So, I didn't post on Saturday. I apologize. This weekend became a mess of busy and I didn't blog at all, here or on my writing one.
This morning, I weighed 294 lbs. I haven't gone down, nor have I gone up. Last week, I walked the dog four days out of seven for almost eight miles total. All four of those days, I averaged a walking rate of at least 3 mph. It may sound slow, but for me, it was a sweaty workout. I walked the dog on Monday and Tuesday as well, about a mile each day and at that rate. I hope I'm building some muscle in there. The hip pain afterwards is almost enough to make me not want to walk. The shin pain during the walk almost makes me stop every time. Because of these pains, I think I'm doing just enough for where I am. I don't know that I could handle pushing myself more.
I don't know what the answer is. I know this walking isn't going to be enough to make me lose any weight. I still haven't started counting my calories again. I don't know if I want to. Ya gotta wanna, right?
I'll check in on Saturday.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
October 26, 2016
I've done a good job this week at walking the dog. On Monday, we went 2.3 miles at a 3 mph pace. Now, that may not sound like a fast pace to many but for me, it is. I had a good coating of sweat, my breathing and heart rates were both increased and I hurt! I popped ibuprofen all day.
Yesterday, my hips really ached so we only did .6 miles but still at the 3 mph pace. While it wasn't as much as the day before, I still got my heart rate and sweat going.
Today, I was exhausted. I slept most of the morning. No dog-walking today.
Wednesday has turned into this huge mess of busy. I have no idea why, but schools around here think Wednesday's the day to have activities. This afternoon, I have my usual volunteering at the Family History library. Devon has a football game at 3:30 and Ryan has a cross-country meet at 4:30. Of course, there's church activities tonight as well. It's a good thing there's leftovers in the fridge because I don't think cooking is going to happen tonight.
Not really weighing myself everyday. I did on Monday and I was 292. That's where I seem to be. I'm aiming for walking the dog a little bit tomorrow, I have to go to the grocery store and around here, it's always better to go before ten. On Friday, I plan on doing at least 2 miles and on Saturday I'm hoping to do more, but not going to beat myself into the ground if I only get a little bit in.
I'll check in on Saturday.
Yesterday, my hips really ached so we only did .6 miles but still at the 3 mph pace. While it wasn't as much as the day before, I still got my heart rate and sweat going.
Today, I was exhausted. I slept most of the morning. No dog-walking today.
Wednesday has turned into this huge mess of busy. I have no idea why, but schools around here think Wednesday's the day to have activities. This afternoon, I have my usual volunteering at the Family History library. Devon has a football game at 3:30 and Ryan has a cross-country meet at 4:30. Of course, there's church activities tonight as well. It's a good thing there's leftovers in the fridge because I don't think cooking is going to happen tonight.
Not really weighing myself everyday. I did on Monday and I was 292. That's where I seem to be. I'm aiming for walking the dog a little bit tomorrow, I have to go to the grocery store and around here, it's always better to go before ten. On Friday, I plan on doing at least 2 miles and on Saturday I'm hoping to do more, but not going to beat myself into the ground if I only get a little bit in.
I'll check in on Saturday.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
October 19, 2016
Things have been going well since Saturday.
I walked the dog 1.2 miles on Monday and 2.3 miles yesterday. We didn't go today because a vet's appointment and other errands prevented it but one of the kids took her around the block, without asking even.
I weighed myself yesterday and I was at 293. I've been more hungry the last couple days. I think it's because I'm pushing the walking a little more. It's hard not to snack and take care of that feeling.
Not much of an update. I'll check in on Saturday.
I walked the dog 1.2 miles on Monday and 2.3 miles yesterday. We didn't go today because a vet's appointment and other errands prevented it but one of the kids took her around the block, without asking even.
I weighed myself yesterday and I was at 293. I've been more hungry the last couple days. I think it's because I'm pushing the walking a little more. It's hard not to snack and take care of that feeling.
Not much of an update. I'll check in on Saturday.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
October 15, 2016
I walked the dog on Friday. That's it. It was 2.3 miles, but I didn't walk her on Thursday nor today.
I'm having trouble setting into this commitment. I can't explain it. I look in the mirror and think, yeah, I need to loose some weight and then I walk away and it's gone.
However, since I started doubling my walking distance, I've noticed some changes in how my pants fit. This next week, I'm shooting for the goal of walking her everyday, be it 2.3 miles or 1.2. I still have yet to accomplish that.
Goals.... Hm...
See you Wednesday.
I'm having trouble setting into this commitment. I can't explain it. I look in the mirror and think, yeah, I need to loose some weight and then I walk away and it's gone.
However, since I started doubling my walking distance, I've noticed some changes in how my pants fit. This next week, I'm shooting for the goal of walking her everyday, be it 2.3 miles or 1.2. I still have yet to accomplish that.
Goals.... Hm...
See you Wednesday.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
I have to be honest. I didn't post at all last week because I was going to give up, throw in the towel, QUIT. That's where I was. I have so much going on right now that this wasn't something I wanted to devote my time to.
And then I read a Facebook post of a friend.
She went from 380 lbs. to 150 lbs. That is amazing. In her post, she stated that once she lost the first fifty pounds, everything was easier.
I thought about that hard.
Going to the grocery store will be easier. Potentially, it won't take me a full day to recover.
Doing active things with my children will be easier. More of those to do.
Climbing up into my stupid loft (my 'mancave') will be easier. Maybe I won't have to have the kids get up there if all I need to do is get something.
I can loose fifty pounds, right?
...hmmm.
In the frame of mind I was last week, I didn't walk the dog most of the week. Monday, it just didn't happen because I took two kids to the orthodontist and then all four to the dentist. It was an all day affair. Yesterday, I did a month's worth of grocery shopping. I walked about three miles, but it wasn't with the dog. Today, I was really sore. My hips, knees and ankles hurt. I was exhausted. Tyson got up and got the kids out the door. I rolled out of bed, finally, and the dog and I went 2.3 miles, aching the entire way.
I thought the whole time, 'Why am I doing this?'
I went home and took a shower and then I took a nap. I also took some OTC pain meds. :/
So, it'll be easier, right?
I'll be back on Saturday. I promise.
And then I read a Facebook post of a friend.
She went from 380 lbs. to 150 lbs. That is amazing. In her post, she stated that once she lost the first fifty pounds, everything was easier.
I thought about that hard.
Going to the grocery store will be easier. Potentially, it won't take me a full day to recover.
Doing active things with my children will be easier. More of those to do.
Climbing up into my stupid loft (my 'mancave') will be easier. Maybe I won't have to have the kids get up there if all I need to do is get something.
I can loose fifty pounds, right?
...hmmm.
In the frame of mind I was last week, I didn't walk the dog most of the week. Monday, it just didn't happen because I took two kids to the orthodontist and then all four to the dentist. It was an all day affair. Yesterday, I did a month's worth of grocery shopping. I walked about three miles, but it wasn't with the dog. Today, I was really sore. My hips, knees and ankles hurt. I was exhausted. Tyson got up and got the kids out the door. I rolled out of bed, finally, and the dog and I went 2.3 miles, aching the entire way.
