I'm Up For A Challenge

Do you think I can lose about 7 pounds this month?  Do you think I can get in better shape in just 30 days?  Well, I do.  I want to be in better shape by the time we go to Alaska in August.  That's just 32 days away. 

Here's the plan:

  One of the things we'll be doing in Alaska is hiking, so I got some new boots.  They're just Columbia boots, on sale for around $65 at Gander Mountain last weekend.  I expected to pay more - I planned on getting some Merrells for around $120, but the only Merrell boots were vented for desert/hot weather hiking.  These are waterproof, which will be more practical for Alaska trails.  We've only got a couple of trail hikes planned so far but I'm sure I'll wear these boots every day as we walk the park trails with the kids' dogs. 

Plan 1 - breaking in the boots, and walking for at least 30 minutes a day.  I'm not getting that much exercise now, so that will be a huge improvement.  I started easy this afternoon by walking for 20 minutes.  I'll do another trip around the block this evening after it cools off a bit - its 96F right now!  The only problem with the walking (and hiking) is my bad knee.  I had it scoped in '04 and it was bone-on-bone then.  I took Celebrex for about 4 years and didn't really see a lot of improvement - actually that's when I really put on some weight because I quit walking - so I quit the Celebrex last year when we were on one income.  I started taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM about 6 months ago and my knee feels lots better, though not totally pain free. Anyway I'm going to resume walking and see how that goes. 

Plan 2 - of course its diet!  haha.  I'm doing some good things already - I eat a cup of raw broccoli and a cup of raw carrots every day, and an apple, a Lean Cuisine for lunch every day, and a bowl of raisin bran and a banana.  I'm doing some not-so-good things too - drinking too many diet sodas, eating some (frozen) yogurt, drinking beer, eating fattier meats (barbecue! grilled sausage links and ribs! sigh), and eating cookies (have you tried the strawberry milkshake oreos??? amazing!!!)  So - I'll at least log my food, and hope that will make me a more responsible eater.  I am a snacker and a stress-boredom-eater. My worst time is at work - I am used to grazing all day long.  So... willpower will become my mantra and my friend.  I'll start with limiting the sodas and drinking more water, and stop the snacking. One of the worst things I snack on is those granola bars. I don't think you're supposed to eat 3 of them every day! My other weakness is cookies, so I just won't buy them.  I am pretty good about cooking healthy - we eat a lot of chicken (baked and grilled) but we also eat mac & cheese with either ham or polish sausage once a week. We don't eat so much red meat anymore - a burger once a week on Friday nites (not a McDonalds or Sonic - a real restaurant burger) and occasionally I'll fix burritos or tacos - maybe once a week for one of those meals. 

As I've been writing this, we've had a thunderstorm move through here, and its down to 84 degrees.  Poor Gracie is hiding in the bedroom because she's scared of thunder.  I don't think Goofy even knows its raining.  And silly me, I've got the sprinkler on in the front yard! Maybe it will let up in a minute....  :)

 Gracie the 'fraidy cat.

Here's the latest on my sock knitting: 

I've actually got one & a half socks knitted - they are "Copper Penny" designed by Nancy Bush and I hope to finish the 2nd sock by tomorrow night.  I'm past the heel and working my way down the foot.  They are really nice. I've not been knitting every single day - I have actually read 4 books this month!  So that's why I've been working on these same socks for 3 weeks! I have a log of my books on www.goodreads.com - I'm scoobagirl there too.  I think the last 2 or 3 books I've read were "Salvation in Death" by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts), "Wrongful Death" by Robert Dugoni, and "From the Ground Up" by Amy Stewart (a gardening story).  I've got several books on deck - "Beach Road" by John Grisham and something by Philip Margolin (I can't read the title from here - its on the bookcase and I'm in the recliner). 

Next week the dogs and I are going to stay at my sister's house.  She and her hub are going to convention in Washington DC (they own a ServPro franchise) and I'm dog-sitting.  Her last trip was a disaster - her teenaged house sitter had her boyfriend spend the week and the house was a wreck.  Seriously, the sitter brought her own dog and let her poop all over the house and didn't even try to clean it up. She "thought it would be easier to pick up when it dried"... for real.  All 3 beds had been sexed in, the trash cans in the bedrooms and the bathrooms were full of condom wrappers and used condoms, and there were pizza boxes, drink cups from fast-food places, and dirty clothes laying around all over the house.  It was incredible.  I went over there to take one of the dogs to the vet, and the house sitter & boyfriend were there, screwing in one of the bedrooms when I showed up!  And she knew I was coming to get the dog.  It blew my mind.  I took pics of the mess and called my sister.  And the house was still like that when she got home 2 days later.  Un-believable.  Maybe I'm just a bitch (yeah, I know I am). Anyway I told her I'd take care of her dogs the next time she goes on a trip, so yay! I'm getting a little vacation in the middle of the summer! I plan to knit all week, and walk, and read, and maybe sew~!  (I guess Joe and I better behave huh, winkwink)

More next month........ oh, that's tomorrow!  :)

Comments

[Kim]

Pretty socks and what fun Alaska will be, my parents went there last summer and loved it!!

[Rian]

Good luck with your diet! Say no to the cookies and granola bars, and eat smaller portions. I KNOW you can do it!

PS, once you stop eating sugar for a few days it stops calling you.

[Jackie]

I definitely think you can get stronger by your trip! Sounds like you have a good plan to do so! I've always wanted to go to Alaska.

I looked for you on goodreads and couldn't find you! The socks are gorgeous!

[Teri]

Hi Jeri,
Good luck with your diet plan. It is a constant struggle with me. I also tend to want to eat when I am at work. That cafeteria and coffee shop with the 4" square iced brownies are really hard to stay away from on a bad day. But I am plodding along. I will be thinking of you!

[Panhandle Jane]

The socks are terrific!