Blair’s BlogServations #2
Silly Walking and Other Tips
Welcome back! Get up and do a happy dance with me. Come on now – get up. Celebrate with me! I’ve lost 2 pounds. Yeah me . . . happy dancin’ . . !
Last week was a busy week for me. I became a Master Wellness Volunteer through the OSU Extension office. The OSU Extension office offers a 5-week program covering information on nutrition, weight loss, hydration, aging issues, exercise and more. It is an excellent program offered in OKC and Tulsa. If you are interested in wellness and helping the community, take a look at the Master Wellness Volunteer.
Onward to learning something new. Did you know that we need to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week to lose weight? That really breaks down to about 20 minutes a day which sounds more manageable – I can do 20 minutes a day. Notice I didn’t say exercise but used the word activity. When I imagine exercise, I think of hours in the gym. I don’t want to go to the gym. But I do want to move!
The other participants of the Changing Your Weighs program and I have two classes under our belts. I highly recommend this program: Karen Massey, Community Educator Coordinator for INTEGRIS Community Wellness has been our presenter. And she is awesome! She makes learning fun.
Changing Your Weighs is not a fad or a quick fix. Weight loss takes work, but the information shared in the program is valuable and makes sense. My goals are simple: I want to feel better, become healthy, have the ability to cross my legs (ah . . . simple pleasures), walk without breathing heavily, and to inspire others. All it will take is exercise and healthy food, right? I have set a weight loss goal of 25 pounds and will be monitoring it by weighing in as well as tracking my waist measurements.
“The federal guidelines define physical activity in a very basic way. Essentially, physical activity is any form of movement of the body that uses energy. Remember that Energy is a synonym for calories.”
— Changing Your Weighs, page 43.
I set reminders on my phone to get up and move throughout the day. I like to dance to lively music – usually I do this at home . . . alone, where no one can see me. At the office, I ‘silly walk’ (fun energetic walking of your own interpretative style) down the hallway or I do Tai Chi in the quiet of the elevator.
Check out this workout from the Washington Post for quick workout moves at the office. If you need to get off your ‘duff’, this is a fun way to do it. It even rates for difficulty and sweating levels. If you are concerned about being humiliated, it rates that too!
I use MyFitnessPal.com through my phone and computer. It helps me monitor my weight, food intake, goals, measurement, exercise, nutrition and water intake The basic app is free, and there is a lot of information included, such as delicious recipes and great tips. There are plenty of phone apps that help track weight loss. Let me know if you use something else. I might like it better!
Before starting this weight loss program, I monitored my food intake in order to become aware of what I was eating. I am now eating 500 less calories a day. It isn’t difficult and I’m rarely hungry. Starvation isn’t the way to lose weight – you must fuel your body to lose weight with healthy food.
In addition, I have increased my water intake. I take a large 64-ounce container of filtered water to work. I drink it throughout the day and into the evening. This helps me track my water intake and is a reminder that I need to drink. It also helps increase my movement – to you know where!
Sitting here typing should help me lose weight right? I better get up and do some silly walking. Care to join me? Until next week . . . may the movement be with you!