A week later...

I've decided to do a weekly update to track the changes in my habits, weight, and endurance. I'm hoping that this will help me get more motivated and figure out what works and what doesn't.

I've been eating somewhat better this past week, but I'm having trouble arranging my schedule to get more activity worked in. The first two days I got up at 7am, fed horses, came in and did a 30 minute belly dance basics workout, ate breakfast, went back out to turn out the horses and feed hay, then cleaned stalls. The rest of the time I cleaned house and worked on the computer.

It was going well until day 3 when I got cramps. I managed to do chores and clean stalls, but then curled up in a tiny ball for the rest of the day. The next day I didn't get up until 8am, and the morning routine was pretty much broken for the rest of the week. I did keep my activity up during the day, though I haven't been walking the block yet I have been walking the stairs a lot.

I've also been watching what I eat, and how much. I've been eating more fruit and yogurt and drinking more water. My energy has its ups and downs, but I think that may even out once I get into a better pattern.

It's been easy going to movies. Jac gets a large popcorn, and I get a little bag and take a couple of handfuls for myself. We started doing this a while ago because she likes to put a lot of flavored topping on it, and I'm not a fan of the flavors she chooses. The meal deal we get includes a large soda, and she only really drinks Pepsi, so that's a bit of a problem that I haven't worked out yet. This last time I just didn't drink as much of it, but I'd like to avoid the temptation in the future.

In spite of all of this, I'm down to 192 lbs. It's probably water weight, but any loss is motivating. My goals for this coming week are to plan a workable exercise schedule and make more home made meals.

Spring and Goals

It's March 1st, and while there's still snow on the ground, you can feel that Spring is on its way. The sun is out, birds are singing, and the horses are starting to shed. There's a scent in the air that promises green grass and warmer days coming, and I can't wait.

With the coming of Spring, my thoughts turn to show and riding season. My list of goals in the side bar mostly deals with horses and riding, but I won't be able to accomplish most of them if I don't work on goal number 8: lose weight and get in shape. I'm currently 194 lbs, and at 5'4" that's around 60 lbs more than I should weigh. I also have no endurance and very little muscle tone in my core. This of course is a pain in the neck (and the back, knees, ankles, etc...), so I've decided to start up my work out routine again.



















I'm starting out slow and easy so I don't hurt myself, especially since my back has been twitchy lately. I have a belly dance basic moves exercise DVD that is low impact with lots of stretching and isolations that I'll do every morning in the break between feeding the horses and turning them out. Once I can get through the whole routine without getting winded and overheated, I'll switch to another DVD.

After the morning workout, I'll finish horse chores and clean the barn (muck stalls, sweep cobwebs, scrub and fill water buckets and tanks, etc...), come in and clean the house, and then I get to rest and work in the office for a while

In the afternoon I'll be walking, starting with a short distance at first and working up to walking around the whole block, which is about 4 miles, give or take. I'd like to jog eventually, but I need to either lose weight in my bodice area first (I'm a 38 DD) or invest (and I do mean invest) in a high impact sport bra. It's so hard to find a really good sport bra for big chested women that actually fits well. You certainly can't find them at Wal-Mart.

I'll also be changing my eating habits, much to my roommate's dismay. I'm still researching meal plans, but I want to eat more fruits and veggies, drink more water, cut back on refined sugars, and avoid white flour pastas and breads. It means meal planning and organized grocery shopping, but it needs to be done. I'm planning my veggie garden for this summer, so that should help with the grocery costs and give me more variety.

That's the plan so far. I'll be blogging to track of my progress and to help me stay on course. And I'll try to have actual horse related news and updates as well!