and holding...

"So this is your 'and holding...' birthday," a close friend said to me last Thursday on my 39th birthday.  I asked for clarification and she said "you know, 39 and holding..."  I told her that I planned on spending my 40th year working toward my 40th birthday so that I arrive to that day healthier in all aspects of my life - physically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.  Little did I know, as I made that statement, that I would be "and holding" sooner than later.  This was the first update in which I had not lost any weight, rather, I was just holding.  And while I continue to close in on other goals (Rimmy Jims, 2M steps, 1M seconds, 500 miles), it was the "and holding" realization that made me re-evaluate my mindset.  With sick kids home from school on Friday, relatives descending upon our guest room on Saturday, and the ongoing move of my mother-in-law in to a new apartment - I had to question my expectations for this week.  Were they realistic? Were my setbacks stress related (even though I feel fairly stress free)?  I did continue to make progress on inches lost and in the end, if I had to choose one or the other, I would like to fit into the new pants I just bought today rather than marry myself to a number on a scale.

The happy, sleepy, medium

A few days back (it might have even been last weekend), I read an article about the effect of too little or too much sleep in regards to one's weight.  I think it might have been in one of the shiny, weekend newspaper inserts.  Anyway, when I updated my MedHelp trackers this morning, after accumulating a whopping 9 hours of sleep last night, I was curious whether the findings from the research were being replicated in my own life.  While the correlation isn't perfect, I did notice that there was usually a slight weight gain following days when I slept more than 8 or less than 7.  I have posted screen shots of the two trackers, in such a way that the sleep column lines up with the correct morning.  It was interesting to see that the stretch while I was in California (six dots in a row) and slept 9-10 hours per night did correlate with a bit of a weight gain (~ 2lbs).  And while there are many other variables, I really did try to behave myself in California (low stress, good exercise, healthy eating, etc.)  On days when I slept less than 7 hours, I also saw a increase.  The low and steady weight loss correlates with a good stretch of sleeping 7-8 hours.  The sleep tracker lists my average sleep as 7.6 hours.  I have slept as many as 10 hours (while in California) and as few as 6 hours.  What does this have to do with my treadmill desk project?  I'm not really sure other than that since beginning on this journey I have had much more consistent sleep than I did prior.

One down, four to go

The holiday season that is bookended by Halloween and Valentine's day is always the longest 106 days in my fitness and health routine.  This, coupled by the impending winter weather, seems to always be ripe for falling back in to sedentary habits and crappy eating.  So when I woke up this morning to see that I was still headed in the right direction on several goals, I was ecstatic.  And eventhough I got not nearly enough sleep last night and really feel like taking a nap, I am happily trudging along on my treadmill.  If the same variables were in play at this time last year, I would have collapsed on to the couch for a long winter's nap.

Fears, Futures, and Fortitude

So as I near the end of my third week, I am finding myself nervous about week four.  As a person who spends a good deal of each year cajoling faculty and staff at my college to engage in new exercise routines -- I know how critical week four can be.  Week four takes someone toward the all important 28 day mark.  Research shows that on average it takes 28 days to make or break a habit.  As such, I was totally excited to make it this far; that is, until I had to schedule an unexpected trip to California for a week long stint.  I will be far away from my tread desk.  I have come to love my tread desk and all it has to offer.  So while I should be thrilled to be heading out for a bit of reprieve from life, I am less enthused than I expected.  On average I have been walking close to 7 miles per day.  Because I am heading south to help my parents, the idea of taking several hours out of each day to get 7 miles of walking in seems a bit selfish.  I do, however, want to keep up my progress so I am gearing up to get up each morning at 6am for a 3+ mile walk-jog.  I hope to repeat the routine in the early evening.  Stay tuned to monitor my progress.