2017 Fitness Plan

The Problem: I am at least 100 pounds overweight (gads that sounds scary) and everything I've tried in the last decade has not worked.

The OTHER Problem: I need to work on my core and flexibility.


So here is the plan:

Eating: I am on my own 5 nights a week now. I am working out a 2 week rotation for a meal plan that will use weight watcher points, but also the Type A diet (only approved foods for Type As). If I am eating the same things and I have pre-calculated, then it should be easier. I will plan in a few slurges... number and size dependent on the calculations I make for my plan. (I've done an initial, but I need to fine tune it with the exact points and Type A list)

Sleep: Get enough of it. 7 hours is hard during the week, but there is evidence it helps metabolism efficiency.

Cardio: Continue my walking. Add in 2 days a week of dance (I will be looking for videos, but may just find a good dance list and call it good.

Strength/Flexibility: 3 days a week of core (just 10-15 minutes... any recommendations for a video?) and 2 days a week of limb strengthening (lunges, squats, weights) and stretching (these will be my dance days—so two workouts a week to shake things up)


So there... that is THAT plan...

Any of you doing new years fitness plans?

Not the Cook

So one week on Weight Watchers (the old version—the new was too high-maintenance for me--needed constant computer access and a lot of recipe entry) and things seem pretty good. I am not counting alcohol on Friday and Saturday. I just know myself well enough that I think this will ward off any stupid decisions (limiting food to 2 points so I can have a couple cocktails... yeah... erm...). Other than that, though, I have stuck to my points, stuck to my exercise, and think I have the mind set going.

Last night, though, I ran up against one of my biggest challenges. You see, at my house, I'm not the cook.

Completely gratuitous pic of the moose at my parents' house (except I'm trying to avoid looking like a moose)

HWMNBMOTI and I have had an arrangement for more than twenty years now.

He likes to cook.
I hate it.

I will eat pretty much anything.
He is so picky that he won't eat his favorite FOODS if he's not 'in the mood' for them.

It has been a no-brainer, that he would be our cook.


I have maybe half a dozen days a year that it falls to me because he is busy while I'm not. But MOST of the time, I am also busier, so it works well. It really only works the other way on Football Saturdays when he is parking cars and I'm NOT.



But when a girl goes on a DIET...

It can be challenging to not be in control.

We've done this enough times that he knows when I am doing Weight Watchers that he needs to WARN ME if, for instance, we are having pizza for dinner. Oh, I know. Some of you can eat one piece. Not me. I can be content with two if I have salad, too, but I really am more a three piece gal or I get hungry later.

MOST dinners run between 9 and 12 points (remember... old point rules) and if I plan on that, most days, I am okay. I usually have a 5 point breakfast (oatmeal with fruit and brown sugar) and a 5-7 point lunch. And so that 9-12 points puts me about right. If it is the lower, then I can have a little snack and all is good.

What I do NOT plan for (and apparently have not made clear I need a warning for) is fried chicken... and then mashed potatoes to go with it...

Once upon a time I tried to eat the NEXT day—breakfast and lunch that complemented the night before's dinner. And calorie/point/weight loss wise, that oughta work. Unfortunately, on any given day it can leave me STARVING, which backfires.

Did I mention I get hungry?

I will talk to him... when it isn't so immediate, I will remind him please TELL ME if we are having high calorie/high fat dinner.

So that has been my biggest challenge so far.

As of yesterday, I was down 3 pounds. Not much, but the right direction.

Gratuitous penis cartoon.

You conquer any obstacles this week? Just hide from one and let it pass? Shake its hand and hope for the best?

I Set a Date!

Book release?   Erm. No.
Marriage?   Well, no, obviously... since I'm already married.

Then WHAT, pray tell, did you need to set a date for? You ask...

The eating plan. That's right. It's Weighty Wednesday and that's what I've got. A date.

You see, at Meijer on Sunday, they had Paczkis. And I came to the (albeit wrong) conclusion that Fat Tuesday fell on Valentine's Day. I had visions of chocolate paczki sugar comas prancing in my head and thought, “Well that's how I want to go!”

But then I learned Meijer had just jumped the gun (and I would have to buy paczkis two weeks in a row) but it was already decided.

I may not 'do Lent'--not being Catholic and all. But what better time is there for a severe diet than when EVERYBODY is in the midst of denial?

So it's decided.

And then... My REAL blog today is over at Burrowers, Books and Balderdash where I am talking about the beauty of the FOOL as a story character...

World-End Fitness Plan 2012

Is there a POINT in getting fit for the world to end? Wait... I don't believe in that... And REALLY, if there is that black hole axis tilt matter Roland blogged about (which I found totally fascinating, you should go check it out), then in fact being fit might be highly beneficial to survival... I mean we wouldn't want to be too thin—need the fat stores to survive in the scarcity mode, right? But strong is good. Flexibility adds to resistance to injury...

Every year I intend to get fit, but this year I have something going for me. It's an even year. Why does that matter? I don't know, don't ask me. But it does. I think every successful weight loss I've ever had... like approaching goal, successful, has been in an even year.

Now writing is a pretty big obstacle with this fitness thing. At least for fitting it in with day job and family life. I can be pretty darned obsessive, but it seems I only have time for one obsession in my life at a time, and for the last six years now, writing has been it. The influence of that on my butt has been disheartening.


Back to Weight Watchers

In spite of the need to not be THIN, it is also important to not be FAT... you know... for the speed in the case of the Zombie Apocalypse, but also, I have a BOOK coming out this year! If it is to be my only one before the world ends, I need to look GOOD!

I can do this if I... you know... DO this... it is a mind set thing for me. My online membership lasts until January 15, I think, and work has a real time group starting up, which I may join instead. I will decide by the first. I may need the accountability of it.

But I also know I fell apart this last time the week before Thanksgiving. I hadn't been using the diary, but I'd been following points until I was suddenly thrust into holiday mode. And NOW? The next food holiday isn't until the 4th of July, when one of the featured foods is watermelon. I think I can manage that one. Oh, sure...there are margaritas for El Cinco de Mayo, and Valentine's Day might involve some chocolate. But really, those are single day events and manageable. It is the November/December holiday stretch that is so hard.

So I can do this.



Counch to Keg

We've done a brief hiatus, it seems... but very brief. Really this has been a great exercise plan. I love exercising with a friend. We just need to get back to the RUNNING part. We've been mostly walking since the heavy coat season started. I will continue this exercise effort though. It really is something that has never disappeared and having friends to do it with helps.


The Bigger Obstacle

Flexibility and strength... you see, the problem with these is they require me to be stillish... and when I am STILL (or even stillish) what I want to be doing is WRITING. But I know as I age, these are the things that keep my balance, so I don't FALL (and falls in the agerly, are bad, yeh?) and support my bones so they don't break (see: falls). Besides that, more muscle means higher resting calorie burn which means I can EAT MORE (which is really the goal of all this, right? *shifty*). Seriously, though—this stuff counts more and more, but I just hate it. The only way to fit it in is to schedule it. And I think the best PLACE to schedule it is between dinner and heading out for couch to keg... that is about 20 minutes, five days a week, and if I alternate strengthening with stretching...

I just need to remind myself this is NOT cram in the blog or facebook session time. I mean, YES, double check we are on for exercise, but it is the perfect time slot. I CAN'T really get into some other project here. Perfect, right? So there it goes, shoved right into my schedule.

Any of you have fitness plans? Give a shout if you want to set up a little mutual support!