Category Archives: Exercise

The Little Things

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The little things in life are well-known for bringing a great amount of pleasure.  Sometimes we need to pause and take a moment to reflect on these things.

Since our move, I longed for my good hiking shoes.  They were “packed/lost” in one of the boxes in the garage and I had no clue where to begin looking.  Leave it to hubby to have a good sense to know precisely the box to check first.

My feet were jumping for joy during and after my hike this morning.  It’s the little things that mean so much.

It was a nice 5.27 mile hike with an elevation gain of 2,219′.

I met a brand new neighbor while on my journey.  Her name is Rhonda.  We stopped and visited in front of her home.  When she learned that I hike each day, she said, “we should hike together sometime.”

I learned that she takes hiking serious.  As a matter of fact, she will be hiking in Europe soon!  We exchanged information and plan to make a hike date.

She also said “We have drinks on the patio every night, you’re welcome to join us anytime.”

If you were to ask me, It’s all about the little things that make a day great.

Now on to a few more little things around the house this afternoon.

Blessings – Debbie

Something Kicked My Tush

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So yesterday’s hike could have contributed to part of my tush kicking.  And the night before last could have contributed to the other part.  Either way, I was in bed for a nap last evening at 7 PM and ended up sleeping a full 12 hours.  I have no idea the last time I felt that exhausted, but the rest was just what I needed.

My hike yesterday went on for exactly 4.5 miles.

I included a few more streets in the neighborhood and was delighted with the new scenery.

These African Daisy’s will always have me at hello.

The path along the way was so inviting.

I’m a lover of mailboxes.  This one has to be my favorite in all the land.

The winding paths going up and down and all around make for a killer workout.

My elevation gain yesterday morning was a whopping 1,897′ and I’m feeling every bit of it today.

It kicked my butt, but I want more where it came from.

Just for today, I’m taking a little breather from hiking.  My feet are none too happy with the shoes I’ve been wearing and my hiking shoes are nowhere to be found.  I think hubby packed them and he insists we find that box this weekend.  Knowing him, he will find them for me.

These paths are beautifully lodged on the front burner as I don’t want to stay away too long.

I’ll be back soon!

Today I need to play catch up on food shopping, laundry and get the place ready for the weekend.  Hubby mentioned taking off tomorrow, fingers crossed for a nice three-day weekend with him!

Blessings – Debbie

I've Been Thinking

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I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the ways I’ve been slipping on my health.

While I’m thrilled with the progress, I don’t want all the bad habits that slipped in to take center stage.

A big area was the non-existent water intake.  The slippery slope started this winter when I picked up some Diet Dr Pepper, just for a little treat around the house.  And it ended in full-blown Diet soda consumption All. Day. Long. for the last several months.  Water is a bad word when I get into this habit, shame on me!

So last week, while food shopping, I made a point not to purchase another box of diet soda for myself.  When my soda stash ended was the moment I would quit cold turkey.

That moment occurred yesterday afternoon.  And I celebrated that very last soda with a bowl of 100 calorie butter popcorn.  And just like that, it is out of the house.

It seems I’ve taken a liking to water now that the other stuff is no longer at my dispense.

Note: I have my coffee every single morning and I will have Diet Coke each and every time hubby and I have a date.  Just wanted to clear that up.

Another area I’ve given a lot of thought to is the lack of exercise. It completely fell to the side during the move.  Good excuse, ay?  I know, I tend to get myself worked into a frenzy when I have a lot going on at once.  And things seem to fall off my priority list.  Something I did not intend to let go for so long.

But this is the week it all changed.  Today I got right out there even tho it looked like rain.

I loved the cool 54 degrees with a little breeze.

I was concerned (when we were looking for a place to call home) I wouldn’t be able to replace the paths like our old home had.

But I’m pleasantly pleased that I’m able to achieve all of that and more right here from our doorstep.  Today’s hike took me 3.53 miles with an elevation gain of 1,134′. That = a mountain and makes me happy.

I feel blessed to have this opportunity. Now is the time to turn these new adjustments into daily habits.

Blessings – Debbie

Finding My Routine

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Happiness is, finding my way back to a routine after our move.  There were days that a routine looked for packing more boxes, staring at more and more packed boxes and wondering if we would ever get moved.

These days, we are beginning to look at fewer boxes and the house is beginning to take shape.  But with every move, we still long for day in and day out routine.

Today I was delighted with my brand new hiking path/aka our new neighborhood.

It’s fresh and new…

…with so many wonderful things yet to discover.

And as I sit here putting this post together, I long to be right back out there.