I thought the whole time, 'Why am I doing this?'
I went home and took a shower and then I took a nap. I also took some OTC pain meds. :/
So, it'll be easier, right?
I'll be back on Saturday. I promise.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October 1, 2015
Well, I didn't walk the dog since Wednesday. I weighed myself on Thursday, but that was the last day. I'm not doing well in this weight loss thing.
Today, I've been rolling a goal around in my head. I have to desire to do any of this. I know I need to lose weight, but I just don't want to put any effort into it. I don't know what to do to get back into it, either. So, I've been thinking about setting a small goal.
275.
Time?
I dunno. It's October 1st. I have no idea how long this will take. I'm thinking December 1st. We'll go with that.
Check in with on Wednesday.
Today, I've been rolling a goal around in my head. I have to desire to do any of this. I know I need to lose weight, but I just don't want to put any effort into it. I don't know what to do to get back into it, either. So, I've been thinking about setting a small goal.
275.
Time?
I dunno. It's October 1st. I have no idea how long this will take. I'm thinking December 1st. We'll go with that.
Check in with on Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
September 28, 2016
Hello. It's Wednesday again. I didn't post the Saturday blog onto Facebook because it was just blah and I was complaining. This one won't be that.
So, I've been weighing myself for a week now. It's been interesting to see how that has shifted my mindset. I'm thinking more about how many calories something is, even if I still put it in my mouth. It's also changed how guilty I feel when I don't walk the dog. Usually, I just feel bad for the dog and get over it in about five minutes. Now, I feel guilty for half the day at which point I realize it's too hot to walk the dog now. So I get over it, telling myself I'll do better tomorrow. I'm also looking into other ways I can lose weight.... Scary.
About the walking, I fell flat on my face last week with getting it done. I have no idea where I am on the Fall 100 mile challenge. I'm still less than 20, I think. It's going to be a bugger to get them all in, but I don't think it's impossible at this point. If I throw in a 3 miler once or twice a week, I might get back on track. We will see. I'm not going to kill myself to meet the goal, but I will try. I started walking the dog again on Monday. I went around the little block twice on Monday and Tuesday, slightly more than half a mile. Today, I went around the big block, 1.2 miles, which is my normal.
As far as doing extra things to lose weight, I'm looking into Zumba. I'm skeptical about it, mostly because I'm not sure I want to work that hard. My year long membership to Curves expires at the end of October or November, I'm not sure which. I haven't gone since February. I should go find out and use up the last month or two. Sigh.
I was 291 lbs this morning. I figured out the huge weight loss that happened last week. It turns out it wasn't a weight loss at all, but me not having the scale flat. As depressing as that sounds, I'm okay with it because it means I haven't put the weight back on again this week.
See how that works?
Okay, so I'm going to continue to weigh myself everyday and definitely walk the dog. I'm still considering the Zumba, calorie counting headache and Curves.
I hope the rest of your week is good!
So, I've been weighing myself for a week now. It's been interesting to see how that has shifted my mindset. I'm thinking more about how many calories something is, even if I still put it in my mouth. It's also changed how guilty I feel when I don't walk the dog. Usually, I just feel bad for the dog and get over it in about five minutes. Now, I feel guilty for half the day at which point I realize it's too hot to walk the dog now. So I get over it, telling myself I'll do better tomorrow. I'm also looking into other ways I can lose weight.... Scary.
About the walking, I fell flat on my face last week with getting it done. I have no idea where I am on the Fall 100 mile challenge. I'm still less than 20, I think. It's going to be a bugger to get them all in, but I don't think it's impossible at this point. If I throw in a 3 miler once or twice a week, I might get back on track. We will see. I'm not going to kill myself to meet the goal, but I will try. I started walking the dog again on Monday. I went around the little block twice on Monday and Tuesday, slightly more than half a mile. Today, I went around the big block, 1.2 miles, which is my normal.
As far as doing extra things to lose weight, I'm looking into Zumba. I'm skeptical about it, mostly because I'm not sure I want to work that hard. My year long membership to Curves expires at the end of October or November, I'm not sure which. I haven't gone since February. I should go find out and use up the last month or two. Sigh.
I was 291 lbs this morning. I figured out the huge weight loss that happened last week. It turns out it wasn't a weight loss at all, but me not having the scale flat. As depressing as that sounds, I'm okay with it because it means I haven't put the weight back on again this week.
See how that works?
Okay, so I'm going to continue to weigh myself everyday and definitely walk the dog. I'm still considering the Zumba, calorie counting headache and Curves.
I hope the rest of your week is good!
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Saturday update 9-24-16
Hi. This day's been really busy, full of half-enthusiasm and lots of I-don't-wanna.
This morning, I was 283. I've slowly come down from 287 on Thursday.
I'm not sure what's going on, I haven't walked the dog since earlier this week. I've had a lot of "I don't want to" this week.
Monday's a new day and a new week. Maybe I just need to finish bumping along through tomorrow and get up on Monday with new determination.
That's all I really have today, because I don't want to have anything else.
Have a good week, I'll see you on Wednesday.
This morning, I was 283. I've slowly come down from 287 on Thursday.
I'm not sure what's going on, I haven't walked the dog since earlier this week. I've had a lot of "I don't want to" this week.
Monday's a new day and a new week. Maybe I just need to finish bumping along through tomorrow and get up on Monday with new determination.
That's all I really have today, because I don't want to have anything else.
Have a good week, I'll see you on Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Making the commitment... again
I'm frustrated with myself. I didn't walk the dog today or yesterday. Yesterday, there was a forest fire just outside of town and there was a lot of smoke hanging around. I didn't go because of that. The wonderful firefighters were able to get the blaze under control and there's far less smoke today but I decided that I needed to wait an extra day.
Okay, that's all well and good. I think yesterday I had a good reason to not walk the dog. The thing was, I was happy about it. I was all too eager not to go around the block for twenty-five minutes. And this morning, it was all too easy to tell myself it probably still wasn't healthy to go out.
I'm not knocking the legitimacy of the unhealthful air, I'm knocking myself for making it so easy to not do it. Making this commitment again is difficult.
Speaking of commitments, I did as I promised and blogged on Saturday. I thought it was good and I felt like I aired some feelings/thought processes. That's been a struggle too, since I've started blogging again. It's been more of a chore than an opportunity to share.
Let's stop that right now, okay? Good.
On Monday, I started weighing myself everyday again. I'm hoping this will encourage me to start the day off with thinking about it. I was surprised. Monday, I was 287, yesterday, 285, and today 287 again. I don't know where the ten pounds went. Was I reading the scale wrong last week? I don't think so. On Sunday, I spent most of the afternoon napping and then I took a Benadryl Sunday evening and slept really well. I don't know that simply sleeping is the answer to why I suddenly lost ten pounds. However, I have noticed that when I don't sleep well, I hold onto a couple extra until I do. But a couple pounds doesn't equal ten.
I probably won't be able to answer this question. I think, there's a chance the scale wasn't zeroed (still not ten pounds worth) and maybe it wasn't level? I don't know.
