So, How Did Halloween Go?

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Hello all.  So, did you have a spooktacular Halloween?   Did you forego the candy for healthy treats or did you just sample a bit of candy?  Did you have party?  Or did you shut the lights out and spend the evening relaxing or at the gym?  I hope it was fun.  And healthy!

A friend came over to help me pass out treats to the various goblins, angels, faeries, and superheroes that came by.  I was thinking of dressing up as "Heidi," since I'd dressed like her for our Oktoberfest celebration just a couple weeks earlier, but opted instead for a t-shirt with a black kitty sticking his head out of a pumpkin.  Being a kitty fan, I was happy with my choice.  We watched The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Munsters Go Home.  Fun! 

Now, Thanksgiving's just around the corner.  Whoa!  This year is just flying by!  Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.  Take care. 

 

Getting Fitness Back

Hello again!  Today's post is for all of you who were enthusiastic about fitness for awhile, but then something happened.  You're not sure what exactly, but you started skipping workouts and snacking on unhealthy treats you hadn't had in months or years.  You also started gaining back the weight you were so determined to keep off.  I'm there, too.  

Yep, I'm a fitness coach. Coaches just don't do that, right?  Ah, I wish.  We also have our weaknesses.  Some can keep their old habits at bay better than others.  

Menopause is what interfered with my progress.  My appetite ballooned.  I started eating everything in sight, even though I kept telling myself it was not a good idea.  "What are you doing??!  You're a fitness professional, for Pete's sake!"  But that didn't seem to help much.  It seemed as if I had two minds--one that was directly connected to my mouth and out of control and the other that was rational and horrified at what was happening.  I started to find some of those 25 pounds I'd lost.  

Of course, even during this time off the tracks a bit, I have eaten healthy consistently.  I've just been snacking on too many treats and taking extra helpings.  My exercise has suffered too.  Although I've continued to walk and hike, I haven't done much weight training.  I'm not as energetic as I used to be.  I can't seem to get the motivation to do weight training.  I've put together a few different weight training programs to help boost my motivation, but they haven't been that successful.  It doesn't help that I've been injured during weight training over the years more than during cardio.  

But something happened over the past week that made me sit up and take notice.  Actually, I fell down and took notice.  I've had health issues since birth (courtesy of spina bifida), including problems with balance.  When I started working out on a regular basis, my balance was so much better.  I hardly ever fell.  When I tripped, I'd catch myself pretty easily.  That was such an improvement!  Well, in the last week, I've fallen twice.  Once on a walk and again over the weekend at a store.  When it happened on the walk, I was upset.  When it happened at the store, I was livid.  I smacked my nose and it bled quite heavily.  It didn't break, but could have.  

Enough already!  I'm healthy.  I'm strong.  But I can be healthier and stronger with more consistent exercise and better snacking choices.  It just took a nose dive for me to realize that my behavior wasn't acceptable any longer.  Never was.  Yes, menopause is still nagging me, but it's a natural part of my life and not a death sentence.  I'm determined now to stand up to it, realize what is happening to me and why I'm craving everything in sight, and refuse to cave in.  Sure, a treat is fine now and then and a day off from exercise is too, but I've renewed my commitment to consistently healthy choices, for life.  Please join me.

What has caused you to reduce or abandon your fitness routine?  Please share your story with me and what you plan to do to get back on track again.  I'd love to hear from you.  Leave a comment below or email me at iwrite41@yahoo.com.  Thanks!  Take care.