EASY COME, EASY GO ... what a bunch of crap!! As any dieter will tell you, it goes on easy (and fast) and comes off S-L-O-W. The 16 or so pounds that I put on since late spring are starting to retreat - at a slow pace. I figure that I should be back to those levels by the end of the year!!

Take heed - be vigilent. It isn't necessary for your weight to rule your life - but it is important to continue to exercise at a modest level and focus on the quality of what you eat. If you stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat entrees, and refrain from candy and junk food, you should stay within a normal daily allotment of calories. We try to keep crisp apples in the fridge for snacking, as well as non-fat yogurt sweetened with Nutrasweet. Instead of being 250+ calories, a container is just 120 (Dannon). It makes up a part of my daily lunch!.

Exercise is feeling part of my normal routine once again. I've maintained my goal of a 20K steps per day average in September. Just 8 more days to go. On tap for November and December - a couple of half marathons.

Have a great week!!
8:56:28 PM

A GOOD PAIR OF SHOES... - I've said many times that walking requires very little - a little motivation and a good pair of shoes. Over the past year or so, I've samples, and purchased several pairs of shoes - most from sales at the local "Big 5", or SportMart. Now, these are band-name shoes - mostly New Balance. I buy New Balance because they have a wide selection of shoes in W-I-D-E (i.e. 2E) widths. Most of the shoes I'm talking of cost $39-$65.

However, you DO get what you pay for, and my favorites have been two pair that I paid a little over $100 for. This evening, I went through the closet and sampled each of 5 pairs of shoes, walk/jogging about a mile in each around the neighborhood. The result - two pair went into the donation bags for being to tight or too short. I keep two pair for normal daily walking, and another for my long weekend jogs.

Why so many?

When I complete a workout (yes, 45-60 minutes of brisk walking is a workout), I like to change shoes, to provide my feet a different 'feel'. It works for me.

Good shoes can be purchased at a wide range of prices. Advice from one who has been there: (1) buy late in the day, when your feet will be their 'largest' (your feet swell a little during the day), (2) try them on and walk around - they should be comfortable, without any 'break-in' period, (3) make sure that you sample a variety, to experience the differences in cushioning, arch support, etc. The differences can be BIG!!.
10:59:24 PM

TIME OR DISTANCE?? ... Last Thursday, I decided to do an hour on the stationary bike that we have. I selected a level of difficulty above the middle, turned on the TV and started riding. As I proceeded to pedal away, the control display switched between time, distance, calories and speed. At first it wasn't too bad. However, I was wearing jeans, and as the time wore on, I began wearing some sore spots on my buns. I also determined that it was just plain stupid to "ride for an hour". No matter what you do, you just can't make that damn clock go faster. TV helps make the "time go faster", but it doesn't. At least, when I'm out walking or jogging, I have control over how fast I dispense with the exercise. Did I mention that I ended up with some very sore chafe marks on my seat.

Anyway, the next time I ride the machine, I will set a goal of a distance, or calorie level as my personal challenge goal. At least I can exercise control over my own destiny that way.

Friday and Saturday were very good walk/jogging days for me. I got my daily average above the 20K/day mark, and looking forward to a 4 mile walk to the local Art & Wine Festival tomorrow. Depending on the amount of stuff purchased, we may walk, or ride the bus home.

Remember, you gotta MOVE IT to Lose It!!
9:29:46 PM

30K OR BUST!! ... yup, I've been slacking off a little. Tomorrow, I need to hit somewhere around 30,000 steps to get my daily average for the month up over 20,000/day. Its just one of those silly little competitive things I do with myself. Give me a numeric target and ...

I've found that nuts are a big attraction for me. One of my co-workers keeps a jar of mixed nuts out on his desk for anyone to snack on. I find myself snacking a littke more than I should. Nothing wrong with nuts ... they are a good source of protein, and contain monounsaturated fats - the "good" ones. But a little "good" fat goes a long way.

As I said before, we know what the problem is, now we just have to deal with it!

I think I'll get up early and mix a little walkin' and little joggin' for an hour or so.

Have a great weekend!
9:44:18 PM

BACK TO 20k/DAY... boy, was August a bust!! Actually, I did worse after returning from vacation. Working long hours, my motivation was shot when I got home. Of course, one has to anticipate and accept the consequences of one's actions (or lack thereof). Obviously, I wasn't surprised - just a little disappointed in myself .

Enough, already!! We know what the problem is (was), and what the corrections are. I'll maintain my activity log here, for the week, just to keep me honest!

Date   Steps
09/08  22,630
09/09  21,175
09/10  21,132
09/11  11,408
09/12  16,940
09/13  25,538
09/14  32,420
09/15  29,458
09/16  24,405
Daily Average for the month:20,537

8:13:16 PM