Slow and Steady.

Baseball season has started I am very glad to say, and I am happy to be back at Petco Park!  New things happening there, and hopefully the boys on the field will get things going and have a winning season.  GO PADRES!  (and GO RED SOX TOO! - always my 1st team.)
 
I joined the Y as planned at the beginning of the month, and I am happy to say that I have definitely found my "Way of Life"!!  (it wasn't the 7am bootcamp, that is for sure!  - although Forrest did get me on the right track, and I am thankful to him for that.)

Three games of tennis, and three classes at the Y per week is making this 'way of life' very easy to maintain.

Way of Life : the habits and behavior that characterize a person or group of people.
 
I have also begun juicing.  I began with a two-day cleanse, and now plan to juice two meals per day, probably breakfast and dinner - lunch is easier for me to schedule time for, and many times prepared for me - so that is a big plus too!  (thanks Dad! and Thank-you for cooking healthier meals lately too!)

I feel GREAT!  And am certain that in 43 days I will be ready to head out on my Switzerland hiking adventure!

(BTW, did I mention that we are also going to Paris one day??!!  I am so excited!  The French Open will be going on, so will make my way to that too -- and cross it off my bucket list!!)

 
 

Week 2 - decision time!

This boot camp is killing me

I hope I will do better for the next two weeks.  (I missed two days this week.)  

I made the decision this morning that it's not something I really want to do going forward.  Since it's called 'Way of Life' boot camp - & I realize that it is NOT the "way of life" that I want - even if it were cheaper beginning next month after the great intro deal I got on Groupon.

I prefer the 8:30-9am begin time frame for my exercise!!  It has worked perfectly for tennis all these years, so I am sure I will maintain it if I make it at that time.  I swore I would not set my alarm when I retired (for anything other than getting to the airport for traveling!!) - mostly because I spent to many years getting up at 4:30am to trek into Boston every day.  

I just got off the phone with the Y and they seem to have good classes that will fit right into my non-tennis days!  PLUS my daughter already has a family membership there and I could go more often to swim with the boys - since they can't swim here for a few more years.

Like I said I am going to try to finish my two weeks with Forrest and then join the Y for April.  That way I can play tennis three times a week and go to classes three times per week at a more reasonable hr.

 Wish me luck - again!

One down, a gazillion more to go (I hope!).

I am talking about "weeks" since beginning my "Way of Life" boot camp adventure.

Way of Life : the habits and behavior that characterize a person or group of people.


I like this definition because it is simple, something that we all know and understand.  I have been told all my life that my 'fitness, weight and health' are determined by my habits and behaviors.  I guess I would have to admit that I have had very bad habits and behaviors much of my life to be in the shape I am today.  Growing up I considered myself very 'active'.  I played sports in all levels of school (grammar school, high school and college).  As a young adult I would have to say that I became much more sedentary.  Rather than staying active I would rely on crazy fad diets to keep my weight down -- and this I now know -- was my downfall!!  

FAD : short-lived fashion: something that is embraced very enthusiastically for a short time, especially by many people

Experts say - "The truth is fad diets don't work to help you keep the weight you lose off long-term."  Where were these EXPERTS when I was younger?  Maybe they were there, but I didn't listen - because I was LOOSING WEIGHT!  Which was the only thing that was important to me at the time!  But now not even the Fad Diets work for me!

Marriage, divorce, parenting, working 60 hr weeks, more fad diets, finding and falling in love with my soul mate, more diets - healthier ones sometimes; and the scale went up and down, and up and down ... but still I didn't figure out that I needed to stay more active!  Heck, we went to a gym and hired a personal assistant for over a year and I didn't loose any more weight than I had when I was doing the fad diets -- and of course as soon as I stopped, the scale went up once again!

That brings me to retirement ....

I believe that there are two main reasons I have had trouble over this last decade loosing weight and getting in shape are: #1. Slower (now 59 yr old) metabolism and #2. not eating enough food, and the foods I do eat (even though small amounts) are all the wrong things.  (is that three reasons?  Oh, well - you know what I mean.)  Oh, and one more thing, I guess I thought that when I moved into an "Active Adult Community" in 2004 - it automatically meant I became active.  Not exactly true.  I did begin playing tennis, but that was all.  At that same time started going to lots of parties, drinking lots of wine, and also discovered another vice to add to these - tequila.  (I can barely write the word without hearing the trombones - and being ready to chime in - "TEQUILA"!)

But I digress.  My point is, I need to discover my new 'Way of Life' and continue on my peak walker quest!

I took yesterday completely off (Forrest said so!), and today I walked 2 miles and will be with my grandsons later for more 'child play' exercise.  (hey, don't knock it until you've tried it, it's a workout!)

Wish me luck as I head into week two!

Today was day three of Way of Life Boot Camp.   

I am happy to say that I am not 100% in pain (maybe only 65%) - I think my feet are actually feeling the best.  I should backup a bit to explain the last three and 1/2 months.  On December 13th I had Big Toe Joint implant surgery on both of my big toes (due to Hallux Ridgidus).  I am an avid tennis player, so when I found that my big toes were STIFF - I knew I had to correct this, and implants seemed to be the best solution for me.   (I also underwent two complete bunionectomies at the same time, which I think may have been worse than the actual implant surgery!)

Finally - 11 weeks post surgery - I was given the 'all clear' to get back to tennis and exercise!

I was already out of shape BEFORE the surgery, so the muscle mass loss & lack of regular activity only complicated things.  I am heading on a hiking trip in Switzerland on May 24, 2013 - so I have 79 days to get ready for it!  And by ready I mean - loose weight, build strength and stamina, increase my cardiovascular fitness, (did I mention loose weight?  I am at least 40 lbs overweight), and just plain get healthier!

Okay, all caught up!  Now away I go on my quest to become the best Peak Walker ever!  Some might correctly call this 'hill walker', but I am claiming a new name - that of Peak Walker, since I expect to walk to many peaks in Switzerland, and then on to many more.

Right now I am very happy to report - as I did earlier - that I am only about 65% sore, but my feet feel GREAT!  What more could this 59 year old, 40+ pound overweight Nana ask for!