move more, drink less.

disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. Talking about diet & weight loss is probably one of the top ways to get people all up in your business (I'll have to google that). Weight is deeply personal, and highly emotional. I get it. I'm sharing b/c I'm still working on being all whole & healed…and this is part of it. I welcome comments, suggestions, and support…but not judgement. 

Many of you are familiar with Cathy Zielske's Move More, Eat Well/Eat Less project. I've always adored Cathy for her honesty in all things…but I particularly adore her honesty about the challenges of staying in shape. I've pondered taking her online class several times, but 1) I suck at online classes and 2) I hesitate on the Eat Well part. I already eat pretty well. I don't drink soda. I've eliminated most processed foods from our diet. I avoid high fructose syrup like the plague. I don't eat meat. I eat copious amounts of kale. I'm not perfect, by any means, but eating well is not really an issue. 

I've been working with my naturopath on managing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, which is also related to holding on to weight. I've been working with a half-dozen doctors from different specialties to remedy my back & hip pain. Weight loss has not been a focus, and I don't intend for it to be a singular focus. I want to feel better…and yep, I want to look better. For the sake of documentation (and b/c I failed to get a decent selfie) – my BMI is 28.3, so I need to lose 21lbs to get to a healthy BMI and be at the upper end of the weight range for my height.

So, I eat well, I'm trying to deal with stress, and I need to lose 21lbs. What to do? Inspired by Cathy, I need to move more. I need to work toward 10K steps a day. I need to ride my bike. I need to get to the gym (which has the added benefit of reducing my health care costs). And instead of eat well (or less), the reality is that I need to drink less. I've spent the past couple of years using wine to take the edge off…and I've managed to put the pounds on. Please note (Mom)…there is no issue with addiction, merely with (liquid) calorie consumption.

My goals for the coming month (I realize that it's not calendar Aug yet, but it is fiscal Aug at work…so I'm following that calendar)…

1. Log an average of 10K steps per day (averaged on a weekly basis). 

2. Go to the gym to focus on strength training at least 2x per week.

3. Limit drinking to business and social occasions. 

4. Go for a bike ride every weekend.

I like the way that Lee designates a small reward for herself. My reward for meeting these 4 goals will be a new pair of sneakers.