Set Backs
It felt good to ride my bike Thursday evening. We have a favorite bike path from our house up the canyon and back. It takes my wife and I a little over an hour to make the round trip. We had company on our ride: my brother-in-law from Scottsdale was in town and he joined us. The canyon part of the trail runs along the Provo River and it makes for a very pleasant ride. I noticed the smells, watched the bugs and animals, and squinted to keep the cottonwood fluff from getting in my eyes. This was a trick because the breeze was blowing the fluff sideways, filling the air to the point that it resembled snow and left white piles of it on the sides of the bike path.
My orthopaedic surgeon suggested I ride my bike more instead of walking for awhile. He told me bike riding is the best exercise I can do for my knee while it is healing. So I am going to schedule time for a daily ride. Thursday was the first time I’ve pushed it since the procedure. I’ve ridden the bike around the block, but I haven’t tried going up the canyon. I was a little out of breath and tired when I got home, but stretching out the muscles through the exertion felt great. (And I didn’t cramp up afterwards.)
I got a good ride in last night too. We took the kids and I ended up taking my recumbent bike. The recumbent is a little harder on my knee, and I don’t seem to have as much torque up the hills, but I made it most of the way on our regular route. I started to cramp up a little last night (a real indicator of how hard I was working), but I took some medication and slept well. (So well in fact I slept in and missed my weight watcher weigh-in again!!!!!) This brings up an interesting debate: did I just happen to sleep in or was I avoiding the weigh-in?
As I’ve mentioned in the last few posts I have found the scale to be unfriendly. Mostly because I haven’t been as active since my knee was scoped, but also because I’ve been a little lax about journaling my food (because I haven’t been too careful about my food choices.) I’m really struggling with this. I’m beating myself up for gaining a few pounds and it is really frustrating me. I’ve almost let myself slip into the “why bother” attitude. I promise I won’t go there, but this whole process reminds me of how much our mental attitude plays into weight loss.
What I should be doing is looking in the mirror and celebrating the incredible weight loss I’ve had this last year. I’m mean, let’s face it, 170 pounds lost is no small accomplishment. Instead I am getting all worked up about gaining 10 pounds. I even know why… but I still can’t seem to push aside the anxiety and avoid the feelings of defeat and frustration.
Whenever I get these “out of control” frustrated feelings, I often think of the prayer adopted by many 12-step addition programs:
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
- Original Author Unknown
So this week I will recommit. I will start by getting out on my bike every day. I will write down everything I eat—no matter what—and make an effort to carefully watch my food choices. I know I can turn this frustrating trend of weight gain around.
I read a very timely article by Jillian Michaels yesterday. It ties in perfectly with what I’ve been thinking about. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have a fun weekend. If you have a little sunshine and blue skies today where you live, get out and fill your lungs with fresh air. Feel the sun on your face and be grateful for the health you enjoy—then walk, jog, ride a bike… do something. You’ll feel better and you will be one step closer to better health.
Kirk
Losing It with Jillian Michaels, Online Edition, Friday, June 26, 2009
by Jillian Michaels
Suffered a Setback? Here’s How to Get Back on the Wagon
It happens — you miss a few workouts and you feel like you’ve fallen off the weight-loss wagon. It’s tempting to mentally slap yourself around, right? (Or head for the fridge.) Before you start, I want to remind you of something: Being hard on yourself is the Old You.
The New You knows how to deal with setbacks and get back on the wagon. And after all, there are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Weight loss is a process — it takes time. You will encounter small failures — everyone does — but every pound you gain can be lost.
And if you miss a workout, it’s not the end of the world! Get to the gym the next day and continue to focus on your short-term goals. Just because you made bad choices today doesn’t mean you can’t start over tomorrow. New day? New beginning. And don’t you forget it!
JILLIAN’S TIP OF THE DAY
Rescue Me
When life throws you curveballs, you can dodge them or let them hit you right between the eyes. Sometimes, though, you don’t get a choice. For the moments when you can’t avoid them, create a “Rescue Me” list. What kinds of healthy activities make you feel better? How about enjoying a bubble bath, taking a walk, or getting a massage? The next time you’re staring down a crisis, reach for the “Rescue Me” list, not a bag of chips.