The point is, I'm back down into the 280's. I have to say, I like that better than the 290's. Sitting here thinking about it, I think a reasonable goal is to get under 280 and then make another goal. I know I can't set some outrageous goal, like 200, and expect to stay with that goal. I know I'll get frustrated and give up.
I know it.
Okay, so the goal for the next three days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) is to walk the dog and weigh myself everyday. Maybe next week, I'll look into how many calories I'm eating, but that sounds like work I don't really want to do.
We'll see.
Baby steps. See you Saturday.
Okay, that's all well and good. I think yesterday I had a good reason to not walk the dog. The thing was, I was happy about it. I was all too eager not to go around the block for twenty-five minutes. And this morning, it was all too easy to tell myself it probably still wasn't healthy to go out.
I'm not knocking the legitimacy of the unhealthful air, I'm knocking myself for making it so easy to not do it. Making this commitment again is difficult.
Speaking of commitments, I did as I promised and blogged on Saturday. I thought it was good and I felt like I aired some feelings/thought processes. That's been a struggle too, since I've started blogging again. It's been more of a chore than an opportunity to share.
Let's stop that right now, okay? Good.
On Monday, I started weighing myself everyday again. I'm hoping this will encourage me to start the day off with thinking about it. I was surprised. Monday, I was 287, yesterday, 285, and today 287 again. I don't know where the ten pounds went. Was I reading the scale wrong last week? I don't think so. On Sunday, I spent most of the afternoon napping and then I took a Benadryl Sunday evening and slept really well. I don't know that simply sleeping is the answer to why I suddenly lost ten pounds. However, I have noticed that when I don't sleep well, I hold onto a couple extra until I do. But a couple pounds doesn't equal ten.
I probably won't be able to answer this question. I think, there's a chance the scale wasn't zeroed (still not ten pounds worth) and maybe it wasn't level? I don't know.
The point is, I'm back down into the 280's. I have to say, I like that better than the 290's. Sitting here thinking about it, I think a reasonable goal is to get under 280 and then make another goal. I know I can't set some outrageous goal, like 200, and expect to stay with that goal. I know I'll get frustrated and give up.
I know it.
Okay, so the goal for the next three days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) is to walk the dog and weigh myself everyday. Maybe next week, I'll look into how many calories I'm eating, but that sounds like work I don't really want to do.
We'll see.
Baby steps. See you Saturday.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Looking back
Hi! It's Saturday and I'm here as promised!
Let's get the dirty business out of the way. I weighed 293 this morning. I'm neutral, no loss or gain. I'll take it. I walked the dog at least a mile the last three days. Put a point in the win column, please!
So, I want to look closely at this. I'm not losing weight, which was a goal last year, and rightfully so. Around the time I started focusing my extra energy to my book is when I started losing focus on the weigh management. This continued to the point of me completely stopping what I was doing with my weight.
Okay, I can find reasons for what I was doing, justify my actions all I want to, but it boils down to that fact: I changed my focus.
Since I've been laid off, I've been working on finding my focus again. I've been working on a lot of different foci: getting the house/kids/husband back under a working schedule, working on my book and 'working' on my weight loss.
That leads to an interesting question: Do we ever have a point in our lives where everything is in perfect focus?
I've found that the answer to that is no, at least, in my life.
We are always being shaped and molded by the experiences and people in our lives. Nothing is ever stable or constant. And when we might get one thing under 'control', something else flies out of whack.
So chaos is normal then? I'm beginning to think so.
Should I stop trying to manage things? Do I change my goals? Absolutely not! I should always be striving to improve and get the things that I need/want taken care of. On the rare days that I do get everything on my list accomplished, I think "Okay! Let's do that again tomorrow!" When in actuality, the stars were in the correct alignment, or I had walked through the correct threshold at the correct time, or I held my tongue in the correct position for the correct amount of time... or I just had a good day.
I'm doing too much?
But I should.
So, I'll have to NOT do it like I normally do, I'll have to ease back into it. Just like increasing my blogging frequency, I'm going to add it to my list. I was looking back through my older posts and I came across this one: Wrestling the Beast. Now, this particular post is talking about depression. I haven't really had too many problems with that over the last year and I think it's because I'm writing almost every single day. What interested me about this was the list I made.
Let's get the dirty business out of the way. I weighed 293 this morning. I'm neutral, no loss or gain. I'll take it. I walked the dog at least a mile the last three days. Put a point in the win column, please!
So, I want to look closely at this. I'm not losing weight, which was a goal last year, and rightfully so. Around the time I started focusing my extra energy to my book is when I started losing focus on the weigh management. This continued to the point of me completely stopping what I was doing with my weight.
Okay, I can find reasons for what I was doing, justify my actions all I want to, but it boils down to that fact: I changed my focus.
Since I've been laid off, I've been working on finding my focus again. I've been working on a lot of different foci: getting the house/kids/husband back under a working schedule, working on my book and 'working' on my weight loss.
That leads to an interesting question: Do we ever have a point in our lives where everything is in perfect focus?
I've found that the answer to that is no, at least, in my life.
We are always being shaped and molded by the experiences and people in our lives. Nothing is ever stable or constant. And when we might get one thing under 'control', something else flies out of whack.
So chaos is normal then? I'm beginning to think so.
Should I stop trying to manage things? Do I change my goals? Absolutely not! I should always be striving to improve and get the things that I need/want taken care of. On the rare days that I do get everything on my list accomplished, I think "Okay! Let's do that again tomorrow!" When in actuality, the stars were in the correct alignment, or I had walked through the correct threshold at the correct time, or I held my tongue in the correct position for the correct amount of time... or I just had a good day.
I'm doing too much?
What does that mean?
Seriously, what is that?
All joking to the side, there's always things that need to be done. Sometimes, things get pushed off to the next day/week/month/year... decade.
So, I need to not push this off until 2026. But I know myself, if I jump in too deep, I'll just get back out and not get back in.
Riiiiight.
Jumping in is was I do.
Just ask my husband.
Grr. I can feel it just underneath the surface. I don't want to.But I should.
So, I'll have to NOT do it like I normally do, I'll have to ease back into it. Just like increasing my blogging frequency, I'm going to add it to my list. I was looking back through my older posts and I came across this one: Wrestling the Beast. Now, this particular post is talking about depression. I haven't really had too many problems with that over the last year and I think it's because I'm writing almost every single day. What interested me about this was the list I made.
I love lists.
Lists make me happy. Checking things off the lists makes me happier. Completely checking off everything from my long list makes me the happiest (doesn't happen often).
With that in mind, last year I was weighing myself everyday. I know some people say not to do that but I learned so much about my body by doing it. I learned what MY normal fluctuation is over the course of a month so when I gain two or four pounds one week, I don't get all stressed out about it. I can also see where when I may loose five pounds, it's not necessarily something to have a party about because it probably will come back the next week. I have a whole year's worth of an Excel spreadsheet to document that.
I also know that if I do want to seriously lose more than that five pound fluctuation, I'm going to have to work harder. Ish. See? There it is again, I don't want to.
