New Journey

Good morning!!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday. I remained diligent and did my workout Thursday, Friday and Sunday over the long weekend. I also started an exciting new journey I want to share with you. As you know, I’ve been battling the weight issues associated with menopause and no matter how hard I am working out or how diligent I am being with my diet, I’m not getting anywhere; except heavier. This weekend I resolved to change that and I have started a new program.

Over the next 12 weeks, I’m going to be participating in an exciting regimen where I change up my dietary intake, ensure I’m staying hydrated and I’m also tracking my sleep habits. I’ve been naturally waking up around 5 am each morning over the past week, but have chosen (until Saturday) to disregard this natural process. I’ve also added some additional vitamins to my program and I’m already seeing results with lower levels of joint pain. As I go through this journey, I want to share with you the changes and also to let you know; you are not alone.

I will monitor my weight, water intake, diet, sleep patterns and my mindfulness routines. As the weather begins the roller coaster ride of living in the southern part of the U S, I will have mostly very chilly days outside if I choose not to use the gym. I’m fortunate to live in a region and a complex where the gym is small and not used by more than three to four people at a time. I ALWAYS wear my mask, wipe the equipment down prior to use and after I am done.

I’m going to alternate my routine to include 45 minutes of cardio followed by 30 minutes cardio and 15 minutes of weight training. I’m also going to be much more vigilant with my stretching routine as that has fallen short with my return to working out indoors. I also plan to incorporate at least 10-15 minutes a day to start of just being in the moment. Mindfulness has many benefits that we are going to begin reviewing tomorrow and going for a six-week stretch.

I hope I can inspire others with my personal journey and I hope to see some fantastic results. This time of year is particularly difficult due to holidays, baked goodies, and the compounded issues of being separated from family may add to our unconsciously eating more than we should. Please remember; stay healthy, stay hydrated, and stay focused. We are coming through this and we are going to be stronger, healthier, and much wiser after we reach the other side of this challenge.