Dressing for Success?

I have been thinking about how I'm pretty good at dressing so the fat in my mid-section is less noticeable. Or at least I thought so. I decided to do a little experiment . . . take some pictures with my cellphone . . . something I'm not very good at!  If I was 16 or maybe even twenty I would be really good at it but then again I wouldn't have this problem . . . the problem with the extra, you know what around the middle.

Here's what I have. And I think at least in these clothes I'm not too bad at hiding The Extra.

Next I decided to take off my baggy sweatshirt and take similar pictures . . . yikes! The good news is I'm a good camouflager.  The bad news is that I have a lot to camouflage.

Since I haven't posted my before weight (you might remember that I have a hangup with that) I'm using these pictures instead.  And yes, I still plan to post my before measurements.

These photos are intended to motivate me and to give me something to refer back to.

Here's to good health!

Day 2 - Feeling Better Already!

It's a wonder how quickly improving nutrition can make you feel! Day 2 of meeting the challenges I set for myself for this week and feeling good!

My Fitness Pal is my best friend!  It is keeping me honest!  Nothing goes into my mouth without entering it in to my daily log.  It's that whole accountability thing.  It gets me out of the mindless eating.

I mentioned in my last post that exercise is easy for me. I never dread doing it. Especially running! What I didn't tell you is that the main reason I enjoy it so much is that I can literally step out my door, walk through the yard, open the back gate and start my run. How lucky I'm I!!!  I don't think a day goes by, while on my run that I don't express appreciation for being so fortunate.  I love being able to run year-around outdoors, especially when it is so convenient!

I logged in two, 3 mile runs since my last post. Plus working out with weights. Nothing huge . . . just the regular biceps curls, overhead extensions, etc.  Although it isn't real intense, it helps me to keep my strength.  I'm on the look-out for something better though.  Any suggestions?

The last couple of days haven't been as sedentary as I had thought they would be but when they get that way, I'm going to do my best to get up off my chair and move my body!

Still haven't taken body measurements yet . . . but I will!

I'm making progress.  I'm headed in the right direction and blogging about it, is definitely giving me the motivation and accountability I needed to stay on track!  Join me on my journey.

Here's to good health!

Motivation and Accountibility

I'm a little late with my second entry.  It's not because I lost interest in doing the blog.  It turned out that I ended up having unexpected company, followed by a 5 day trip out of state.  I could say a lot more about unexpected company and the trip since it plays into my reason for blogging, but it will have to wait for another time.

In my first entry I  was vague with my objective and reasoning for starting the blog . . . that was due to the unexpected company mentioned above.  For weeks I had planned to start red-violet autumn with my first entry scheduled on my 51st birthday, even though distractions got me off-track I was determined to start anyway, even if it wasn't the greatest start (which I might mention is a tough thing coming from a perfectionist).

OK . . . now that I have that out of the way, I must explain my purpose for blogging.  In two words motivation and accountability.  As I look around, I can see that I'm not much different than other women close to my age, especially those of us who are apple-shaped.  It's the constant fight to keep the fat from the middle of our bodies from taking over!  Recently I have wondered if it's worth the battle, after-all I'm in my 50's, maybe it doesn't matter any more, but my heart and my head tells me it does.

I have to be honest here, I hate how the fat around my middle makes me feel!  My clothes don't fit right and it seems to get in the way of romping around with my grand kids and it makes me feel like a blob!  But far more important than all that, is the health issues related to increased fat around the mid-section.  We've all hear about it . . . it's nothing new . . . people who carry fat in their mid-sections are predisposed to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. etc.  And something I learned this weekend, that was new to me, is women who are over weight increase their chance of getting breast cancer dramatically.

I'll admit, this stuff worries me.  This is where my real motivation comes from.  I have watched my parents age quicker than they should with decreased quality of life, primarily because of being over-weight and living sedentary life styles.