I'm going to add weighing myself everyday back to the list... soon. I'm going to start the spreadsheet again... soon-ish. Believe it or not, it allowed me to make it one of my foci! Once I do that, then I'll consider counting my calories or something like that. Maybe even increasing my walking pace (maybe).
Baby steps.
See you Wednesday.
If you like this blog, would you pretty please go check out my author's blog about my book? It's lonely over there.
If you like this blog, would you pretty please go check out my author's blog about my book? It's lonely over there.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
September 14, 2016
Happy Wednesday to everyone. I hope you've had a wonderful week.
My week has been full of everything that surrounds trying to raise four kids, helping a very busy husband and publish a book. Exercise didn't fall high on the list of importance. In fact, I walked last Thursday and then again this morning (more because I felt guilty every time the dog looked at me with her sad eyes). But the other five days of this last week, yeah, no.
First off, I have to say, there's a LOT that I never realized went into publishing a book. I'm close... I'm very close. I was hoping I could have it all taken care of by this last Saturday. No, it took longer than I expected. In addition, I've now been reading all these things about what to do right before you publish and, well, let's just say I think it's going to be another three or four weeks. Books last for a really long time. I want to make sure it's just right before I send it in to be put on permanent paper. A little frustrating, but at the same time, it's necessary.
Anyway, back to this blog. This morning I weighed in at 292 lbs. Down only three, and still within a 1% margin. Nothing to write home about, kids. But then, I'm not all that serious about it right now. If you've been reading you probably know that.
Maybe I need to be blogging more than once a week. I've been rather consistent with my other blog about my book and I write everyday. Hmm. Now the wheels in my mind are reeling. Okay, let's start with twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday. Saturday seems to be the day that I tank out on walking. In the past, writing this blog was one way to hold myself accountable.... If all things are spinning correctly in the universe, this could work.
Let's hope an asteroid doesn't mess up our orbit. :D
It could happen....
See you Saturday.
My week has been full of everything that surrounds trying to raise four kids, helping a very busy husband and publish a book. Exercise didn't fall high on the list of importance. In fact, I walked last Thursday and then again this morning (more because I felt guilty every time the dog looked at me with her sad eyes). But the other five days of this last week, yeah, no.
First off, I have to say, there's a LOT that I never realized went into publishing a book. I'm close... I'm very close. I was hoping I could have it all taken care of by this last Saturday. No, it took longer than I expected. In addition, I've now been reading all these things about what to do right before you publish and, well, let's just say I think it's going to be another three or four weeks. Books last for a really long time. I want to make sure it's just right before I send it in to be put on permanent paper. A little frustrating, but at the same time, it's necessary.
Anyway, back to this blog. This morning I weighed in at 292 lbs. Down only three, and still within a 1% margin. Nothing to write home about, kids. But then, I'm not all that serious about it right now. If you've been reading you probably know that.
Maybe I need to be blogging more than once a week. I've been rather consistent with my other blog about my book and I write everyday. Hmm. Now the wheels in my mind are reeling. Okay, let's start with twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday. Saturday seems to be the day that I tank out on walking. In the past, writing this blog was one way to hold myself accountable.... If all things are spinning correctly in the universe, this could work.
Let's hope an asteroid doesn't mess up our orbit. :D
It could happen....
See you Saturday.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
September 7, 2016
Okay, let's get the formalities out of the way. I was 295 lbs this morning. It's only two pounds difference and less that 1% change so I'm not getting my feathers ruffled about it. That being said, it would have been nice to see it go down instead of up.
Why did it go up? Well, I haven't been paying attention to what I'm eating so that's the biggest factor. As I type this, I have to be honest, I'm not sure I'm too worried about it right now. So, there you go.
Another reason for the increase is the walking. I've been walking the dog again for three weeks now. I haven't regularly done that since December or January. I've been walking 1.2 miles at least four times a week. I was surprised at how easily the walking was to pick back up. It was like riding a bike--pun intended... and no, I'm not riding a bike. You can forget that.
Anyway, the first couple days, we went around the block, which is about .3 miles. On the third day, I went farther (1.2 miles) and it didn't kill me. Yeah! A point in the win column.
So, on Monday, I decided pushing it would be a good idea. Why did I think that? We'll never know. Anyway, I went 3.5 miles. When I was done, I was sore, but I felt good. I thought, yeah, I can do that again.
As the day wore on, however, my body objected more and more. I felt like I was 80 years old when I went to bed at eight-thirty that night--I normally go to bed at eleven.
Yesterday, my body was screaming at me. I still took the dog for 1.4 miles, mostly because I've accomplished this much and I know if I let myself have one day because I'm hurting, then I'll let myself have two, etc. etc. etc. (I watched the King and I this weekend, if you can't tell). Today, I went 1.7, mostly for the same reasons. I've been trying to wrap my brain around increasing the distance/stamina or something like that, which is why I went a little bit more today. My joints didn't like it but we went anyway.
How in the heck did I play basketball when I was teenager? It was never this hard!
So, the extra couple pounds are muscle. Got to be. That's what I'm telling myself, at least. The aches and pains tell me it's got to be muscle. Putting on fat doesn't hurt... unless you consider having TB (Tired Butt) from sitting in front of the T.V. all day.
The biggest bonus is the lack of Dt. Dr. Pepper. I haven't had one in almost four weeks. I haven't had any (soda) pop in almost four weeks. I'm pretty proud of that fact.
Maybe soon, I'll start focusing on my eating... when I get there. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
I'll check in with you next week!
Why did it go up? Well, I haven't been paying attention to what I'm eating so that's the biggest factor. As I type this, I have to be honest, I'm not sure I'm too worried about it right now. So, there you go.
Another reason for the increase is the walking. I've been walking the dog again for three weeks now. I haven't regularly done that since December or January. I've been walking 1.2 miles at least four times a week. I was surprised at how easily the walking was to pick back up. It was like riding a bike--pun intended... and no, I'm not riding a bike. You can forget that.
Anyway, the first couple days, we went around the block, which is about .3 miles. On the third day, I went farther (1.2 miles) and it didn't kill me. Yeah! A point in the win column.
So, on Monday, I decided pushing it would be a good idea. Why did I think that? We'll never know. Anyway, I went 3.5 miles. When I was done, I was sore, but I felt good. I thought, yeah, I can do that again.
As the day wore on, however, my body objected more and more. I felt like I was 80 years old when I went to bed at eight-thirty that night--I normally go to bed at eleven.
Yesterday, my body was screaming at me. I still took the dog for 1.4 miles, mostly because I've accomplished this much and I know if I let myself have one day because I'm hurting, then I'll let myself have two, etc. etc. etc. (I watched the King and I this weekend, if you can't tell). Today, I went 1.7, mostly for the same reasons. I've been trying to wrap my brain around increasing the distance/stamina or something like that, which is why I went a little bit more today. My joints didn't like it but we went anyway.
How in the heck did I play basketball when I was teenager? It was never this hard!
So, the extra couple pounds are muscle. Got to be. That's what I'm telling myself, at least. The aches and pains tell me it's got to be muscle. Putting on fat doesn't hurt... unless you consider having TB (Tired Butt) from sitting in front of the T.V. all day.