I’m thankful for beautiful places to hike and double thankful I don’t have to get in my car and drive to a gym.  I just don’t stick to gyms very well and I much prefer the great outdoors.

I wish I knew the names of every single flowering plant, bush, shrub and tree in this area.  But I’m learning.

Learning, like this morning.  A gardener noticed my enthusiasm for photography.  He stopped in his tracks and officially introduced me to these amazing African Daisy’s.  We had them at our old place, I just didn’t know what they were called.

 

I met a wonderful neighbor.  She would have had me in for tea but she had to scoot to the Dr.  She said, “Next time, we’ll have tea”.

I just finished an amazing lunch date with my dearest.  And next on the agenda, we could be meeting hubby’s friend (who is in town) for drinks.  Should be a fun afternoon!

Blessings – Debbie

A Walk in the Park

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It’s one of those beautiful cool autumn days.  A little too cool for my thin blood to get out for my walk first thing.  So I hung out doing laundry and a few things around the house until it hit about 64 degrees.  That’s the time (9:30am) I hit the beaten path.

The combination of sunshine (vitamin D) and the crisp air, made the perfect blend for a hike.

This tree loaded with buds and blossoms made my heart sing.

I ended my membership at the gym and can’t imagine going back.  I get free day pass offers, but this is the place I’d rather be.

Many days I take on new paths.

Remember Forest Gump and how he took off walking?  That is exactly what I felt like doing today.  I struggled with the thought of going back inside.

Note:  Boo at me for not having my camera.  All pictures were taken with my cell phone.

Another mile was added to my route.  And stops to enjoy the view were necessary.

Words can’t express how great it was to breathe in the cool fresh air.  Nor can I describe the joy this peaceful setting brings.

Losing weight is a beautiful walk in the park.  Cheers to the weekend, good health and walking!

Blessings – Debbie

The Journey

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We’ve heard a journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step.  There are days on this weight loss journey where the view seems to stay the same.  And no matter how hard I work the number just doesn’t budge or it even goes up.  It’s those type mornings I grow thick skin, suck it up and accept that our bodies vary and the downward cycle will come.  I say that especially for those of us who weigh every day.

This morning was one of those major rewarding type of mornings.  I had a really happy meeting with “The” Digital Scale.  It was extra loving and it totally made me feel special.  It’s a crazy good feeling when the numbers are honest and the hard work finally shows thru.  It’s mornings like this when my skin gets a little thicker knowing I won’t see a result like this for a while.  All the more reason to work hard and eat healthy.  Good results will continue to come.

My days are taking much better shape now that I have my hiking game on.  Exercise has become much less of a struggle getting out the door.  I’m driven and I feel stronger than I did weeks ago.

The journey begins when I walk thru the door…

The path less traveled proved to be quite enjoyable.

Oats and walnuts were the perfect hearty boost after the hike.

My healthy journey started back in June, but it’s taken this long to finally feel equipped with all the tools I need to settle into this life commitment of good health.  It’s been a great one day at a time experience and no doubt I still have lots to learn.  In the meantime, I’m gonna keep on truckin’!

Blessings – Debbie

Happy ~ Beautiful ~ Crisp ~ Autumn ~ Monday

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Picture taken from my hike this morning, the only time I took a moment to stop.

I beefed up my exercise by hiking a bit further with an approx elevation gain of 750 feet.  My tracker states I climbed more but I don’t believe it.

Hubby and I have a date in mind to mountain climb again.  And I’m working hard to master it – something I never thought I would enjoy.

“The odds of hitting a target go up dramatically when you aim at it.” – Mal Pancoast

Blessings – Debbie

I Believe In Me

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I enjoyed a wonderful lunch date with hubby (yesterday) – As we were talking about health as a whole…I said “The key to success is believing in me”.

Climbing that mountain just over a week ago did something to me. My attitude has drastically changed towards exercise.

I feel empowered with an “I can” attitude. I will climb that mountain again ~ I believe in me.

I don’t want to forget this moment, it’s pretty amazing.

Blessings – Debbie

Things That Make Me Happy

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Autumn is the time of year when I start to feel that sweep of joy rush right thru me.  There’s something about this special season that kicks off the holidays.  So to kick off my very favorite season, here are a number of things that make me happy.

We’re starting our hunt for another nest to call home for a while.  Today was my very first day out.  Makes me happy!

House #1 has amazing views and such a beautiful patio stretching across the entire back of the home.  The inside of the home was gorgeous as well.  It has a lovely master/master bath with a huge picture window over the jacuzzi overlooking amazing views.  Guest rooms were extra small and no room to accommodate the office.  Another down side, there was no room for the pool table which we don’t want to give up.  Hubby and I both agree, this is a “no”.

