The Until We Meet Again Tour on August 21 had brunch with Boxster, Nicole, and Desi. They gave me a Fitbit as a parting gift. Nicole is my trainer and this device measures a whole lot more than steps, which is what my previous device did.
It got some good use yesterday. I promise not to make a habit of posting such photos, but this seemed an pretty good start.
Filed under Exercise, Friends, Uncategorized
Ate well – seven days
30+ minutes of exercise – seven days
Weekly steps: 87,317
Weight change: 3 pounds lost
It’s a start.
See you along the Trail.
“But what about second chances?”
When her son posed that question, Grace Ji-Sun Kim reflected on the role of second chances in life:
Where would I be without second chances? Where would most of us be without second chances in life? Most of us are only where we are because we got second chances. People who experience serious accidents and survive are given second chances in life. When we think about our faith journey, isn’t that a second chance at life? Isn’t that the essence of God’s grace?
Specifically, Grace pondered the role of second chances in her life, particularly in terms of self-care. Her words resonated with me as I fail to do well at that.
I have tried. Over the years I have tried. I have had moments of success. And more moments of failures. Last fall I actually walked 1,000,000 steps over a three-month period. I ate everything in sight. But I did walk.
I have had momentary gains. False starts. Serious backsliding. I am way past a second chance – and even the fourth chance that Grace mentions.
But today … for some reason, I cannot name or explain … today seems a day to try again. I extend myself grace and start anew.
See you along the Trail.
On October 1, I set a goal of walking 10,000 steps each day. After several days, I realized that by increasing the number of steps, it would be possible to walk 1,000,000 total steps between October 1 and today – December 31.
Moments ago, I logged that 1,000,000th step. Goal met. And it feels good.
Now to set some goals for 2013 – goals for healthier living. I have some ideas and my friend Irene has put one out there for me as well. I look forward to what is to come.
See you along the Trail.
The effort at self care continued. November proved – well maybe better, maybe not. The effort continued to focus on walking and eating. I failed to do much in the way of recording my results on another blog. I have continued to annoy family and friends by posting on Facebook. Here’s a summary for the month and you can where there were successes and where there were challenges and where there was a change. And something strange happened. At least it seems strange to me.
GOAL ONE – EAT WELL
Ate well: 1 day
Overate: 29 days (maybe not overate badly on all of those days – just most of them; certainly all of them involved eating more than would have contributed to losing any weight)
GOAL TWO – WALK 30 MINUTES AT A TIME
Walked 30 minutes at a time: 29 days (took one day off)
Note: sometimes this involves using the treadmill, other times it involves walking outside.
GOAL THREE – WALK 11,000 STEPS A DAY
Walked 11,000 steps: 22 days
Note: this is a new goal that was initiated on November 1. When October ended, I realized that it would be possible to reach 1,000,ooo steps from October 1 to December 31. For some reason, that seems cool. To become a 1,000,000 stepper would take about 11,000 steps. Since November 1, that has been the goal.
STEPS FOR THE MONTH
351,745
STEPS 1 OCTOBER THROUGH 30 NOVEMBER
709,142
Despite all the overeating, despite single-handedly eating enough Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to increase their profit margin significantly, I actually lost 4 pounds in November.
That gives me much to ponder for December and beyond.
See you along the Trail.
Sometimes others help us meet the challenges our journeys pose.
To reach the top of Diamond Head, one must climb this staircase.
When I visited Eric, during one of the years he attended Hawai’i Pacific, he insisted that he accompany me when I went to visit Diamond Head. At the top, I realized why. Had I gone alone, I would have turned back – on more than one occasion – including the moment I looked up these steps. But with Eric along, and feeling my responsibility for his experience, I persevered.
See you along the Trail.
28 October 2006
Diamond Head State Monument
Honolulu, Hawai’i
Filed under Photo
On the right hand side of my Facebook page, there now appear links to previous posts. I had not noticed them before – or if I did, I ignored them.
Today I noticed one about going to the gym – and for some reason, I followed.
One year ago today, I marked 11 consecutive days of going to the gym. I don’t know when that streak ended – how many more days, if any followed.
Part of me, the avoidance part, wants to wonder – are the links always exactly a year old. Another part wonders reading this post be a challenge to get started again.
See you along the Trail.
I have been away from blogging.
I have been overeating.
I have not been to the gym.
I have not been taking blood sugar readings.
I have not been walking 10,000 steps day. Actually I have not been keeping track of my steps at all.
There are reasons excuses. My pedometer died and the new one has not arrived. I hurt my toe. The gym was closed.
They are real. But they should have not thrown me for a loop.
Tomorrow is another day. It begins again.
See you along the trail.
Got involved in a number of projects last night and did not post.
Had a successful visit with folks from the campus ministry at Virginia Tech.
But also had my pedometer die. Since one goal is 10,000 steps a day, that is a problem. The one silver lining is that I have made it to 10,000 steps enough days in a row to have a pretty good sense of what that takes.
I ordered a new pedometer anyhow.
Exercise (treadmill in gym): 5 days in a row
10,000+ steps: 5 days in a row
Eating well: 9 days in a row
Blood sugar readings: 13 normal in a row; 74% normal since the start
Watched a movie based on Susan Cooper’s book The Dark is Rising. An okay movie – well barely. A much better book. Different media as I always say. But compared to other movies – still barely OK.
Filed under Exercise
Posting a day late here.
Yesterday was the second weigh-in for the Noble Road Biggest Loser event. The base weigh-in was on January 8. The result – a 3 pound loss. A good week.
Since this journey along the Graybeard Trail began, the total loss is closer to 13 pounds. The effort began about December 17 when I stopped (more or less) eating “sweets” – items that are predominantly sugar. While I did not restrict the eating of other items, I did try to do some walking at that point. Our trip to New Orleans involved a great deal of walking as well – and eating, lots and lots of eating. That did enough to prevent any gain and actually drop a pound or two. Since returning to Louisville on December 31, I have made a more focused effort that includes a period of exercise, eating somewhere between 1,600 and 2,000 calories and walking 10,000 steps or more a day. It is a good start.
Yesterday the step count was 12,729 – the most steps yet. That came because as well as getting to the gym, I participated in the Presbyterian Center’s Justice Walk to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We walked to the Ohio River where Dr. Blaine Hudson from the University of Louisville reflected on the Louisville’s role in the underground railroad. We then turned back and went to the offices of the Presbytery of Mid-Kentucky where Edgardo Mansilla of the Americana Community Center addressed immigration issues and how we can live as neighbors to those who come to this country.
The movie at the gym was Deja Vu. I am discovering that the movie makes a big difference. Gripping movies are much easier to walk to – the time seems to pass almost unnoticed.
Filed under Uncategorized
Along the Graybeard Trail 