Week 16 Operation Get Fit No Excuses Summary

I can’t believe week 16 has finally come and gone! It seems like just yesterday I started my journey to get fit and get healthier. Thinking about all the things that I’ve been through and all the changes that I’ve made in the past four months, 16 weeks, I amaze myself that I have continued on this road. There have been challenges along the way. It definitely has not been an easy path to follow.

This past week I’ve had mental and emotional challenges that I didn’t expect to pop up. I should’ve expected it because everybody goes through it, but I didn’t think that it would happen to me. Padrone‘s birthday was 30 April, and it was a cheat day for both of us. I had a tiny tiramisu and some pasta. I was all happy about it. The next day, I got out and did about a 6 km fast walk to help work off what I had eaten the night before. A few days after that, I woke up with absolutely no motivation whatsoever. It was extremely weird for me. I didn’t say anything to Padrone at first and kept it to myself. I still got out every day and did some form of exercise, either a walk with Padrone,  a faster walk by myself, or some type of indoor exercise. But I wasn’t putting 100% effort into it. I was only half way pushing myself when normally I push myself to go further, go faster, and do a little bit better than I had the day or week before.

It honestly was a little bit of a struggle for me to make myself get up and exercise. Every day for the past 15 weeks, before I’ve enjoyed it and felt guilty when I did not actually get out and do something. But for some reason, my mental motivation, mojo if you will,  just left. I was feeling down and a little depressed. I felt like everything around me was just pressing in on me and that I didn’t know what to do or how to get out from feeling this way.

After a few days, I finally came to a point where it is all spilled out and I told Padrone how I was feeling mentally and emotionally. At first, I didn’t feel any better. I thought I was going a little crazy. I wondered if I was developing some form of depression because of hormones, epilepsy, or some other reason. But then, after finally talking about my feelings openly, I stayed home and I slept for about six or seven hours. I had not been sleeping very well for the past two days. I woke up and I feel like me again.

I don’t know if it was talking to Padrone about how bad I was feeling, actually sleeping really well for the first time in a few days, or just some chemical change my brain, that actually made me feel better, but whatever it is, I feel like I’m back on track now. That’s one reason why I haven’t posted a weekly summary, because I honestly didn’t feel like it and I could not.

When you are going through a down time, a funk, a small depression, or what ever other name you want to give it, you have to realize that it will change over time. Things will look better and will get better, if you just keep going. For me it’s easier to say that than do it, because I’ve been through it and I am not clinically depressed. And for me, it only lasted about four days.

If you feel bad or down longer than that, definitely seek professional help! Don’t be afraid to tell your partner, your family, your friends, someone how you are feeling, because talking about it and getting it off your chest and not carrying that entire burden or weight on your shoulders, will help you. If you’re unable to talk to someone face to face, find somebody online that you trust and say hey can I talk to you for minute? And then explain how you’re feeling. Who knows? They might have an answer that you never thought of to help bring you out of your depression.

Well now that you understand what I’ve been going through, you know you’re not alone. Many of you probably think that I only post the good things that happened to me in life, I post a lot of the bad things too. I write this blog as a way to help myself stay motivated, in an effort to help others that might be going through the same things that I have been, and hopefully, it’s an inspiration to other people to get healthier on their own and take their life back. We are all getting older and we all need to take the necessary steps to live longer, live healthier, and be the best that we can be mentally, physically and emotionally for ourselves, our family, and our friends. I know in 20 years when I’m 65, I want to be the most fabulous, physically abled, mentally abled person I can be and not be a burden on anyone.

I’ve actually found that my epilepsy symptoms improved with the change in my diet along with exercising. Obviously, it’s not a complete cure. But since the type of epilepsy I have is resistant to all current medications, I’ll take any improvement at this point. As I’ve gotten older, my seizures and the other things that happened to me because the epilepsy, have gotten worse. Of course, environment and attitude play a significant role in how your body reacts when you have epilepsy, but exercise and diet also have a role as well.

Other health improvements that I’ve seen for me in the past four months, 16 weeks, have been less reflux, less heartburn, and virtually no nausea. Before, since I had my gall bladder removed over 10 years ago, I had many symptoms of GERDS. But now that I have changed to an all plant-based diet, combined with my exercising, I’m much better. If I’m feeling this many improvements in just four months, I can’t wait to see how good I’m feeling after another four months.

Although I don’t have a specific weight goal in mind, I’m just going to continue on the path that I’m on with my exercising and eating, and see where it goes. I’m very happy so far with the results and I feel much more confident in myself and how I dress, but also on the inside. Sticking with the diet and a new way of life, because let’s be honest, it is a way of life, not a diet, and continuing on is one of the hardest things anyone can do, especially when you were so used to eating all kinds of junk food, fast food, and generally things that are not good for you.