While looking for another nest, we continue to enjoy our current views.  Picture taken from the kitchen window.  This makes me happy.

A perfectly spun web on the front porch, made me happy.

I’m Thankful – For the fact that I like cutting my fruit instead of taking big bites out of it.  Totally makes me happy!

Last but not least:  Zig Ziglar motivated me today, he says – “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” I had my early morning hike with an elevation gain of 443 feet this morning.   Thank you for that Dear Zig, I need to remember this daily.  Makes me happy!

Blessings – Debbie

Crisp Fogy Morning Walk

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Oh my oh me or is it – o me-o, my-o?  All I know is this one thing, my legs are still in pain from our hike this past Saturday.  Namely my claves are pretty much tight as ever.  As my feet hit the floor bright and early I could hardly put one foot in front of the other.  After a bit I was waddling and humored with my predicament.  It takes a while to go from neutral into first.  After awhile, my legs start to warm up and it’s not so bad.  Then is when I asked hubby if he thought it would do me good to get out and exercise.  He was all in favor, so long as I didn’t push too much.

So I promptly hit the pavement.

With my walking stick.  I left the other one at home.  It kinda felt good to have this in hand in the event I encounter a coyote, stray dog, snake or what-have-you.  Honestly, it was most helpful climbing nearly a 200′ hill, made me wish I had brought the other one today.

After climbing a few hills and 50 min later, I found myself in this spot for the next 15 or so min.

It’s nice not to be lying around.  But, I do hope these aches and pains wear off soon.

Hubby grilled extra chicken the other night such that I can have leftovers for lunch.  Served with fresh hunks of cucumber and cottage cheese, topped with lots of pepper.

It’s a great day.

Blessings – Debbie

Weekend and Monday Joy

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Long weekends…When hubby has a Friday off, it’s a little extra special.  And I can still hear him ask “what would you like to do this weekend”.  I believe he asked either Thursday evening or Friday morning.  I replied, “I would like to climb that mountain”.

On Saturday, this is the mountain we climbed.  Of the pictures I posted yesterday, most of them were taken from the top looking out in all directions.  Here’s one taken today from a distance, to fit the majority of the mountain in the picture.  My legs are still talking to me today, but I hope we climb it again one of these days.

I did get about a mile worth of exercise in this morning.  This is the path of choice today.

It was a beautiful morning and to this day, we’re still breathing in So Cal.

On a whole different subject – I talked about giving up coffee a couple/few posts ago, I won’t get into it again.  What I will say is that I have a yearning to sip on something warm…

While grocery shopping, I lingered on this isle.

The more I lingered, the more I knew the feel of my old mug (even if it is my coffee mug) would be most welcome first thing in the morning.  I forget exactly what tea it was I purchased (some sort of Green Tea) but it was quite soothing.

Does it replace coffee? I won’t go that far but it was nice.  I may even have another cup this evening.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of making the most of things.  In the end, we may come to realize it’s not so bad after all.

Blessings – Debbie

A Visit With The Dietician

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Much has been running thru my mind the last few months as I seek a life long healthy approach.  Answers came in form of what I’ve always heard and sought out via internet, magazines and books.

But I needed more, something concrete such that I can hold the tools properly without second guessing what I’m doing right/wrong.

My questions ranged from food combining to eating for your blood type.  And searching for something reasonable.  I’ve done the Weight Watcher program in the past, love their program and would highly advise anyone struggling to go for it.  However, for me for now, I’m ready to go dig a bit more into health, eager to shine the spotlight on things that need to be addressed.

For the last couple of months, I’ve stuck to:

  • 1,000 – 1,200 calories per day
  • I don’t eat until I first take inventory of what is going in.
  • Weigh myself each day and plug the numbers into a graph
  • Measure all servings with either the kitchen scale/measuring cups/spoons
  • At least 8 glasses of water a day – No diet soda (except when we dine out)
  • No sweets – except for special occasions and vacation
  • At least 5 + servings of fruit and veggies a day

It all sounded good, I was doing great and the plan was working.

I was finally to the place that I wanted more and that’s when I found myself face to face with a Registered Dietician, yesterday afternoon.  After viewing my history and the plan, the RD put a spotlight on two areas that hurt.

