One of the things in the Matthew McConaghy Greenlights book is to take note of what is going on when things are going WELL. Track your successes, as well as your failures. Since the beginning of this year, I am down almost ten pounds. I feel great. I am so happy I have been able to stick with the Caroline Girvin workouts. I am halfway through the Epic 1 program, and this is easily the longest I have stuck with a fitness program that didn't involve a team, or a trainer, in real-life. We returned to RMTC track workouts this week, on the windiest day EVER, and while I could not do the entire workout, I was shocked I did 3/4 of it and at a pace over three minutes faster than my typical run time. Caroline's workouts are helping me more than I think they are!
I have also been religiously tracking and planning my meals in MyFitnessPal, following the macro recommendations a nutritionist gave me, years ago. I aim to get 20% of my calories from protein, 30% from carbs and 50% from fat (health fats, as much as possible). This style of eating, and tracking what I eat, is not hard for me to do overall, because I am used to it. I decided I was going to do it, and I picked it right back up. Most days, the macros just line up based on my food choices, I don't have to think about getting the ratios too much because I know how to do it. It's a habit, as long as I want it to be.
So that's how I got the scale to move in the right direction. The weight didn't really want to come off at first, but lately it is picking up. Probably because I am building muscle (which burns more calories than fat does) and because I'm being picky about what I'm eating. I want the healthy stuff. Snacks are nuts, olives, veggies. I am cooking my own food more. Less processed things in general. I still love my full fat cheese of course, and my glass of wine. But in moderation, those things have a place in my life. And they likely will, forever. I don't know if this has any impact on scale movement, but I'm seeing friends more and doing nice things for other people as much as I can. My sister just got a new puppy, I sent them a box of fun puppy things, and a few fun things for them, too. Mentally, I feel better when I can contribute positively to others' lives.
Lately I have been thinking about my genes. Three out of my four grandparents lived into their 90s. I still have one living grandma, my mom's mom, who will be 97 in June, and almost every day she walks laps around the pool deck with her walker. She keeps her weight down, and still enjoys a small glass of wine each day. She once told me "Don't sit down, you'll get old!" Wise words. My dad's parents both lived into their 90s. Grandpa ran a tree nursery and even though Grandma was in a wheelchair, she did a lot of work and movement every day to keep the house going. And then their son, my dad, died just shy of the average life expectancy. Dad was very active as he aged - but he also drank multiple cocktails per day the last twenty years of his life, and he became more sedentary after 70. He was still active enough to go skiing up until three weeks before he died, but he let his activity level really taper off. He also generally had a lot of stress and angst throughout his life, which he never seemed to deal with other than by drinking more. I think the stress and drinking contributed to his early death. I mean, both his parents lived into their 90s. They were not stressed. They moved a lot. They drank minimally. The lesson here is not lost on me. I have GREAT GENES, and so did my dad, but in a sense, he squandered them. I will not make the same mistake.
It is a beautiful spring day in Colorado. St. James has their last fish fry for Lent tonight, so we'll walk down there for dinner. I am so happy that I'm healthy enough to do that, I do not take it for granted. And my meal is already planned out and in my tracker, huzzah! Already took the dogs for a walk, going to shower and do my nails before we head out for the evening. This is the kind of lifestyle I'd like to keep forever. Part of that journey I never want to end... ;)
