losing weight

I try to go to zumba 3 times a week. Sometimes I only make it twice and every once in a while only once a week. I've been going to zumba since last June.


I had started the new year at 170 pounds and I had been at that weight since about September after losing about 20 pounds over the summer. I was very slowly losing weight and was down to 165 at the beginning of March. I stayed there for 3 weeks.

About 2-3 weeks ago, Glen and I started walking during lunch. I haven't counted how many times I've walked lately, but I am exercising more than I had been.

Then on March 22nd, I stopped eating treats for a family challenge.

In the following 10 days since I stopped eating treats, I have lost 5 pounds. So 2 months to lose 5 pounds and then only 10 days to lose the next 5.

I am currently flirting with breaking down into the 150s. I have not been in the 150s since maybe Eric was a baby 23 years ago. There have been 2 times I've come close, but never got out of the 160s. I'm a bit afraid that I won't be able to do it again.

As for what I eat, I am following my rules of eating when I want but making sure it is healthy. I don't count calories or fat grams or anything. I just try to eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's been working for me.

My cholesterol is down 25 points. I need to bring it down another 50. My triglycerides went from 429 to 130. I'm feeling pretty good. I had my blood tested before I stopped eating treats. I am interested in what my numbers are now. I'll have to have my blood tested again soon.

my online health class goals

So my daughter and I are taking an online health class this semester. I just submitted my first assignment and figured I might as well post it as it is about my health goals for the semester.

Goal Setting for a Healthy Change

      There are a few lifestyle changes that I would like to make this semester in order to be more physically healthy. They are to feed my body nutritiously, avoid harmful eating, and to exercise regularly. I believe that making these changes will help me to have better health, not have my activities restricted, and be well. I'm also expecting to lose weight, but that is not my actual goal, just more of my hope as a result in my change in behavior. I have to lose about 25 more pounds to move out of the “overweight” to the “normal” category on weight charts.

      In the area of feeding my body nutritiously, I do have some knowledge on how to eat right in that over the years I have been interested in the topic of nutrition, and last June I spent quite a bit of time reading several health and nutrition books. I also have the belief that I am at risk due to my arthritis and high cholesterol problems. The arthritis causes me some pain, which restricts my movements a bit. Besides not wanting to be in pain, I am also motivated by the fact that I really don't want to go on medicine to control my cholesterol levels.

      I have had some good eating habits for many years. For example, I drink plenty of water and I often eat whole grains. One of the things I need to improve in this area is to eat more vegetables. This is also where the goal to avoid harmful eating behaviors comes into play in that I need to stop eating some unhealthy things. For the goal of nutritious eating, I am in the action stage. For the goal of avoiding harmful behaviors, which for me is avoiding white sugar, white flour, and processed foods, I have been waffling back and forth between the preparation stage and the action stage. I did well last summer, but during fall term I started eating treats again. For the last two weeks, I have been doing better, so I am hoping I am in the action stage to stay.

      Due to the current circumstances of my life, I expect that several of the processes of change will come into play to help me achieve my goals. This class and my summer reading will help me in the “Consciousness-raising” process. The “Social liberation” comes in the form of my current substitute teaching job in that I am not home a lot to be tempted to snack. The “Emotional arousal” is from the bad results from my blood panel last summer. The “Commitment” process is also addressed by my taking this health class. I have already instituted some “Countering” into my habits. One thing I do is to allow myself to eat when I'm hungry, but only something healthy like an apple or hard-boiled egg, so instead of eating things harmful to my body, I am nourishing it. However, I know that there are other countering habits that I need to develop and use. For “Helping relationships,” my husband and my daughter are both supportive of me, as well as my friends and other family members. I do not have any saboteurs in my life.

      As for my other goal of exercising regularly, I am in the action stage in that I do attend a zumba class. The problem is that I don't exercise enough, so I feel I am also in the preparation stage. If I can't attend zumba, I don't have a back-up plan and I don't get enough exercise in for the week, so I need to make adjustments.

      Besides studying nutrition, I have also studied a little about exercise, so I know how important it is. This class will also, once again, help me with the “Counsciousness-raising” process of change. Perhaps “Self-reevaluation” comes into play here because I do recognize that I have a problem and I do think about how it will affect me. “Commitment” might be helped by the fact that I know many of the women who attend the zumba class and if I don't attend, they will question where I was instead of class, so though it's not a formal “self-help” group, I buy a 20 class pass and want to use it so that I'm not wasting my money. I am thinking of buying a second set of work-out clothes to keep in my car just is case I can't make it home after work. That would help me to be able to go to zumba anyway. Perhaps that can be under the process of “Environmental control.” As for “Helping relationships,” sometimes my daughter attends zumba with me, though with her school and work schedules, that may not be happening too often this semester.

      My locus of control is definitely internal. I do see myself as the one who is in control of my life and responsible for my actions. I firmly believe that the things I do can make a big difference in my health and well-being.

      So, I am excited for this class and these goals, but I think I am realistic in my expectations. I plan on eating right, exercising, and not eating things that will destroy my health, and I believe my body will respond.

Mike Smith assembly notes

Notes on the Assembly with Mike Smith 14 January 2015

dad with cancer

on walls of room: friends, family, and every word he wished he was

He was done being fake (but he was still mean)

He taped a college rejection letter to the wall for motivation and went to work

in a small town, school is family

bored and insecure to talking behind others' backs instead of having others' backs

Calvin was not impressed with things but cared how you treated others

You are not more important than others—he went around apologizing to everyone

what makes you think your future outcome will be different?

You're afraid of what others are thinking

judging others—a pathetic habit

judgmental, arrogant adults were once hs students judging other students

successes don't make us ore important (or failures less)

it's not “there's nothing to do,” it's “you've stopped being creative”

made a list of 100 things to do before he graduated

if you feel you don't matter, everyone does

if you see something that's wrong and you have an opportunity to do something about it, that's what you do

80% of skateboarders came from 1 parent homes

“What's your legacy?” on bedroom wall

how do you change what people think about you?

We all have an excuse we blame others

figure out what's holding you back and get rid of it

we all want to be incredible, not average

speak for the silent, stand for the broken

girls—not clothes, or make-up...

everyone I talented, capable, beautiful

don't care more about your reflection than you do about your character

boys—are you that little boy the world is expecting? Have integrity and be a man--be a little boy or a man

if you want to be incredible, ask yourself: What's my legacy?”

ghosts