The biggest bonus is the lack of Dt. Dr. Pepper. I haven't had one in almost four weeks. I haven't had any (soda) pop in almost four weeks. I'm pretty proud of that fact.
Maybe soon, I'll start focusing on my eating... when I get there. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
I'll check in with you next week!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Update 8/31/2016
Good morning.
Just a quick update here. I got on the scale this morning. I was 292. One pound gone, which is actually more than I expected.
I have been walking the dog at least four times a week. We get in about 1.2 miles. It was easier to get back to that level of walking than it was when I first started this a year and a half ago. As far as getting it done, the secret is I have to have the dog with me when I take the kids to seminary in the morning. If I go home instead, I'll get started on other things and walking the dog is less likely to happen. I have to just do it.
That's been the track that keeps playing over and over in my head lately. I must confess, however, it isn't in regards to weight loss. As you know, I've been writing a book. When I've been tired from working a full day at my former job, I still found time to write. Now that I'm home again, I'm still making time for that.
Now the trick will be getting myself to make time for the weight loss. Honestly, it's not where my brain is so I don't know how successful I'll be.
I'll be back next week. See you then.
Just a quick update here. I got on the scale this morning. I was 292. One pound gone, which is actually more than I expected.
I have been walking the dog at least four times a week. We get in about 1.2 miles. It was easier to get back to that level of walking than it was when I first started this a year and a half ago. As far as getting it done, the secret is I have to have the dog with me when I take the kids to seminary in the morning. If I go home instead, I'll get started on other things and walking the dog is less likely to happen. I have to just do it.
That's been the track that keeps playing over and over in my head lately. I must confess, however, it isn't in regards to weight loss. As you know, I've been writing a book. When I've been tired from working a full day at my former job, I still found time to write. Now that I'm home again, I'm still making time for that.
Now the trick will be getting myself to make time for the weight loss. Honestly, it's not where my brain is so I don't know how successful I'll be.
I'll be back next week. See you then.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Priorities
Hello, again.
It's been almost ten months to the date that I've posted.
Sorry I abandoned you.
About a month before I stopped writing, I started working again. I answered phones in a call center for an insurance company as a temporary employee. About a month ago, I got laid off. Financially, it's probably not the best thing in the world. Emotionally, the lay off was a good thing. Answering constant phone calls is very stressful. And while I kept it professional at work, at home I was tired, grumpy and Tyson told me I was becoming very negative.
My first week off, I turned into mental Jell-O. The next week, I had missed a personal deadline for getting the book out to my betas so I busted through what I needed to so I could get back on track. The third week, we prepared for the first week of school. Last week, the kids started school and I settled back into being a mom and a wife. I'm doing much better now, even I can feel it.
A few days after my last post was another NaNoWriMo. That totally trashed any attempt at losing weight ever since. That month, I wrote the third draft of the book I'm about to publish and the first draft of the second book. When November was over, I had the writing bug bad and I've been working on rewrites in my free time ever since.
Now that I have MORE free time (because being a stay-at-home mom gives me all kinds of free time HA!), my priorities have changed again. The book is still high priority and I'd consider myself a 3/4-time writer. Still tweaking the schedule so I can get everything done, but it seems to be going well. If there were just a couple more hours in the day so I could write, it would be wonderful. ;)
Anyway, between the two above reasons, I have neglected my weight loss/healthy changes. I plan to get back into it.
That said, I haven't weighed myself in months. When I did the other day, I was 293. I've gained back 8 to 10 pounds of what I lost. Considering I wasn't watching what I was eating and I wasn't exercising, I don't think that's too bad. In addition, it's not the 309 that started me on this whole journey.
I started walking the dog again last week. I did 1.2 miles Wednesday and Thursday last week and again Tuesday and today. I'm really sore but I'm managing to do it.
It's all about priorities, isn't it. :)
Speaking of, keep an eye out for my new book. If all things come out in the wash, it should be coming mid-September. I'll keep you posted.
And my goal is to post for this blog once a week. See you soon!
It's been almost ten months to the date that I've posted.
Sorry I abandoned you.
About a month before I stopped writing, I started working again. I answered phones in a call center for an insurance company as a temporary employee. About a month ago, I got laid off. Financially, it's probably not the best thing in the world. Emotionally, the lay off was a good thing. Answering constant phone calls is very stressful. And while I kept it professional at work, at home I was tired, grumpy and Tyson told me I was becoming very negative.
My first week off, I turned into mental Jell-O. The next week, I had missed a personal deadline for getting the book out to my betas so I busted through what I needed to so I could get back on track. The third week, we prepared for the first week of school. Last week, the kids started school and I settled back into being a mom and a wife. I'm doing much better now, even I can feel it.
A few days after my last post was another NaNoWriMo. That totally trashed any attempt at losing weight ever since. That month, I wrote the third draft of the book I'm about to publish and the first draft of the second book. When November was over, I had the writing bug bad and I've been working on rewrites in my free time ever since.
Now that I have MORE free time (because being a stay-at-home mom gives me all kinds of free time HA!), my priorities have changed again. The book is still high priority and I'd consider myself a 3/4-time writer. Still tweaking the schedule so I can get everything done, but it seems to be going well. If there were just a couple more hours in the day so I could write, it would be wonderful. ;)
Anyway, between the two above reasons, I have neglected my weight loss/healthy changes. I plan to get back into it.
That said, I haven't weighed myself in months. When I did the other day, I was 293. I've gained back 8 to 10 pounds of what I lost. Considering I wasn't watching what I was eating and I wasn't exercising, I don't think that's too bad. In addition, it's not the 309 that started me on this whole journey.
I started walking the dog again last week. I did 1.2 miles Wednesday and Thursday last week and again Tuesday and today. I'm really sore but I'm managing to do it.
It's all about priorities, isn't it. :)
Speaking of, keep an eye out for my new book. If all things come out in the wash, it should be coming mid-September. I'll keep you posted.
And my goal is to post for this blog once a week. See you soon!
Thursday, October 29, 2015
36 Week update (a little late)
I meant to post this on Saturday, but Saturday turned into a DMV nightmare. Since then, I haven’t been able to get to it.
So, the DMV. I FINALLY went to get my California driver’s license. (I know, I know…procrastination…I really just wasn’t willing to admit I didn’t live in Wyoming anymore.) I should’ve known something was up when it was going too well. I got to the intake person quickly. I only stood in line to get my picture taken for two or three minutes. I passed my test and only missed two questions. I got into the front of the line for the final lady right away.
And then she asked me to verify the information. (The following is an approximation)
Me: “This has my maiden name on it.”
She pulls it back and then checks her computer screen. “Yes, you brought in your birth certificate.”
“Yes, the website says to bring that or your passport. I don’t have one of those so naturally…”
“Yes, we took your name from the birth certificate.”
“But that’s not my legal name.”
“Do you have your marriage certificate?”
“No, I’ve already proven my married name in Wyoming, which is why that license says “Miller”.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. We don’t know the standards of other states. We have our own standards so you will have to show your marriage license.”
“And how much does that cost to change my name?”
“Twenty-seven dollars.”