The first area was the amount of sodium I was taking in.  My daily recommended amount of sodium is between 2,000-2500 mg a day.  The love I have for canned green beans squashed my daily recommended amount on the beans alone.  I’ll eat the whole 3.5 serving for lunch with tuna and then again for dinner with another protein = 2,380 mg of sodium.  That hurt, really big.  But I have the tools I need to get my veggies in each day, minus all that sodium.  I love my veggies, bring on the fresh produce.  I’ve got the perfect pot to steam them or I will enjoy them raw.

The next area was the hardest thing I have to swallow.  It was learning my favorite coffee cream has trans fat in it.  What makes it worse is the bottle flat-out says on the front all nice big and bold 0 g Trans Fat.  The sad part, the fat is number 3 on the list of ingredients.  We all know what that means.  I learned companies can make serving sizes smaller such that they can wiggle out of saying it on the package.  I’m sure all of you knew this already, where have I been?  Partially Hydrogenated Oil in the ingredient list = Trans Fat.  The nerve!

I’m not dumping out my newly opened huge bottle of creamer.  So I have a little while to look for the cream she recommended.  Or a while to determine if my coffee drinking days are over.  It’s all good whatever happens.  If you’re reading this and have a cream to suggest, I’m all ears!  FYI – My love is the Coffee Mate Creme Brulee,  it will be bitter-sweet saying farewell after all these years.

Since I have records of everything I eat and how much I eat a day, we were able to pretty much dissect everything.  I’d say between the sodium and cream, I wasn’t doing too bad.  And she actually suggested we have that bar of chocolate once a month or so.  In no way did she suggest we deprive ourselves totally.

Here’s my brand spanking new daily plan:

    • Calories:  1,000 – 1,200
    • Carbs:  at least 120 g
    • Protein:  at least 65 g – 80 g
    • Fat:  45 g ~ Max
    • Sodium: 2,000 – 2,500 mg

Note:  2 servings of 4 – 5 oz of protein + 2 – 3 servings of low-fat/non fat dairy per day

We touched on breakfast ideas.  She is in favor of the oats fruit and walnuts that I love so much.

It doesn’t get better than this.

We touched on the healthy snacks I was already eating, she encouraged me to work in a little more protein with my daily snacks.

Lunch and dinner were planned:  4 – 5 oz protein + 1/2 cup cooked grain or 1/2 cup starchy veggie + 1 – 2 cups steamed/raw veggies.

Multivitamins (one – per – day complete) + Fish oil supplement (1,200 mg DHA/EPA per day)

Exercise was discussed.  She encouraged at least 15 min per day x 7 days a week.  Totally doable!

And finally, a healthy weight was touched on.  Her happy weight for me left my bottom jaw on the floor.  It was more than I expect from myself, as in I think I should weigh way less than her ideal weight for me.  When she asked if I could live with that weight, I replied.  “I’ll be happy with it as long as I’m healthy”.  Once I get there she’ll work with me to keep it even for a while.  She’ll be willing to guide me at that time if I wish to lose more.

The quote (below) is one that hit me several months ago.

The patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life.  Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.  ~ Quentin Regestein

The older I get, the more I want to hang out with good health.

Blessings – Debbie

Not My Average Morning Walk

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So today (for my morning walk) I got the bright idea to ditch my cell phone camera and trade it in for my real camera.  I’m glad I did.

My regular 40 min walk turned into an hour and a half…

…I’m alright with that.

I got to see things instead of just plowing by, like this morning-glory and the mailbox.

And the way the early morning sunlight made things sparkle.

This colorful morning was such a great way to start the day.

I crouched really low to capture this little creature…

…And just as I was “in the zone”, was when the gals in the (lower left) were walking by and stopped to visit as they were curious to see what the fuss was all about.  Then the gal on the right exclaimed “Photo Shoot” and I shot their pic.  Later when I caught up with them, they were talking to my neighbors when they exclaimed “you gotta take their pic”.  So I did (upper right pic).  Then I stopped to say hi to my next door neighbor as she was out doing a little gardening.  She noticed my camera and turns out she loves photography too!  Twas then that I just had to take a pic of “Roxy” center and lower right.

I still managed to get a bit of exercise as I was able to knock out some nice hills in the hood.

I’m thankful for friendly neighbors, cheerful flowers and beautiful sunlight.  These are blessings I never want to take for granted.  Happy Monday!

Blessings – Debbie

August

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Today is the day to catch up on the blog.  It appears I’ve taken a very long unexpected break from blogging.

I’m thrilled to announce that hubby and I have been seeking a new healthy lifestyle since mid June.  We’re experiencing good results!

