Day 4 of New Beginnings!

It's been an exceptionally rough week at work, but I'm not sure why. I stayed up way too late last night -- didn't get home til about 1:00 a.m. and then I just had to figure out what Beatles songs I'm going to do for my Burning Uke Beatles jam, different ones than I'd done in the past. Then I had to get my uke out and try them out and see if they worked! silly me. I think I got to bed at like 3am. this is not good.

of course I awoke late and had to rush to get to work on time. Then at lunch I had to drive to the bank to deposit a check I'd received in the mail... I didn't get much exercise in until I finally hit the Baylands tonight and even though it was later than usual, I still got a pretty good walk in!

and, between the Baylands and the walk up the hill tonight, I did get my 10,000 steps! let's see...according to this pedometer, I got 10, 247 steps in today YAAAAYY! :) and that hike up the hill is KILLER! even the dog looked tired when we got to the top, but we made it yet again! I was feeling it, though, let me tell you!

WOW, what a beautiful night!

I am in my happy place here! I LOVE THE BAYLANDS! :)

So tomorrow is another day of figuring out how to get my PA in. I'm kind of thinking of it as a sort of "game." what will I do? Oh I know! I'll walk to Chase Bank and deposit the rent tomorrow instead of drive. It's a good walk, but not too far that I won't be back from lunch on time. then I'll walk the baylands until the traffic subsides. this time I'll leave work right on time. and then later tomorrow night, I'll make that trek up the hill again. that 9.1 mile walk is in just a little more than a week! I hope I'm ready. I can hardly wait to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I know it's after midnight and I'm not supposed to eat, but I am STARVING. and I really AM. so I'm having an HMR oatmeal. just plan oatmeal with a little Cinnamon. I've been munching on some french grapes tonight too... I realized I really didn't eat dinner tonight - not a good thing. but I stuck with the plan! I'm thinking about the weekend and what I'll do... so I can be prepared.

Day 3 - of New Beginnings!

Well, at least I got to work on time today! 

I have lots going on so I'll have to "plan" a little more... HMR weight management meeting tonight...yes, I gotta "face the music" so to speak, although I dread weighing in each and every time... I think it'll take at least a couple of weeks for me to get past this...the disappointment I feel if I haven't dropped the weight. I mean, I just started again, right? but sometimes, for me especially, it takes a couple of weeks for anything to kick in. 

Then there's the Big W music jam in Palo Alto -- and getting my 10,000 steps in today... I WILL DO IT!

today is a new day...

well, I only got about 7,000 steps today but I did stick with the plan... I've decided to just DO Healthy Solutions through HMR...the meal replacements, the entrees and fruits and veggies... I went to my first meeting again in several weeks and felt good that I actually lost a couple of pounds since the horrible weigh-in last week which I'd done on my own. what a reality check.

and yes, I drove down to Palo Alto for the famous Big W jam -- the one that's been going on the first Wednesday of the month at this house in Palo Alto for well over 20 years, I hear, if not longer. My friend June lives right across the street and every month she'd see a blazing "W" in the window -- and a bunch of people go in with guitars and various musical instruments. but it wasn't until I told her it was the Big W that I'd been invited to by one of the folkies I met at the SF Folk Music camp a couple of years ago! He also said I could invite people if I felt they'd be good people for the jam... I brought Steve of course. I met June in her driveway and we walked across the street and she and I both had a blast singing, playing our ukes, just having a fabulous time! Unfortunately we stayed til it ended at midnight. the jam always ends at midnight with a special song that goes on for about 10 minutes that everyone sings, "And I bid you good night, good niight, good night!"

that didn't leave time for exercise...I just drove home.

but it was a very good day!

