THE OTHER SIDE OF FORTY

When I turned 25 years old I was devastated.  I made sure that I was still 28 when I got married the day before my 29th birthday.  I wasn't phased by 30, 35, 40 or even 45.

This year I turned 46.  I affectionately refer to this time of my life as "The Other Side of Forty".  These will be the years that I will prepare to turn 50.

The plan is to eat healthier, live healthier and be more active.  I want to look 40 something during my 50 some things.

Since my last knee surgery I have gained 30 pounds and have struggled to lose that weight.  Now that the holidays are over; the anniversary has been celebrated; and Victor and I have celebrated our 40 something birthdays it is time to get serious.

This morning I weighed in at 187 lbs.  A little too heavy for my weak knees and ankles.

Beginning tomorrow, my friend Christina and I will walk during our morning and afternoon breaks at work.  My girls are helping me make better choices when we go grocery shopping. 

Victor and I have plans to go to Hawaii later this year and I want to be able to explore the various mysteries on the beautiful islands without being exhausted and in pain.

So, here we are February 2nd of 2014; the beginning of my quest for a better me.

 

THIS IS WHAT FORTY FIVE LOOKS LIKE

Here we are 21 days after I have started my New Healthy Life Style:

This is what I look like at 45 and 178 lbs.  Does anyone remember what weight I started at?

This has definitely been a climb.  With four birthdays and an anniversary during the past 21 days I am still moderately successful with losing some weight.

I still have a long way to go.

I pushed my limits this week a little by increasing the distance of my walks; their frequency; and by cutting my time by 5 minutes.

When I began, I could walk about 1/2 mile in 10 minutes.  This was good for me since I haven't done a whole lot of walking since knee surgery October 2011.  I was walking at least three times a week.

I am now walking 2 miles a day (1 mile in the morning; 1 mile in the afternoon).  It took me approximately 20 minutes to walk a mile.  I broke my record yesterday and I now can walk a mile in 15 minutes.  I am a little breathless but I feel good afterward.  In addition, the walk is not level.  During my walk I have two steep inclines that just burn my thighs and gluts.  Then I finish my walk by climbing two sets of stairs to get back to the office.

Something to think about:

"Your body is the most amazing high tech performance machine on the planet."

 

STATUS UPDATE

So, here we are one week after starting the Healthy Challenge at work.

Changes so far in lifestyle:

1. Stopped drinking soda at work
2. Stopped going down to the galley for treats
3. Started walking during my breaks - one mile in the morning and one mile in the afternoon
4. Started going to bed early and getting up early
5. Continued eating breakfast
6. Continued taking lunch to work

Results:

1. Lost 5 lbs
2. Have a little more energy
3. A little more organized

Goals:

1. Lose a total of 50 lbs (yes, I am that over weight)
2. Be able to participate in more physical activities
3. Be healthy and happy
4. Look great!  (don't want to look my age - not that I do)

I will be 45 years old this coming Saturday and it's time that I start taking care of myself.

More to come!

TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY AT WORK

Staying healthy at work isn't always easy. With all your coworkers sneezing and sniffing around you, it may seem impossible. Here are a few tips.

 

1. Wash Your Hands Often.

This means every time you use the restroom, before you eat, after you sneeze or cough and any other time your hands feel dirty. Also, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk, for when you can't get to a sink.

2. Keep your workspace clean.

Clean your phone, computer keyboard and anything else that you use frequently. Even if you are the only user, germs can live on these objects and you can re-infect yourself.

3. Stay home when you are sick.

If possible, stay home from work and errands when you are sick or contagious. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

FITNESS CHALLENGE WEIGH-IN

As I was getting ready for work this morning I weighed myself at 181.4 lbs.

I juiced a couple apples, a couple carrots, raspberries, peaches, mangos and strawberries.  I ended up with three shakers full of juiced produce.

We had our official weigh-in this morning at the office and I weighed-in at 184.8 lbs.  I suspect that the weight gain is due in part to my attire as well as the first 16 ounces of juiced produce and the 24 ounces of water that I consumed between 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

I was moderately successful with my first day of detoxing.  What does this mean?