“So, I have to come back in, miss work because this is the last Saturday you’re open, and pay you another twenty-seven dollars just because you cannot accept the name on a driver’s license from another state. I’ve proven it to them.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I have to follow our standards.”
“What if I show you my Social Security card?”
“No, ma’am. I can only use your marriage license.”
“No, ma’am. I can only use your marriage license.”
“I’ve haven’t used that name for twenty-four years.”
“Let me do this for you, I’ll put it in pending and if you can get back before the end of the day with your marriage license, we’ll get it in there with the right name.”
So I run home and Tyson and I search the house for over four hours looking for our marriage license. No luck. We found our marriage certificate, but no license. We did eliminate about 25 boxes that hadn’t been unpacked yet and threw some stuff away, so that was a plus. I went back to the DMV at about 3 and got my driver’s license in my maiden name. I left the DMV sobbing. I haven’t been that girl in forever. It’s not who I am. I felt robbed for some reason.
Tyson did order a new marriage license for us but even if I get that in the mail this week, I still need to wait for my hard copy of my DL before I can change the name. In the meantime, I’m rolling around town with an ID that has my maiden name on it even though EVERYTHING else is in my married name. Tyson told me he’d marry me again…. J
So, because of the fiasco there, I wasn’t able to get to Curves to work out that Saturday. I did manage to make it four times for the week, though. This week, if I make it on Saturday, I can get in five workouts.
I’ve been frustrated because I haven’t been losing weight. I’ve been working out for almost three weeks. However, I have noticed that my fluctuations are smaller. In the past, I’ve fluctuated five to seven pounds over the course of a couple weeks. Recently, that’s gone down to three or four. I guess that progress.
Of course, I was curious if I was retaining water like crazy or if my body was just really freaking out because I’ve been sedentary for a couple decades or if I’m just weird. I found this website that helped considerably. I also found a second website which verified the other one. I probably am retaining water and it could last anywhere from two to five weeks. I’m going to add a 10% buffer in that and try not to freak out until it’s been more than five and half weeks. And I realized that I’m just weird.
I will be doing another weigh-in/measure appointment with Curves a week from Saturday. They like to do those once a month. We’ll see what that says. Here’s the numbers from the first appointment:
Arms 13.5"
Bust 47.5"
Waist 46"
Abdomen 55"
Hips 58"
Thighs 30.5"
Weight 297.5# (Fully clothed, with shoes, at end of day)
Height 5'10.5"
BMI 47.1%
Short term goal: loose 27.5# in three months (1/8/16)
Long term goal: 175# - I had to come up with something. I suppose this would be most ideal but truly, I'd be happy with 225 and really happy with 200.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
34 Week Update October 17, 2015
Alrighty then!! I am actually on time this month. HIGH FIVE!!
This month has seen some changes. The kids going back to school in August allowed the family to get back onto a schedule. I was in a position where I needed to get a menu planned and a schedule for grocery shopping re-established. It was good stuff.
In there, somewhere, I got back into the habit of walking in the dog...almost daily. I think I wound up walking her an average of four times a week. Back in the middle of July, I had made it up up 1.5 miles a day with her. But, since it had been more than a month since we had been regular about walking, I started again with .5 miles. By the beginning of October, we were up to .75 and now we're averaging about a mile.
However, I started working a full time job at the beginning of October as well. That threw a HUGH wrench into everything and I'm still trying to get everything figured out. I remember now why I hate doing my grocery shopping on Saturdays. My schedule is now crazy, but I'll talk more about that in a minute.
The other biggest change is that last week, October 10, I joined Curves. I LOVE IT. I don't like the working out, per se, but it love it there. The women are so encouraging. If I happen to miss two days in a row, they call me to find out what's up. There's this awesome jungle-gym type thing you use to stretch after you work out and I look forward to just doing that. And, even though I hate to admit it, I can see a change.
The biggest change seems to be my energy level. I'm awake, most of the day. I do still grab some caffeine halfway through the day, but I think that's more because I'm bored at my job more than anything (I sit at a desk all day and answer phones...ALL DAY..... It's a job, right?). On Thursday, I woke up and I just couldn't do it. I had gone every morning this week. But Thursday, it wasn't happening. So, I slept in. Yeah, buddy. I was tired all day. You would think working out in the morning would make you tired and sore all day, but it hasn't.
So this is my day:
4:45 - wake up, pray and get dressed
5:00 - walk the dog
5:30 - grab something to eat (usually some grapes, cheese and some breakfast meat - about 200 calories) and throw the kids' lunches together that had been made the night before
5:35 - with Steph in tow, head down the hill to pick up a couple kids and take them to early morning seminary
5:55 - drop those kids off
6:00 - at Curves, working out
6:40 - get home and make sure the boys are up, take a shower
7:00 - read scriptures with the boys
7:20 - send the boys out the door and get my own lunch ready, have something else to eat (one piece of toast and a banana 220 calories)
7:30 - finish getting ready for work
8:20 - out the door for work
9:00 - start work
11:00 - first break have a snack, this last week was carrots and celery 24 calories
1:00 - lunch - last week was homemade chipotle three days (450 calories), homemade chef's salad (350 calories) and Friday I had sushi (Which I didn't think I would like but I do.....have no idea how many calories that was). [Okay, I just looked it up. I had New York Crunch, which is the only one I've dared to try. There was a serving and a half in the container, 600 calories. Not too bad, I don't think.]
3:30 - last break, more grapes and cheese - 155 calories
5:30 - out the door! Have an apple on the way home - 120 calories
6:10 - get home...need to make supper....I won't go into that.
7:30 - I'm dead by now but there's still things to do....cleaning up, getting kids into showers, making sure homework and chores are done, getting lunches fixed for the next day, making sure each kid has gotten their laundry done for the assigned days, making sure my husband is still alive.....
8:15 - family prayer
8:30 - praying with husband, reading scriptures with him
9:00 - Tyson's snoring and I'm surfing the internet
10:30 - usually out by now, but if not, I'm forcing myself off the net and closing my eyes.
At Curves last week, they measured me, weighed me and figured my body mass ratios.
I just got up and looked for it and it's not readily available. Seeing as how the hour is getting late and everybody else is asleep, I'm going to risk putting it in later.
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| 9/19/2015 |
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| 10/17/2015 |
I don't see much difference between this month and last. I could this morning, but not now. You can see that I finally put up my curtains in the background. :)
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
30 Week Update September 19, 2015
And yet again, it's not September. And like I mentioned in the August post, I owe you some updates. Once again, I'll try to remember what I can.
August was really busy. At the beginning of the month, Greg, Becca, Bryan, and Ryleigh all came down for a visit. We had a lot of fun at the beach, in the pool and hanging out. All the older kids managed to get really good sunburns. It was so good to see all of them.
I choose not to follow my calorie-watching while they were here and then pretty much followed suit the remainder of the time. Yeah. Not such a good plan.
HOWEVER, I am excited to report I managed to break that elusive 295 barrier I had bumped up against all summer. On September 19, when the pictures below were taken, I weighed 290! My fluctuations stayed between 295 and 290. The kids being back in school forced me to get back onto a schedule. This has helped me walk the dog on most days, usually around 8 a.m. after the kids have all gone to school.