Day 2 of new plan

This morning didn't start off so well. I woke up late, aaahhh!  air was low on a tire too! so I was a few moments late for work which never looks good and I apparently spent too much time working on a job that the desktop publishers could do...

but I'm not going to let this mess me up. I'm doing okay today. I've already consumed over 900 calories, but that's okay. I have it under control. and I already have over 4,000 steps in today, yay me! Last night I ended up with over 14,000 steps!!!

and tonight I'm meeting my friend John down at the Baylands and we're gonna walk...to stretch out the stiff necks. too much time slumped over a computer or playing ukuleles (playing ukuleles is a lot more fun, trust me on that!).

so maybe today won't be so bad after all!

the Baylands ROCK!

So me and John met down at the Baylands and we walked...got over 10,000 steps YAAAAYYY!!! it was good to walk with my friend John and talk about playing ukuleles and contemplating whether it's a good idea to buy a U-bass...!

Baylands tonight -- TRIPPY SHADOWS!

I used the last of my money for gas and some canned green beans, and some yummy GRAPES that were on sale!!!  but I couldn't afford the Rolling Stone magazine with the Beatles on the front...no worries, though. It looks like the EXACT same one Rolling Stone put out a year ago!! Seriously! 

but seeing the Beatles on the magazine stand while waiting in line at Safeway always makes me smile. :)

1 HMR oatmeal
1 diced peaches
1 banana
2 HMR shakes
2 B-bars 
1 Smart One meal (220 calories)
1 HMR entree with canned green beans
1 cup grapes
and maybe I had another oatmeal but forgot?

Final steps for the day 15681
308 pa

On top of the world! trek up to the very top of the hill on Appian Way, Union City!

I've totally lost control...NOW back on track!

I haven't posted here for a long time? why? because I think life got out of control -- or *I* managed to allow my life to get out of control!

but today I'm back on track again...today I've set up a goal. First goal is to prepare for a big hike on Saturday, September 14th! check it out...beautiful photos here!

the Big 9-Mile Hike!

I'm very excited about this -- we start in Fremont (close to my house), take BART into San Francisco, then take the ferry over to Sausalito and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond -- through San Francisco all the way back to the Fremont BART station! it's a huge endeavor and I happen to know there's a killer hill from Sausalito to the Golden Gate Bridge, but I'm ready to rock n' roll!

I know it will be spectacular, but I'll have to prepare. I'm sadly out of shape right now. I haven't been exercising and have only gone on some walks, but nothing major. Plus when I returned from my epic adventure, my weight was higher than ever. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN! I don't want to take pills and right now I feel overwhelmed with all these various theories that are supposed to work -- cross-fit (scary - forget that!) -- gluten free (why??), vegetarian -- vegan -- and the list goes on. it is overwhelming.

I'm going back to what I know -- the HMR weight management plan... just little things like avoiding all the yummy pastries at the cafe I hung out at with my friends from uke rebellion in San Francisco is a step in the right direction!

so starting today, I am going to get AT LEAST 10,000 steps in -- not a hard thing to do when I'm off work! it's the work days that get super tricky. or when I'm playing uke for hours and hours...and I'll need to make the trek up the hill to get accustomed too that too.

so far I've eaten 1 HMR oatmeal with applesauce (no sugar), 2 HMR shake mixes WITH my coffee...I still swear by the HMR 70 plus shake mix with the coffee! my fave! and I feel good right now and ready to go!

So I took the dog for a super long walk and by the time it was over, I had: 11,529 steps and 3.63 miles! the walk was really nice...super far down the Niles Creek trail which does go on for miles and miles I understand...

nice day for a walk in Niles along the Alameda Creek

then that evening I walked up to the top of the hill even though it was kind of creepy! I almost ran face to face with a deer!

ended up with 14,600 steps after that trek. didn't take the dog because she was still recovering from the other walk!

I'm on top of the world!!!

final count for last night: 

4 HMR cereals/shakes
2 HMR entrees
2 Benefit bars
3 fruits
and 250 PA calories.
no veggies. :( I'm broke til Friday!! gonna just go with the food I have. at least I have HMR food!