So my goal for this week and the continuing weeks, is just to continue on improving my health, pushing myself for exercise, and maybe changing it up a little by adding some small weights for strength training. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll go from here but I’m continuing on. I know that I’m going to have other times where motivation is lacking or I just don’t feel like doing anything. But I’m going to continue because I know and experienced the results, that this is the best path for me.

Thank you so much for following me and staying with me all this time. If you have any questions, or just want to comment on something, please make a comment on the bottom. Will be back next week for week 17 summary.

If you have any exercise tips, I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!  

Week 10 Summary: Operation Get Fit No Excuses

Since this is the end of Week 10, it’s time that I do a weight and measurement check in! I can feel the difference in how my clothes fit me and it’s an awesome feeling knowing that my hard work and dedication are paying off.

This week has meant a lot of adjustment for not only Padrone, but for me as well. While I’ve continued on my own journey to get fit and healthy, I’ve also become somewhat of a trainer for Padrone as well. I have enjoyed the challenges of measuring all his food choices and finding new and fun videos that he can exercise to since the weather has not allowed us to go outside for a walk. I’ve been doing a little extra exercise with him every day in addition to my normal routines.

I have been vigilant about my workouts and eating choices as usual, but got frustrated that my arms don’t seem to be getting much better even though I do an arm specific workout every day. I know that it will eventually, but I wish that I had better results. That said, I am very happy with my progress overall and know I just have to keep going and it will all get better overtime.

Being 44, almost 45, makes losing weight a little different and harder than if I were in my 20s. My metabolism has slowed down somewhat and my body works differently than it did 20 years ago. I know how frustrating it can be for those of us over 40 trying to lose weight. The key is to stay positive and stay on track. Even on the days you feel old, fat and ugly, get up and workout. Every time I finish a workout, I am tired but feel so good that I did it.

Now, here are my measurements from January, about 3 weeks after I started my new fitness regimen and today’s results:

Thank you all for your continued support and for following along with my fitness journey. If you have any questions or comments or would like to share your own fitness experience with me, please leave a comment below.

Operation Get Fit No Excuses - Week 4 Summary

I can’t believe that 4 weeks have gone by since I started my journey to get fit and healthier. The funny part about it is that I just happened to start in January. For me, it had nothing to do with New Year resolutions. My motivation was to try to control my spiraling blood sugar, a weird eye problem, and eczema that popped up out of nowhere. When you’re 44 and it feels like your body is falling apart, it’s a powerful motivation to get up and do something.

The changes I have made are becoming a way of life, not just a diet or exercise scheme. I’ve made little changes to my food choices that have not had a great impact on the variety of things I eat, but have had a huge impact on my body. I substituted bread for flour tortillas. I substituted sugar for a pure Stevia sweetener product. I don’t eat sweets or drink any sugary beverages. I drink a ton of water every day. I limit my caffeine intake to 1 espresso per day, but will sometimes make a decaf espresso during the day. I also drink herbal teas.

I had previously cut out most fried foods because of reflux problems, so now, most of my food is baked, cooked in our NuWave oven, or on the stovetop, but not in a lot of oil. All of these changes have improved my overall health tremendously in the past 4 weeks.

For exercise, I walk every day between 3 - 5 kilometers (1.8 - 3.1 miles). I started out slow, but my pace has steadily increased. Now, I’m able to alternate fast walking and jogging throughout my daily workout. I added Yoga stretching to my exercise routine also because it helps keep my muscles from getting extremely stiff and sore.

This past week, I injured my calf so I was unable to get out and walk like I normally do. This made me look up beginners level in home cardio workouts. I found several different types and substituted one for my walk. It made me realize that I needed to add variety into my exercise regimen so I am going to start alternating days with cardio at home workouts and walking. This will provide me with a better overall level of fitness as I continue on my Get Fit journey.

Remember to tailor your own personal fitness experience to suit your situation and not feel pressure to keep up with me or anybody else that you may be following. Every person is different and everyone has a different level that are at physically.

Here are my measurements and pictures from 4 weeks ago:

Hips - 124 cm (48.8 inches)

Waist - 98 cm (38.5 inches)

Bicep - 39.5 cm (15.5 inches)

Thigh - 81.5 cm (32 inches)

Here’s my current measurements and newest pictures:

Hips - 121.5 cm (47.8 inches)

Waist - 94 cm (37 inches)

Bicep - 36.5 cm (14.37 inches)

Thigh - 73 cm (28.7 inches)

I am so happy with my results so far! I have weighed myself once and have not weighed again because I’m scared the numbers will discourage me and that is the last thing I want or need. So, I will continue my slow but steady pace of losing weight and using measurements as a way to chart my progress in another 4 weeks!

Be sure to continue to follow me on my weekly written blog as well as my daily video on YouTube.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Operation Get Fit No Excuses: Week 2 Summary

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!