As the second week of Operation Get Fit No Excuses closes, I have learned many things. The main thing is that I am definitely committed and determined to continue my new healthier lifestyle. As many times as I’ve started and stopped exercising and diets, I completely surprised myself so far. (Even Padrone is surprised but proud of me sticking with it.) I did have a couple of days this week in which my determination was flagging, but I repeated to myself a couple of times and got up and went.
My biggest accomplishment was finishing 6 kilometers in under an hour but then the next day I barely made it 2 kilometers. I have stretched every single day before and after both walks, but it felt like I just couldn’t recover completely.
I started looking for advice and suggestions on time/length/pace for walking beginners and many of their suggestions were completely impossible to obtain. The parts I do agree with is that you try to walk 30 minuets a day. Until you get used to it, don’t worry to much about pace (how fast you walk) or length. Just concentrate on time. If you can’t make it for 30 minutes, break it up into 3 10 minutes intervals. Do what you can while pushing yourself a little but remember to listen to your body.
I have been using the natural sweetener called Stevia and it’s taken some getting used to. But, now after a week, I’m loving it. My blood sugar has been almost textbook perfect between the exercise and watching my sugar and carbohydrate intake.
Now, I haven’t stopped eating mostly what I want to. I’ve cut out sweets, refined sugars and most breads. When I want a sandwich, I use a tortilla to make a chicken and cheese wrap versus 2 pieces of white bread. All of these little changes have made huge differences.
Today, after my walk, I came home and stretched for about 10 minutes then did a 20 minutes Beginners Yoga class. I was thinking I would be doing really weird poses and stretches, but surprisingly, I didn’t. It really was a video for basically anyone that’s mobile, no matter your age or body stiffness. Afterwards, I felt so relaxed and my leg and butt muscles finally stopped hurting! I had heard so many good things about Yoga for many years but haven’t ever gotten off my lazy butt to actually try it. I did today and am so happy. I don’t have the fancy mats or anything. It was just me on my living room rug and my computer watching the Yoga video.
So remember this:
1. Listen to your body and go at your own pace, but do push yourself a little.
2. Keep things fresh by choosing different walking routes and scenery so you don’t get bored.
3. Watch what you eat but don’t go completely crazy on some crash diet. Make small changes in your food choices and stick with those.
4. Take vitamins, especially if you don’t eat enough vegetables or fruits.
5. Try Yoga to help you stretch stiff muscles. I will swear by it now!
6. Don’t let a scale be your guide! Measurements are a better way to judge your progress than numbers on a scale.
If you want to watch me daily, I post videos on my YouTube channel. You can subscribe and watch at https://youtube.com/channel/UCLjTpeHjOIqlsU1S6yxfaJA . Thank you all for the encouragement and staying with me on this journey!
Week 3, here I come!
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