I am finally into the Laramie weight. I weighed 295 when I left. I'll be in this weight range until about 275. I am happy, though, that the Bakersfield weight is gone. :D
The pictures don't seem too different to me from August, however. I'm thinking I need to start doing sit ups or yoga or something to start tightening things up.
PS Now that I've really looked at the August pictures, I can see a difference and I think it's because I really wasn't walking for a month and I gained a 'bloat' again. (And I don't understand why I can get one group of pics together in a row but not the other set. Sorry.)
August was really busy. At the beginning of the month, Greg, Becca, Bryan, and Ryleigh all came down for a visit. We had a lot of fun at the beach, in the pool and hanging out. All the older kids managed to get really good sunburns. It was so good to see all of them.
I choose not to follow my calorie-watching while they were here and then pretty much followed suit the remainder of the time. Yeah. Not such a good plan.
HOWEVER, I am excited to report I managed to break that elusive 295 barrier I had bumped up against all summer. On September 19, when the pictures below were taken, I weighed 290! My fluctuations stayed between 295 and 290. The kids being back in school forced me to get back onto a schedule. This has helped me walk the dog on most days, usually around 8 a.m. after the kids have all gone to school.
I am finally into the Laramie weight. I weighed 295 when I left. I'll be in this weight range until about 275. I am happy, though, that the Bakersfield weight is gone. :D
The pictures don't seem too different to me from August, however. I'm thinking I need to start doing sit ups or yoga or something to start tightening things up.
PS Now that I've really looked at the August pictures, I can see a difference and I think it's because I really wasn't walking for a month and I gained a 'bloat' again. (And I don't understand why I can get one group of pics together in a row but not the other set. Sorry.)
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| 2/14/2015 |
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| 9/19/2015 |
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| 8/04/2015 |
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| 9/19/2015 |
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| 2/14/2015 |
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| 8/04/2015 |
24 Week update, August 1, 2015
Okay, so it's not Aug. 1st. But, I owe you updates, at least. I prepared everything so I could do one, I just never did. Let me remember what I can.
So, on August 1st, I weighed 295, down 1/2 pound. I fluctuated between 295 and 300 the whole month. I also struggled with drinking soda (pop, for you Wyomingites). In addition, I had trouble staying on my plan to walk the dog. Many factors played into that:
1. I like to stay up late at night, especially when the kids have gone to bed. It's quiet.
That makes it difficult to get up in the morning.
2. It's....uh....really, really hot in Bakersfield. And it doesn't cool off at night. Even
when I don't sleep in, it's still 85 at 7 a.m. On days when I don't get up early, then
it was much too hot to walk.
3. We had visitors and we went on a mini-vacay to Sea World. I shot my
calorie-watching in the foot and didn't pick it back up again. That also allowed
me an excuse not to walk.
By the time July was over, I was fed up with myself but willing to cut myself a break and lump the month up to experience. I decided I would do better in August.
The pictures I did manage to take were done on August 4th. The green pants died and received an emotionally stirring funeral in my trash can. My misery didn't last too long, however, and I have moved on to the black ones. :)
So, on August 1st, I weighed 295, down 1/2 pound. I fluctuated between 295 and 300 the whole month. I also struggled with drinking soda (pop, for you Wyomingites). In addition, I had trouble staying on my plan to walk the dog. Many factors played into that:
1. I like to stay up late at night, especially when the kids have gone to bed. It's quiet.
That makes it difficult to get up in the morning.
2. It's....uh....really, really hot in Bakersfield. And it doesn't cool off at night. Even
when I don't sleep in, it's still 85 at 7 a.m. On days when I don't get up early, then
it was much too hot to walk.
3. We had visitors and we went on a mini-vacay to Sea World. I shot my
calorie-watching in the foot and didn't pick it back up again. That also allowed
me an excuse not to walk.
By the time July was over, I was fed up with myself but willing to cut myself a break and lump the month up to experience. I decided I would do better in August.
The pictures I did manage to take were done on August 4th. The green pants died and received an emotionally stirring funeral in my trash can. My misery didn't last too long, however, and I have moved on to the black ones. :)
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| 2/14/2015 |
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| 8/4/2015 |
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| 2/14/2015 |
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| 8/4/2015 |
Saturday, July 4, 2015
20 Week Update - July 4, 2015
Happy Independence Day!
I can't believe it's already been five(ish) months since I started this. I have learned a lot about myself and how my body reacts to different things I intake and do to it.
This week, I've been struggling with my depression. I talked about that a few days ago in this post. I've slowly been feeling better. The only other thought I have about it concerns expectations. Perhaps feeling happy all the time or the majority of the time is not realistic; not true life experience.
Anyway, I have been weighing myself everyday. I know some people have advised to not do this, however I find it keeps me centered on what is going on. It is interesting to see what happens when exercise doesn't happen or I eat too much the day before. Here is my chart for this last four weeks. The blue line is June, orange July. The purple dots mean I'm above 300 pounds that day, the red mean I'm between 290 and 300. I weighed in today at 295.5 pounds. (Please ignore the June dates at the bottom. I haven't been able to figure out a way to change it to just numbers yet, without making a new chart.)
It was cooler this morning when we went out. I wanted to get a good walk in. The family and I also played in the pool this afternoon for about 90 minutes. It was a nice temperature, about 83 F (28 C), and felt really good. Tonight, we sat at on the edge of the bluffs in the hot wind, watching the fireworks in the distance. I think we had a good day today.
I managed to talk my husband into taking pictures for me again this morning. Here's the comparison with Valentine's Day and July:
(I'm fighting with formatting today. And I'm giving up. I'm sorry these aren't side by side. I'll try again later....)
That's all I have to update for the four weeks. Have a happy Fourth of July.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Wresting the Beast
The Beast
My particular beast is depression. I know for certain I was depressed as a teenager. These feelings have been around for a long time. I would dare to say I was depressed as a child, but children's feelings are more difficult to gather into a group. When I look back and begin to see some of these tendencies, I was about nine.
What is "The Beast"?
I have described it in my head in two different ways. The first way is like a cloak and the second is a Jekyll/Hyde animal.
The cloak is something that I wear all the time. When it's sunny and bright, it hangs off my shoulders behind me. When I run and play, it blows in the wind, trailing behind me, barely noticeable. When I become cold or it becomes dreary, the cloak is easily attainable to pull around my shoulders, to protect me and keep me warm. But it is deceptive. Once I give it permission to wrap around me, it becomes oppressive and suffocating. I curl into to it to escape the oppressiveness, starting a cycle of withdrawal and more oppression. At some point, I realize where I have fallen to and strive to pull myself back out, to have the cloak behind me once again.
The Jekyll/Hyde animal looks something like a small, cuddly kitten when things are going well. The kitten is cute and small, easily carried. (Apparently, I HAVE to carry this thing with me everywhere.) When things aren't going well, this creature is a huge, snarling beast about the size of a hippopotamus. I still have to carry it, but now it rides on my back, hunching me over and making everything I do extremely difficult.