Well, I consumed all of the juices and water plus about 24 ounces of lemonade.  The office brought lunch in and I was thankful that it was pizza.  I don't particularly care for pizza.  However, there was a green salad that contained tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, jalepanos and garbanzo beans.  I had three helpings.

By the way:  the salad is not part of my detox program.  I am just supposed to consume liquids like water, herbal tea and juiced fruits and vegetables.

The second challenge of the day included two snacking periods in the office.  Every Wednesday is snack day.  The galley had many different types of pastries along with grapes, bananas, oranges and apples.  The pastries smelled wonderful.  I was a good girl and only scooped about about a cup of green grapes and brought them back to my desk.

The second snack period was in the afternoon.  Every first of the month, cheesecake is offered in the galley to celebrate the current month's birthdays and anniversaries.  I didn't even leave my desk.  I knew if I went downstairs to celebrate I would grab a slice of cheesecake.  This is the reason I gained 20 lbs in less than 6 months since I started my employment with The Cheesecake Factory.

When I got home I prepared dinner for the family and heated up some chicken broth for myself.  The family enjoyed oven roasted chicken breasts with rice, and carrots along with sliced pears.  They topped it off with sparkling cider.

Sitting next to Victor, I was offered a bite of chicken and I accepted.  It was quite tasty.  I had one spoonful of rice and a spoonful of carrots.  I had one little sip of sparkling cider and then I washed everything down with about 16 ounces of water.

I was able to take a 20 minute walk this morning around 11 a.m.

At the end of the day I am officially 185 lbs.  My weight loss goal is a minimum of 50 lbs.  This will bring back to a healthy weight.  I am gradually adding exercise as I am still recovering from knee surgery.  I did not bounce back as fast as I did 14 years ago after my first surgery.

2013 FITNESS GOALS

While there are many things that I do consistently, there are other things that I am not so good at.  I have episodes where I overdose on fats and sugars and because I don't make sure to vary my diet I many not be getting some of the essential nutrients to keep my body healthy.

My main priority is to increase my fruit and vegetable consumption, eat more starchy carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread and pasta, eat less processed food, and drink a litre of water every day.

Skin, hair and energy levels suffer from poor eating habits.  Once I establish good habits of eating I should see an improvement in my skin, hair and energy levels.

Lastly, but not any less important, I need to add some form of exercise.

With all these things in mind, I have written my 2013 Fitness Goals:

• Eat breakfast every day
• Eat 5 or more portions of fruits and vegetables a day
• Limit Chips & Burgers to less than once a week
• Use fruit as a snack
• Drink water or herbal tea (lemonade is okay)
• Incorporate mil, cheese & yogurt in daily diet
• Exercise at least 3 times a week
• Cover up when out in the sun
• Wear sunglasses every day
• Exfoliate no more than once a week

Two more days before I weigh-in.

BTW: when I weighed myself this morning I was at 182.6 lbs

2013 FITNESS CHALLENGE

As you know, I work for The Cheesecake Factory Inc.  I started July 16th, making it almost 6 months.  Some of the benefits of working for them is the bounty of food and beverages.  As a result I have gained nearly twenty pounds.  THIS IS NOT GOOD.

Last week a communication went out to all staff members at the Corporate Center announcing the 2013 Fitness Challenge.

The theme:  LIVING HEALTHY TOGETHER

The competition will run from January 2nd through March 29th.

Weight will be assessed by percentage of total loss.

The initial weigh in will be Wednesday January 2nd from 9:30-10:30 am in the galley.

The mid-way weigh in will be on Friday, February 15th and the final weigh in will be Friday, March 29th.

**There will be prizes mid-way and at the final weigh in**

I have made a commitment to myself to participate in this challenge.  There are two reasons:

1.  I need to get fit and healthy enough to participate with Allisa on the Washington DC trip scheduled for the end of March.

2.  I want to look healthy and fit.  When I have been my healthiest I looked great and felt good about myself.

It's time to start taking care of me so that I can do more.

Come join me in this journey.  Comments are welcome and I would love to get status updates on your journey to a healthier you.