Exercise Excuses

I have gained weight. A lot! But as I write this, I proud to say I just got back from a 30 minute bike ride.

I am the excuse queen when it comes to exercise. It is too hot. I am tired. I missed the class I wanted to attend. It is too cold. I can't find the remote for the Wii. Do I need to go on?

Over the last several months I have a role model for exercising. I don't know if he knows he has been a role model for me but I have been watching his attitude towards daily exercise. That person is M, my special man friend. He has been a wonderful role model for exercising.

This guy runs outside almost everyday. When it was cold, he ran. When the side walks were covered in snow, he ran. When it was rainy, he ran. When there was a heat advisory, he ran. Okay for that one I told him he was stupid and he agreed. But he doesn't use the excuse that the weather is not perfect, he just does it. Even when he is busy and ends up running a night he still goes. I might be down for a visit, but I know he is probably going to pop out to go to the gym. It is important to him and he makes it a priority. Now when I am relucant to go and workout I do think about how he never allows an excuse to keep him from exercise.

I have to stay that for as important as execise is to him, he never pressures me. He is fine if I lose some weight and he is fine if I gain some weight. He wants me to be healthy, but he accepts me the way I am. That has made it so much easier for me to just observe him and learn.

Now, when I start to think it is too hot or too cold or too late or .... I think about how M would not use that as an excuse. I am not as good as he is, but I am getting better.

Weight Loss Wednesday: ticker

Look way down at the bottom of my blog. . . I kind of tried to hide it. . . and you will see a ticker. It doesn't tell how much I weigh, but how much I have to lose. So far I have lost 18 lbs. I have 87 more to go. That it a lot of weight.

I am struggling. I have hit a wall, I have a hard time getting below this block and into the next set of 10's. I really want to get below this mark. I have been thinking about why it is so hard for me and right now I am not exactly sure but I think I have some ideas.

So I have done a few things.

1) 1 diet Coke a day. I used to drink 5 or 6. I kid you not. We would go through Diet Coke like nobody's business. One day, it just didn't taste right to me. So I went out and got a bunch of carbonated canned water, Diet 7-up, and Diet Squirt. Well I have managed to not start drinking the Diet Coke again. I have maybe one Diet 7 up or Diet Squirt the rest is water. Eventually I want to switch to plain water, but one step at a time.

2) Eat healthier snacks. I am SO in love with frozen grapes. They are so great! I love them. They are a cool and refreshing snack.

3) Ground drive Ike and/ or Abby every day. I did Abby today, that was work out! I have been doing Ike most night but I did a little ground work with Sophie instead. I really felt good about Sophie and Abby.

I know that doing little things like this will help so much. Next week I will make a few more little changes. So hopefully on every Wednesday you will see that little ticker go down.

Now what?! Keep Moving Forward

Trotting was such a big demon for me. I am not even sure why now. Logically there are reasons, but when it came right down to it, I was not even nervous. Now two weeks before I was a little shaky when we got a fast walk. So what happened?

As I mentioned before, on the drive over, I all of a sudden remember that I have trotted a lot. I could feel the trot, the rhythm, and how my body feels at the trot. I knew this feeling, it was home. I also knew that I had control of this horse. R.'s horses are calm, reliable and well trained. In the arena ,on Drew, I really did not have anything to fear.

I think I did figure somethings out. Each new milestone is going to be overcome in a different way. My plan for progression is going to need to be adapted after each new milestone. And of course, "Keep moving forward," That is from Meet the Robinsons.


Yup, I think that keep moving forward pretty much sums it up. What is that next step to take to keep moving forward? I guess I can look at sending Kinsey off as the next step. Really there is nothing to overcome with that step. Once she is evaluated, I am sure there will be steps to take. Either to sell or get her riding.

I need to keep riding Drew, if Drew is sold that is going to be a problem. I need miles. I'll have to start all over with another horse. I wish I had the money to buy Drew, but he is out of my budget so that is basically out of the question. I have things I want to work on just because I feel I rode horribly, but I am rusty. It has been about 4 years since I was really riding so no matter the horse, I need to get myself coordinated again.

Another step is to step it up again with the weight loss and fitness goals. I really need to kick myself in the butt and get going again. I admit I have been slacking. Enough of that.

I thought I had it all figured out when I got on Bill. Visualization was the key. Well, it was the key for getting on Bill. I am seeing that each new milestone will be unique. I did not do as much actual visualization to trot as assessing the risk and remembering what it felt like, and realizing what the hold back was. I am sure that for what ever comes next, it will grow organically. I am going to page though Jane Savoie's book again. I know that there will be steps that will work better now than they would have before.

So I have some things to do. Get Kinsey over to R. (she is going on the 8th), keep riding Drew, and get busy on my fitness and weight loss goals. And Keep moving forward. . .

Monday Morning Goals

Monday seems like a good as time as any to set goals for the week. I am so afraid to post goals that I won't meet them, but I'll be brave this week and see how it goes. If it goes well I'll post them on Mondays.

1) Lose 1 -2 lbs.
2) Along those lines, do the body test on Wii fit and exercise every day for at least 30 min.
3) Read That Winning Feeling by Jane Savoie for at least 20 min at night. Over all goal to finish book by the end of the month.
4) See Kinsey 3 times this week. I have a hard time getting out there because she is so far away, which make getting anything done with her difficult.

I think that a good number of goals for this week.

I am thinking of starting another blog for weight loss. It is all consuming of my mind right now as I am getting started and yet at the same time it is pivotal to being more comfortable on a horse.