Please understand, these are MY descriptions of MY experience. In no way am I trying to explain depression for everyone. It's as varied as each individual.
The idea of the cloak protecting me is exemplified by the times when some act that I do (stop doing) when I'm depressed sounds good because yesterday was a hard day or I worked extra hard. For instance, when I decide I just don't want to get out of bed that day. Now, doing this once in a while, most people would say is alright to do. When I allow it to become a regular thing is when it becomes a problem. At first, it sounds nice, like a vacation. I invite it in. Then one day become two, then three and then a week. At this point, I'm having to talk myself into getting out of bed. (Getting out of bed is just a particular example, there are other activities that fall into this category, such as cooking supper or cleaning the house or writing my blog.)
I think the Jekyll/Hyde creature is more easily understood. Although I still don't understand how it becomes a little kitten again.
What I Need to do to Wrest the Beast
I have recently been inspired with a list of things I need to do everyday to wrest this beast in my life. These are things I've come up with before and then when I get into a cycle, I forget them and have to relearn them. So take this as a relearning episode. For more on this idea, see this post and this post. This has a lot to do with doing my work everyday, regardless. Here's the list:
1. Pray everyday - This is something I've been struggling with since leaving Laramie. I pray with
the kids before school, with the family in the evening and with my husband before bed.
Somehow, I don't seem to take the time to do it myself.
2. Make the bed - When the bed is made, I'm less likely to go back to bed. I may take a nap
during the day, but it's not full-out going back to bed. Although it's a small accomplishment, it
is one and then to accomplishment at the beginning of the day gets it started in the right
direction. I've been making the bed every morning since being in California. On the occasional
day I don't it feels strange in my room.
3. Brush my teeth - This one seems odd. I have never set up a habit of brushing my teeth. I do
better when Tyson's around or when I have a schedule which takes me out of the house, but
even then I struggle. Amazingly, my teeth aren't in bad shape at all. However, I realize this
won't always be true. Since I'm trying to make all of these things a daily habit, I need to throw
this in the mix too.
4. Read Scriptures - This one I manage to do with my husband almost every evening. However,
like prayer, I find it difficult to make time to do this.
5. Take my vitamins - Vitamin B Complex for mood support, Magnesium for bones and anit-
kidney stone formation, Vitamin D to help everything catabolize (Even though I get lots of sun
I still take 5000 IU - helps considerably when I remember)
6. Walk the dog - I dread this everyday but it is helping with the weight loss.
7. Write - This is amazing. It helps my mood so much. This includes blogging, journaling, and/or
creative writing.
8. Do something creative - this includes crocheting, knitting, creative writing (as opposed to
blogging or journaling), painting/decorating the house (hasn't started yet), quilting, etc.
It's a big list. I've been doing it since Monday. So far, I've been able to get most of it checked off everyday. It's helping in as far as I'm getting out of bed everyday and I'm up and somewhat functioning. However, I still feel like I could hide in my room all day.
My particular beast is depression. I know for certain I was depressed as a teenager. These feelings have been around for a long time. I would dare to say I was depressed as a child, but children's feelings are more difficult to gather into a group. When I look back and begin to see some of these tendencies, I was about nine.
What is "The Beast"?
I have described it in my head in two different ways. The first way is like a cloak and the second is a Jekyll/Hyde animal.
The cloak is something that I wear all the time. When it's sunny and bright, it hangs off my shoulders behind me. When I run and play, it blows in the wind, trailing behind me, barely noticeable. When I become cold or it becomes dreary, the cloak is easily attainable to pull around my shoulders, to protect me and keep me warm. But it is deceptive. Once I give it permission to wrap around me, it becomes oppressive and suffocating. I curl into to it to escape the oppressiveness, starting a cycle of withdrawal and more oppression. At some point, I realize where I have fallen to and strive to pull myself back out, to have the cloak behind me once again.
The Jekyll/Hyde animal looks something like a small, cuddly kitten when things are going well. The kitten is cute and small, easily carried. (Apparently, I HAVE to carry this thing with me everywhere.) When things aren't going well, this creature is a huge, snarling beast about the size of a hippopotamus. I still have to carry it, but now it rides on my back, hunching me over and making everything I do extremely difficult.
Please understand, these are MY descriptions of MY experience. In no way am I trying to explain depression for everyone. It's as varied as each individual.
The idea of the cloak protecting me is exemplified by the times when some act that I do (stop doing) when I'm depressed sounds good because yesterday was a hard day or I worked extra hard. For instance, when I decide I just don't want to get out of bed that day. Now, doing this once in a while, most people would say is alright to do. When I allow it to become a regular thing is when it becomes a problem. At first, it sounds nice, like a vacation. I invite it in. Then one day become two, then three and then a week. At this point, I'm having to talk myself into getting out of bed. (Getting out of bed is just a particular example, there are other activities that fall into this category, such as cooking supper or cleaning the house or writing my blog.)
I think the Jekyll/Hyde creature is more easily understood. Although I still don't understand how it becomes a little kitten again.
What I Need to do to Wrest the Beast
I have recently been inspired with a list of things I need to do everyday to wrest this beast in my life. These are things I've come up with before and then when I get into a cycle, I forget them and have to relearn them. So take this as a relearning episode. For more on this idea, see this post and this post. This has a lot to do with doing my work everyday, regardless. Here's the list:
1. Pray everyday - This is something I've been struggling with since leaving Laramie. I pray with
the kids before school, with the family in the evening and with my husband before bed.
Somehow, I don't seem to take the time to do it myself.
2. Make the bed - When the bed is made, I'm less likely to go back to bed. I may take a nap
during the day, but it's not full-out going back to bed. Although it's a small accomplishment, it
is one and then to accomplishment at the beginning of the day gets it started in the right
direction. I've been making the bed every morning since being in California. On the occasional
day I don't it feels strange in my room.
3. Brush my teeth - This one seems odd. I have never set up a habit of brushing my teeth. I do
better when Tyson's around or when I have a schedule which takes me out of the house, but
even then I struggle. Amazingly, my teeth aren't in bad shape at all. However, I realize this
won't always be true. Since I'm trying to make all of these things a daily habit, I need to throw
this in the mix too.
4. Read Scriptures - This one I manage to do with my husband almost every evening. However,
like prayer, I find it difficult to make time to do this.
5. Take my vitamins - Vitamin B Complex for mood support, Magnesium for bones and anit-
kidney stone formation, Vitamin D to help everything catabolize (Even though I get lots of sun
I still take 5000 IU - helps considerably when I remember)
6. Walk the dog - I dread this everyday but it is helping with the weight loss.
7. Write - This is amazing. It helps my mood so much. This includes blogging, journaling, and/or
creative writing.
8. Do something creative - this includes crocheting, knitting, creative writing (as opposed to
blogging or journaling), painting/decorating the house (hasn't started yet), quilting, etc.
It's a big list. I've been doing it since Monday. So far, I've been able to get most of it checked off everyday. It's helping in as far as I'm getting out of bed everyday and I'm up and somewhat functioning. However, I still feel like I could hide in my room all day.
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