So…

I got up, did a load of dishes, checked my email and got to thinking.

This would be the perfect week to start getting some more exercise.  From past experience I knew it needed to be something simple.  Weight training, calisthenics, aerobics, etc. would consume too much of my time in research and give me an excuse not to get started.  I wanted to do something simple that I could start on immediately.  Then it hit me!

Walking!

I did a Google search on “Fitness Walking” and this beginner walking article from “The Walking Site” popped up first.  A quick read told me all I needed to know to get started.  So I…

1. Put on my walking shoes
2. Put on my hat (my hair is a nightmare before my morning shower).
3. Grabbed my camera (who knows when I might want to take a picture of my surroundings).
4. And set off on a thirty minute walk.

The neighborhood was quiet.  I saw only two other people during my entire trek.  I kept a brisk pace and enjoyed the sounds of the morning birds in trees; still damp from last night’s rain.

By the end I felt a not quite unpleasant tension in my legs and had broken a sweat.  After a cool down stretch I called my walk finished and headed for the shower.  My head felt clear and I was ready to tackle the day.

By the time I was cleaned up the rest of the family was starting to stir and I could tell the day was about to begin in earnest.

I could definitely get used to this.

One of the major factors in achieving successful and sustained weight loss is educating yourself on the right things to do to be successful.  Armed with the right knowledge you are far more likely to succeed.

I let the site slide and my motivation waned.  My weight increased.

Then something changed.  At the age of eighty-three my grandfather passed away.  Attending his funeral and seeing all the people whose lives he touched in over eight decades was inspiring.  These people, friends and family, had known my grandfather and had had their lives enriched becasuse of him.

I wanted to have the same experience in my life of enriching others lives.  That’s when realization struck.  My grandfather was a healthy, active person all of his life.  I, however, was sedentary and over indulgent in eating.  I also realized that in addition to restricting my level of activity I was likely shortening my life span.

That’s when I made the decision to change.  I knew it wouldn’t be an overnight transformation.  I knew the road ahead would be long and full of challenges.  I comitted to taking the steps necessary to make positive change in my life and I took action to begin.

Over the course of the next year I made gradual but continous progress.  I changed how I ate.  I changed how I viewed food.  I changed the direction of my health.

Now I am happy to report that I’ve lost over forty-five pounds and am continuing to get healthier every day.

There is still more improvement to be made.  According to BMI calculations I am still categorized as obese for my height.  I am a long way from having an ideal body.  However, I am dramatically improved from a year ago with a positive outlook and a years worth of improvement to back my continuing motivation.

I now feel able to move on to the next phase of what I would like to acheive.  I would like to help others acheive success, not strictly in losing weight but in improving their lives.  I have struggled through lack of motivation, feeling depressed from seemingly no progress, and fear that I could not change.  Through all of that I have acheived progress in my life.

I hope that progress can help others to see there is light at the end of the tunnel.  That no matter how unsuccessful you have been in the past each day is a new opportunity to succeed.  Forgive yourself of your past mistakes and commit to success going forward.

Accomplishment begins with the next step you take.  Make sure to take it in the right direction.

That five minutes takes panic out of the equation.  It means I won’t have a knee-jerk response to the hunger. 

So…

Today’s five minute planning session yeilded the following result.

Chicken Parmesean and Pasta
This is a home brewed recipe that serves in a pinch as a hearty meal ready in under twenty minutes.  It’s filling and at 550 calories it’s not a diet buster.
The ingredients are simple:
Chicken Patty
Spaghetti Sauce
Angel Hair Pasta

Preparation
Heat the oven to cook the chicken patty.�
While the oven is heating boil water to cook the pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked, heat a small amount of Olive oil in a skillet.
Add sauce and pasta.
Cook over medium low heat until the chicken patty is ready.
Plate the pasta and sauce.
Add the chicken patty.
Sprinkle with Parmesean cheese.
Enjoy!

The result is a tasty and filling lunch that you can feel good about.