Running Thoughts

The challenge of keeping my head in the game is REAL! It seems lately, that with every attempt to re-gain my health, I get injured. I'm unable to go to fitness classes or runs right now, so I got excited about jumprope, thinking my foot (broken about 2 YEARS AGO) could take it. I was wrong. Now, I have almost constant pain in my foot/ankle/leg. I am back to 'only' yoga, which I love, but can I lose the weight and gain the strength with yoga alone? I think I can! So now, as I search for medical answers about my foot, I am excited again about yoga. So, here are my 5 Ways to Keep Your Head In The Game: Nix Negativity. Speak only to yourself and into the universe, what brings peace. (thanks, Ruthie) Review your goals. Keep pictures at the ready that represent your aspirations. Go to sleep with the vision of yourself having achieved your goals firmly in your mind. Cut yourself some slack.  Practice makes practice, not perfection. Get a friend in on the journey w...

I'm so grateful that I kept this blog as I lost weight and gained strength the first time. Looking back through old posts, I am reminded to be patient and to persevere. I am reminded of my personal inner strength and of the ability to start over every day, as needed. I had gained 70 pounds in the course of the years of trying desperately to teach my autistic son. I poured myself into him and my other 2 homeschooled children. The story of this blog goes that I awakened to the realization that I had to re-learn how to care for myself, and these chapters describe the successful journey of losing 70 pounds and gaining confidence and strength. It's a wonderful story. I loved it as I lived it, and I managed to keep the weight off for 10 years as my children grew up and graduated my tutorship. Many factors slipped in to define the recent few magical years in which my autistic son became able to communicate and I devoted my all to him and to teaching others like him... and re-gained ...

It's so easy to get discouraged. Still plugging along, but not seeing progress. I can't remember how long it took to see change the first time around. I guess it wouldn't hurt to scroll through old posts to see.... More after some scrolling. :)

Midway through my third week, and discovering my exercise schedule won't work longterm... is discouraging. Re-grouping, re-evaluating, re-committing in spite of disappointment. Discovering new ways to be flexible in life reminded me to rekindle my yoga practice. Exercising at home, alone, is not super motivating to me, but alone is a good way to practice yoga, so I begin there. This Autistic Life requires flexibility. Love and Peace.

Knowing that the initial weight loss starts out with loss of water weight, I set a goal for the first week, to lose 5 pounds. I lost 6.6 pounds. Yay! Weight isn't everything, but this week, I have gained a pound, which is discouraging for sure. So- I measured instead, and I've lost an inch in my waist. Plus, I wore my belt a notch smaller this week. There is more than one way to measure success! A goal for this second week has been to eat more of the good, healthy fats. I think that my downfall is a repeated one from the past. I don't eat enough to support my activity. My adrenals kick in and I lose ground. I haven't accomplished my dietary goal, so I will re-focus!

I've divided week one into sections to make it easier for me to wrap my mind around it. So, Today is day 2 of 3. Almost done with my first section! See, how easy that was?? I am choosing to answer some questions on the blog as I make this transition back to the me of 2012 . Today's question/answer: Q: What would I do if I had more energy, vitality, and happiness in my life? A: I would get up earlier and create some time for ME.. to think, to pray, to BE. I love my life and my mom-job, but I get caught up in wonderful responsibilities and forget who I am.. who I want to be. I am a creative GENIUS (aren't we all?) and I want to develop some of my creative ideas into tangible creations. I want to paint more. I want to play my guitar more. I want to work with other autism families more. I want to inspire more and to be inspired more. I want to learn. I want to brainstorm and problem solve. I want to write a book. I want to offer fitness solutions to other moms who...

Over 10 years ago, I began this blog as I began regaining my health and fitness. I was in my 40's then. Through hard work, I reached and even surpassed my goals and held steady for those 10 years. Then, menopause (sorry, guys) hit. If you are a woman or are in a relationship with one, you get me. Hormones are my nemesis. Like many others, I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. (HUH?) It's an autoimmune disease that renders my thyroid gland all but useless. I will say it again. Hormones are my nemesis. The combination of these and other stress-related factors, brings me back to a re-beginning. Now, in my 50's, I will use this blog, once again, to log progress and to vent as I once again re-capture fitness and health! I will say goodbye to the 50 pounds I've regained and hello to strength and dexterity. So, hello again, Blogosphere!