by getting used to smaller but more sensible portion sizes (the new plates help with that as their reduced size makes the portions look very generous), and possible intermittent fasting. Calorie counting is also an option as that has worked well for me in the past.
I stand more chance of this working if I don't overdo it to start with, so the initial focus is on the exercise. I do enjoy it when I do it but need to get to the stage where I am not finding reasons to avoid doing it. The carrot dangling in front of my eyes is the possibility of an overseas trip, hopefully to India in 2023/4, but there is no point going if I am not fit enough to enjoy it and I'm certainly not fit enough at present.
So, I weighed and measured myself yesterday and have my details recorded for Day 1. I managed not to cry! I'm the fattest and heaviest I've ever been so need to turn that round. I will point out that I know I won't make that much difference to weight and fitness within the three months but I do hope to have embedded the necessary habits into my daily life in that timescale, and if I find that I haven't then I will just keep going ... failure is no longer an option!
One of my main goals this year is to lose weight. I have been carrying an extra stone, might be more now we've had Christmas!, for a couple of years and it makes me unhappy. I need to watch portion size and I need to get out walking more. Unfortunately, as you get older it's harder to shift but that is my focus for these first few months as well.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and I hope you are successful. Do you follow a specific plan (like Weight Watchers or Slimming World) for the weight loss? xx
DeleteNo, I just rely on exercise and willpower as far as portion size and wine!!
DeleteWine is an essential addition to any weight loss plan! 😂😂
DeleteI keep a note of my weight every year, 2nd of Jan is my weighing day, it does help focus on how much creeps on each year, I am happy as this year I weigh less then last year, not by much, but it's in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteIf it's less than last year, then that's a positive and you must be doing something right. Well done xx
Delete((( hugs )))
ReplyDeleteYou are so wise to just focus on one think at a time and to break that down into manageable chunks (once a teacher, always . . . )
Smaller plates/smaller portions works a treat for me and so does IF. Not that there is anything particularly magical about IF but it is hard to fit too much food into a restricted eating window, especially if that food has a healthy balance.
I think you could make a very big difference in three months, just not necessarily is bug numbers. Establishing habits is so important, I think.
(I think you have it all sorted, honestly, but you know where I am . . . )
xx
Thanks Joy. I ate the last mince pie to cheer myself up today, but I have the right attitude really and now they've gone I won't be tempted.😂
DeleteThe smaller plates will definitely make a difference and, as I bulk cook and freeze in portions, I should find this aspect easier to adjust to. The IF I'm still trying to puzzle out ... I need to take my medication with food as soon as I wake up so I tend to eat my breakfast really early, so if I try for 16/8 it's mean restricting eating between 7am and 3 pm and I think I'd find it hard to cope if finishing that early in the day. I need to give that part some more thought. I will email you when I get stuck, don't worry ... and thanks xx
Like you I usually have a word for the year but this year have ended up with two words.
ReplyDeleteThe first being Improve and the second one being Grateful. With improve I felt it is the best word for what I want to achieve this year as I want to keep on decluttering and organising .
I am another one who wants to improve exercise and I will re-start doing Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone which I watch on YouTube, up until 2019 I was doing that for either 3 or 4 times a week. Then I ended up with a trapped nerve from an accident I had in the garden so had to stop. So I wish us both success in our exercises and I look forward to hearing about the rest of your plans for the year. Helen s.
I like your word choices and good luck with the decluttering and organising. I've done some of Leslie Sansone walks - they're good aren't they? I hope the exercising goes well and that we are both able to give ourselves a pat on the back at the end of the year! xx
DeleteI like your plans for the first 3 months of the year ... I'll tag along on those plans as I need to improve all those areas as well. Maybe we could switch up our personal coaches, I have a sleep coach (she fabulous) so you work with her while I work with Amy, your fitness coach. A new habit apparently takes 21-30 days to install into our brains as routine.
ReplyDeleteWe can be exercise buddies! If it takes approx 21 - 30 days to establish a new habit, I should have the exercise regime fixed in my daily routine by the end of January. Thanks, that's quite reassuring, although I know it's not going to be as straightforward as that suggests and I will need to push myself to get there.
DeleteI would share but Amy will be going on maternity leave soon so it won't be a fair swap for you! xx
Your discussion of your goals here is very helpful. I have chosen a word for this year: health. It will entail a mix of eating better, exercise and better sleep, all of which you speak of. Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteThat a good word to choose and I wish you luck as you seek to improve things. I'm glad this post provided a little help. xx
DeleteEileen i love your honesty, where you didn't cry it made me cry. But lets start at the beginning of your post, I am so impressed. I can learn from that, and on another blog i was just telling about my for ever craving snacks, for today i will work on it with keeping it fresh ( the goal) like telling here and meditating when the craving gets too strong. It hasn't worked for me in the past, but honestly nothing has worked, so i love it where you do know what works, i have to get there.
ReplyDeleteSnacking is the one thing I'm not bothered about. I rarely snack at home and if I know I'm meeting friends and there's the possibility of eating cake between meals I change my meal plan accordingly. I think that snacking is quite a difficult thing to overcome when you are used to doing that ... one of my friends has the same issue I have an understanding of the problem. Good luck in getting it sorted. xx
Deletethank you, it is amazing that i have not snacked since i read your post, we'll see, i have very little will power, but knowing it is possible to have an evening without snacking is huge.
DeleteThat's great news Jozien. xx
DeleteYou have put a lot of thought into this, Eileen, and I know that things work out better when well planned. Weight loss is an ongoing journey, isn't it? I weighed myself this morning, but, I haven't taken measurements. Should probably do that, too.
ReplyDeleteI like all your goals and the decision to focus on a few, inter-connected areas. I'm sure your three-pronged approach to a healthier you will work out well.
I haven't selected a word of the year, still. I've a couple of words I'm tossing around in my mind - Journey is one, Aspire is another. I might even opt for a word of the month!
I wish you all the best in 2023 and may you attain all the goals you've set for yourself. :)
Thanks Bless. Weight loss is definitely an ongoing journey and unfortunately I keep getting lost! I feeling determined to get it right this time though. I like the idea of using a word of the month - I think that would work better for me this year. This month would have to be 'plan' or 'organise' or something like that. Good luck with your goals too. xx
DeleteSounds like some great goals! I walk every day but my eating habits are lousy. I cook for others, but as my diet is different than theirs, I don't always take the time to cook properly for me. I am going to try to incorporate meals that we can all eat. The sleep thing really resonates with me. Our mattress is lousy. Between that and husband's snoring sometimes I really hate going to bed. We've been talking about getting a new mattress for a while - we've both hated this one since we bought it - but I'm definitely going to make it happen the first week of March (delivery for then) as we have a large rubbish pickup that week and can put the old one out on the curb to be taken away. Lack of sleep doesn't help with the energy levels.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thanks Sharon. I hope a new mattress goes some way to solving your sleep issues. I'm ordering mine from a company that takes the old one away so I don't need to wait thankfully. I can't help with the snoring though!!
DeleteBest of luck tying those objectives together. As you have found out, establishing good habits is the key. I too was experiencing bad sleep habits, mostly my own fault, but I am hoping the week away from home, when I was on a more regimented schedule, will help. I too need new pillows, but since we just took down a bed in our daughter's old room, I have a couple of extras to choose from. Need to add those to my laundry list.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susanne. My sleep pattern is gradually resolving itself though taking longer than I expected. I haven't bought the new mattress and pillows yet so need to get that organised asap, and I think that will help. I hope you can get your sleep habits sorted out before too long. xx
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