The Greatest Thing to Fear

Have I mentioned I'm terrified of heights?  I am.  And Multnomah Falls is a great place to remember that.  I have been there in real life.  And I have ventured onto the bridge and had to be led off with my eyes straight ahead and someone I trusted holding my hand. I still remember that feeling.

You know, that feeling isn't really all that bad.  There's a lot of thrill and a certain rush from doing something frightening.  This week, I challenge you to do something that scares you.  It doesn't have to be about weight loss.  But it can be. 

Maybe what scares you is putting on exercise clothes for the first time.  Or asking your boss for that raise that you have earned and never received.  Or getting the medical test that confirms you are diabetic. Or finally standing up to that person who puts you down and saying "I am better than that.  I don't deserve this." Even if it's you. Or enrolling for that class. Or just walking all the way across a bridge.  Whatever it is, don't let fear stop you from doing something that will make your life better.  Take some time, figure out what fear has been stealing from you.  Then go out and reclaim it. And take that thrill and rush and adrenalin that the fear gives you and welcome it.  It's like a roller coaster ride - it's supposed to scare you and at the end, you know you'll be all right.  In the meantime - isn't it fun?

If you don't know you'll be all right - think of the worst thing that could happen.  Can you live with that?  Can you survive it and still go on?  And are you willing to risk it?  If so - then you will be all right.  And now it's time to own your fear - and take back what's yours!

Checking in 1/29/14

I apologize for the delay.  I had limited internet access yesterday.  So today I am calling for check-ins!  If anyone has any miles to add, please let me know.

For myself, I walked 18 miles this last week.  We reached Multnomah Falls!  Hooray!  Multnomah Falls, for those who don't know it, is on the Columbia River Gorge.  I'll show you.

(my sister Beth at the foot of Multnomah Falls)

You can see the bridge above the lower half of the falls.  That bridge is a loooong way up.  It's a beautiful bridge with a beautiful view - if you aren't terrified of heights, like me.  I prefer standing at the bottom and looking up. :)

See you next week!

Challenge at the Park 1/24/15

We need a challenge for this week.  Since we have stopped at a park, I think we need to get outside and do something fun.  Play with the dog, garden, do something (anything) out of doors.  And have fun!

On the Charts!

Today I have a success worth mentioning.  I have been practicing a new diet and exercising more, and I have been losing weight.  I weigh in each morning using Wii Fit (I also weigh in on the more accurate bathroom scale, but Wii Fit is more fun).  As part of the weigh in procedure the screen displays your BMI on a visual scale.  I have been off the top of the scale since I began.  Yes, I confess, my BMI was over 36.  But today I weighed in and discovered – I’m not off the top of the scale any more!  There is a small line of color above the marker.  A very small line, true, but I am not off the top!  Woohoo!

I do not know if I should attribute this success to my new diet, to the fact that I am now drinking plenty of water (averaging about 80 ounces or more per day), to my increased exercise, or to the fact that I seldom eat anything in the evenings now.  It has been more difficult than I anticipated to create food I can eat when I get home. 

Whatever the reason – I am on the chart!  Woohoo!

Checking in - 1/22/2014

This week I added 11 miles to my total.  Thanks, Kate for reporting your 17 miles.  Together we have travelled an amazing 37 miles!  We reached Blue Lake Regional Park and are a hop, skip, and a jump from Multnomah Falls.

Kate records her miles by using a pedometer to track her movement through the day. Great idea, Kate!  I have family who ues those armbands that monitor their daily calories expended, etc.  I've been thinking of getting one myself.

What do you use to track your movement?

Challenge - Gear Up

I decided to stop at Foot Traffic.  this is where I buy my walking shoes, mainly because it's the only store I know of that caters to walkers as well as joggers. They actually pay attention to how you walk in order to pick your shoes.

This isn't an ad for Foot Traffic.  This is a mention of how important correct gear is.  Bad walking shoes lead to problems.  Good walking shoes lead to good health.  It's not so much having the right gear as not having the wrong gear.

You don't have to spend a lot of money.  If you are walking, make sure you have good shoes, yes.  And I admit, they aren't exactly cheap.  But there are many areas in which you can be creative.  Did you know a 16 oz water bottle weighs about a pound?  There you are, a one pound weight.  A quart size milk bottle, refilled with water, becomes a 2 pound weight, complete with a handle.  Carry rolls of pennies to add weight to your walking routine.  There are many creative ways to increase your exercise "gear" without adding a lot to your budget.  A chair of the right height, with a stack of books on the seat, becomes an exercise bar.

Get creative.  What can you add to your fitness gear without spending money?

Checking in - 1/15/2013

Have I mentioned that Wednesday is check in day?  Well, it is.  Why Wednesday?  You see, I have a weight loss group that meets on Wednesdays and I check in with them.  So I made it check in day.

This week I "walked" 4.63 miles.  I am including my exercise since the beginning of the year, which brings me to 8 miles walked.  Let's see, that means I'm at - Portland!  Still!

I do encourage people to join me.  I would like to get out of Portland and on my way to at least, maybe, Troutdale?  (If you know the Portland area, that's kind of funny.  Lame, but kind of funny. Troutdale isn't very far.)

I will work on a Portland themed challenge.  Watch the blog for the next few days and see what I come up with!

See you en route!

New Year, New Journey

It's a new year and a new journey.  This time I'm including you.  Come join me!  Tell me how many calories you burned this week and I'll include it in my miles.  We're doing a simple walk this year.  100 calories burned = 1 mile.  And I'm trying to walk across the country.  I'm starting in Portland, Oregon and walking my way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It is my own Declaration of Freedom!  Freedom from Fat!

Please join me! We'll make it much farther together than we can alone.

By the way, if you need any incentive, walking a single mile burns about 100 calories.  I have calculated.  If you are holding a steady weight, and you start to walk, just one and a half miles per day, six days per week means within a year you will have burned an extra 70,000 calories!  That's twenty pounds!  That's right!  2-0 pounds!  Without dieting!  That deserves a WOOHOO!