A few days ago I snapped some pictures of myself in my running clothes after completing my morning workout.  As much as I hate posting them I think it is part of being accountable.  In my regular clothes I'm pretty good at dressing so the fat-in-the-middle is camouflaged, or at least I think so??  Actually now that I say that I have a feeling that if I took the same kinds of pictures even in my real clothes I would probably look much the same.  So who I'm trying to fool?

Without embarrassing myself totally and trying to avoid sounding like I'm someone who has a body image problem (always picking at myself), instead of labeling places where the fat is accumulating on my body, I decided to use numbers instead.  I think by the photos it is pretty clear what I'm struggling with.

So what I'm I going to do about it?  I'm going to get rid of the extra fat I have on my body! This is another place the accountability comes in.  If I post it here, I HAVE to follow through.  That's huge motivation for me!

For this week I'm going to commit to a four things that sound simple but will definitely be a challenge for me!

1.  Log EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth, using myfitness pal and report in a blog.  This will be a huge challenge for me but I know it will propel me in the right direction with accountability.
2.  Take body measurements and record on a blog post  (You might be wondering why I'm not including a before weight, I'll explain later, but for now I'll say that I have an aversion to weighing that I'm trying to get over!)
3.  Track all exercise during the week.  This won't be hard for me, exercise in general is easy for me.  I actually love it!  I do a variety of things.  My favorites are running, cycling and hiking.
4.  During my work day, take breaks and move my body!  (Sometimes my work requires a lot of moving, while other times it can be very sedentary.  I have a problem with getting so focused in a project that I forget to move.  Sometimes hours can go by before I stand up from my chair and move.  When I do this I pay the price!  It makes my body feel stiff and achey.  This week I especially have a sedentary work week a head of me so this is will be really important.)

To start this off strong I will be posting throughout the week to give me the boost of motivation and accountability I'm looking for.  If you should read this blog and want to join me on this journey, I would love to have your company!

Here's to good health!

Blogging About Living Vibrantly for Fifty-Two Weeks in My 52nd Year

Today is my birthday!  I'm 51 years old . . . and just starting my fifty-second year.

A few weeks ago I happened on to a magazine that showcased bloggers.  I picked it up not because I was particularly interested in blogging, I was more interested in the graphic lay-out of the magazine.  While flipping through the pages I came across an article about an artist who decided to create 42 paintings in 42 weeks and blog about it along the way.  The blogger was an artist and an art teacher and was looking for something to spark new creativity in her work as well as a way to give back to her community in a charitable way.  At the end of the 42 weeks she would have an art show opening at a local gallery.  Any sales from the show would go to her favorite charity.

Hummm . . . I liked what I read and saw.  It interested me in many ways.  I love art and I was once an art teacher.  Could I do something like this?   . . . No way!  I'm not someone who is creating art and selling it.  No art gallery would have an opening and show my work!  My artwork couldn't earn a dime for any charity.  And besides that I don't know where I could fit in one more thing to do in to my life.

But still the personal challenge of setting a goal with a time frame that would encourage self-improvement was appealing to me.

After giving it some thought I came up with something that I could do.  Something that I feel passion about, but something I'm always seeking to improve on and that is living a healthy life style for improved wellness.

Where does the charitable part come in?  I'm not sure yet?  I feel like I'm on a journey that I'm not sure where it's going to take me, and I'm ok with that.  I don't know how many people will even read my blog, if any, but I feel a passion inside of me to take a chance and move forward even if I don't have everything figured out.  And besides the whole fifty-second year coordinates so well with the 52 weeks of the year thing!  No time to waste!  Today is the perfect day to start a personal challenge while hopefully inspiring others on my way.  Happy Birthday to me!

Oh, do you like my logo?  Are you wondering where the name came from?  Fall is my favorite season.  I love the crisp air and the vibrant colors!  And . . . let's face it, at fifty one I might be considered by some as being in the autumn season of my life so why not embrace it?  And it sure beats saying middle-aged.

And the red-violet part?  I'm a designer.  Color matters to me.  Warm colors suggest vitality and energy.  Red-Violet seemed like the perfect name or description for a blog about living life with joy and health, no matter your age.