In the above pic, you’ll notice I’m using a “Weight Watchers” jug for my water.  To be clear, I’m not doing the Weight Watchers program.  I’m just eating healthy foods and counting my calories.  Back to the jug, I love it as it holds a whopping 32 oz of fluid.  There are many days I’ll easily drink over a gal of water.

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Have you ever taken pix of every single bite you had to eat in a day?  It was August 3rd that I got the notion to photograph my eats.

Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs with a generous portion of sautéed peppers and onion.  Topped with 80 calories worth of cheese and loads of black pepper.

Lunch:  After such a hearty breakfast, fruit was all I wanted.

Mid Afternoon Snack:  1 serving of craisins + 30 g of walnuts.

Dinner:  Tuna + Corn + a nice hunk of onion = goodness.  If you’re thinking yuck, you may or may not be interested to know that sardines is also one of my favorite evening meals.  Did you know the little sardine is a giant when it comes to foods?  It’s been dubbed an “Important Superfood”, King of Omega-3’s, Brain boosting, good for joints, High-Quality Protein, without the saturated fats, bone-boosting calcium and known as one of the healthiest fish around.

And that’s a wrap of my food intake for that particular day.  I can’t imagine being a food blogger and taking pix of everything, but I did enjoy the experiment.

August 8 – The day I dug deep into the closet to find an article of clothing to inspire me.

Oats and walnuts are a huge hit.  This is going to keep me on track to get back in that dress.

August 10 – Oh the places I went that morning.  Hubby flew out-of-town bright and early.  I didn’t plan on anything other than to get myself home as we were up at 4am.  But home was not what I wanted to do once I had my cup of coffee.  So I ventured and enjoyed some me time at the harbor and beach for just over 4 hours.  I already have a notion to return again soon…

Lunch on the day hubby left – Lettuce, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, ground (Jennie O) turkey burger seasoned with taco seasoning, salsa for my dressing with a sprinkle of (80 calorie) cheese over the top.

August 11 – To say I enjoyed my “Spa Day” would be an understatement.  I’ve been on the hunt for a good hairstylist since we moved to San Diego (nearly two years ago).  Let’s just say “I’ll be back”!  I loved the whole experience.  Next time I plan to stay a while longer to get a chance to enjoy the resort.  I truly was not expecting such a treat…

August 12 – I was such a happy wifey ~ Hubby was on his way home ~ I was down a dress size ~ I was in a dress I haven’t worn since I don’t know when ~ It was such a great day!

August 15 – I was in the mood for a reward while doing my food shopping early that morning.  So I picked up this dandy Prevention mag and found a nice place on the patio to indulge.  I also had a not so pleasant thing happen.  I had my regular cleaning at the dentist and discovered I had a cavity.  The good news “it was small and on the surface” + more good news “no numbing or pain to have it filled”.  The bad news, I was sad, really sad as this makes the second filling in my life.  I guess I just wanted to keep my teeth healthy for life.  Oh well, the world didn’t come to an end.

August 16 – I started walking again.  Do you ever quit something because you have a good excuse and then allow excuses to fill in when it’s time to pick it back up?  Well that happened to me regarding my walking.  I didn’t post this experience on the blog but I did indeed have another fall.  No sooner did my hands heal from my fall (about 6 or so weeks ago) and here I up and fell again!  I don’t even want to talk about it but truth be told, that’s why I stopped walking but not a great excuse as to why I didn’t get right back at it.

August 17 – Cheers!  This brings us to today!  I’m pleased to announce I got my walk in before I so much as had a sip of coffee.  I’ll say that’s a pretty big deal but so worth it getting out there first thing.

With that, we should be pretty much all caught up with August and this makes me very happy!

Blessings – Debbie

The Best Excercise Often Starts At Home

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We love to be able to set out on foot beginning on our doorstep on these cool summer nights.  The photos were taken on my morning walk this past week.

Each time we pass by this tree (Cassia Leptophylla – Gold Medallion Tree), my heart sings…

The vibrant bursts of yellow…

A great way to make my little heart beat faster is to take on these hills.  One of the hills = 175 feet climb to the top.  We try to do that hill x 2 per walk these days.

The best part is the nice big rock in the bottom center of this picture.  This is the place hubby and I rest and cool down before going indoors.  I’m already looking forward to this walk again with hubby this evening…

It’s said “you learn something new every day”.  I learned more about my feet this week as they were put to the “test” at the shoe store.  And I learned the type of shoe that best suits my feet.  Cheers to new shoes and happy feet, minus the fuss of band-aids.  This pair is made for walking/hiking and I’m in love that I feel like I’m walking on clouds.

Happy Weekend!

Blessings – Debbie