We often hear that we should walk for excersize which is realitively low impact.   There is an easy way to encourage yourself to walk, especially if you want to keep improving what you are doing. 

The best way I have found to monitor my walking is with a pedometer.  Hook it on your waist when you get dressed in the morning and check it at night and document how many steps you took.   Create a chart to keep track.   Make sure you increase your steps by 10% a day.   That is not hard to do.   If you only take 500 steps today, make it 550 tomorrow, if you don't make it to 550, make it to 525 or even 510.  Just so today is more than yesterday and let than tomorrow.

You will be surprised how many steps you take in a day.   Ultmately your goal should be 10,000 - 12,000 steps a day...but remember you have to do this at your speed and you may or may not make it to that many but again...doing more than you did yesterday will make a difference.   

As you are building up how many steps you are taking start changing your goals.    Maybe the first week is just making it to the mailbox or the edge of the driveway.  Then do that twicw a day....Evenually work up to walking to the end of the block or the mall.  We all of the the capability of making a small change and turn it into something big.

Get up and get moving!

Once again we had a great meeting with twelve people present.   Two pre-ops, one gastric bypass and five post op lap banders!   Great turn out and it feels good to know that others are finding out about the group.

If you missed it, we discussed the difference between snacking and grazing.   Everyone listed 5 things that causes or has caused them to graze, then listed three things they can do to keep from or stop grazing...every one is encouraged to hang that up somewhere in their kitchen so they and others can see where they can stop the munching.  Ideas were shared.

Go outside
Drink...water
Work in yard or garden
Call a friend or support person
Read a book
Blog
Reading Bible
Go for a walk
Help others

There are no wrong answers as long as you replace bad habits with a good one.

Thanks to all of you who are new to the group!

Some celebrations include...


Chris is beyond 50 lbs off

Sheena is very close to her 50 and is hoping for a first fill on Monday

Selma is losing and doing at least 1 1/2 hours of water excersizes a day

I have not lost but I am working hard on the mental aspect of tackling my obesity and about 5 pounds from never being morbidly obese ever again

But the biggest sucess reported tonight was Beverly who is not yet two weeks out of surgery, walking into the meeting instead of riding and being down to two insulin shots a day from FIVE!!!

We are moving on.   Remember to use affirmations when you start to struggle.  We are worth it and better yet we deserve it.  

One of the other things I did to try to get myself out of this funk was to start working with a life coach.   Cathy Wilson from OH has been our instructor for the classes Ira and I have taken and she is a Weight Loss Surgery Coach. 

If you have never looked at coaching, I would suggest that you consider at least the possibilities of what it can add to your experience.   In most cases it is a one on one chance to discover where you are and where you want to go.   A coach is not a counselor, they are a person who can help that little voice in your head.   They ask questions and help you discover answers.   The reality is that we usually know the answers but we may be too close to them to see or the challenge may seem to large.  They can help you break it down.

As Ira blogged about earlier, we have both completed a basic coaching class.  If you are interested in having a coach, let us know.  The best part of coaching is that it can be done in person or phone.   I know that I have written about my struggles but I use the coaching in two ways, I have my coach to help me find my direction and answers but I also coach to help energize me and renew myself by fulfilling my need to help others grow and develop!