Monday, August 13, 2012

Can I Change?


-I wanted to say thank you for all your comments in the prior blog post. Each one of your comments brought light into my life.-

I am a big admirer of those who can overcome addiction, unhealthy habits, and obstacles only with will power. I am not one of those people.

One of the biggest obstacles I face is my laziness and procrastination tendencies. I will avoid physical activities like the plague. I have been blessed with a great metabolism and with the fact that I am not such a fan of sweets, but now I see my body ailing. My joints are starting to hurt and I can't catch my breath after a short brisk walk.


I decided to face my lack of will power to work out as one would face addiction: one day at a time.

I want each of you to be my witness. I will not allow my body to deteriorate right in front of me without fight. I sure hope to get your support, as exercising is the most hateful thing for me, but I figure if I do a little bit everyday and mix things up to keep it interesting, I just might keep going.

Wish me good luck!


27 comments:

S said...

Good luck Ana ! I know you can. I had severe fatigue issues and lack of energy four years back, I was overweight too . But I overcame all with a a change in lifestyle and without taking any medical help. I adopted a Proper eating habit and started doing more house hold work like cleaning, mopping, cooking and eating only nutritious food. I did not exercise . I just walked whenever I got an opportunity and eliminated all junk food ( I ate fast food only on weekends:))
Yes, everybody can adopt a new lifestyle.
I also want to tell you that read good motivational books everyday to be on the track .
P.S: your art is really beautiful, it touched my heart and I want to tell you that I am with you on your journey.
Take care,

Lois said...

I'm watching my middle widening since I had surgery and began a desk job at the same time in 2011. It is so hard to sit at a desk and shrink. sigh.

GlorV1 said...

Love your piece. Great work. A thumbs up to you on your journey of better health. I'm working on mine to. It's a lifelong process and something we need and have to do to sustain good health. You'll feel better after 15 minutes of exercise. As you gain strength, you increase to 1/2 hour, 3 days a week or more. I was at Curves for 5 years and exercised 1/2 day, 5 days a week. I stopped going and feel tired now, so I am starting to use my treadmill. Good luck and I know you can do it.

foxysue said...

The secret is to find something you like to do then it isn't a force-put. Mine is yoga, I love to stretch, the spiritual element, mind-body connection feels right for me. All the best. x

Anonymous said...

Good luck, I am attempting the same. You can't be that old.

Sulky Kitten said...

I know exactly what you mean. it feels almost sinful to be as lazy as I am (in every way). I also find exercise a chore, but when I choose something I enjoy like tennis, it's wonderful. However,despite this, it's still a struggle to actually keep it up! Good Luck!

Sherri B. said...

I know how hard it is - I also struggle to keep up a regular exercise routine. But I try to do at least a little when I can - and instead of obsessing over the "I'll lose weight" part of it, I concentrate on "the endorphins will make me happy" part of it. Exercise really does help boost my mood...good luck, Ana, just take it one day at a time. :)

CraveCute said...

Sherri has the right idea. It helps to be kind to yourself and ease into exercise. Once you get into a routine it gets easier.

Wendy @ Salt and Wine said...

Ahh... this is my specialty (procrastinating along with teaching people how to be healthy :) ). Start out by getting a good daily stretch in. Find stuff that you enjoy- swimming, roller skating, kayaking, etc. It doesn't have to be a grueling p90x work out. Heck, put some music on and dance. Also, start out slow with maybe 10 minutes then bump it up to 15 and so on until your moving for 45-60 minutes. I could easily keep going but I'll stop here - don't want to overload ya. However I will leave you with this - if you don't start some kind of exercise regime eventually your metabolism will slow down to a crawl and the weight will start to pack on - big time.

The Cranky said...

I'm so with you on procrastinating and now, after seven years of not being able to move around safely, I'm trying to get in the swing of things again. It's difficult to get out of the habit of constant caution, of thinking 'that's not safe for me, I can't do that' and just do it.

Laugh if you will but the thing which works best for me is, well, 'playing pretend'. Pretend you didn't spend years not being able to walk on uneven paths, taking the stairs, whatever. Or...pretend you won't be sore in the morning...or that you're showing some of your blogland friends your favourite local haunts. Even pretend you're going to have a great time, or run into a fascinating celebrity. Just because we happen to be adults doesn't mean we can't take advantage of our built-in creativity, right?

Kathryn Zbrzezny said...

Okay, birthday twin, I am right with you, and we can do this! Instead of having the new flavor of ice cream I craved tonight, I went for a power walk! And, I power walked yesterday morning! Now that is has cooled down a bit, I am forcing myself to get back to being fit!!!! Let's encourage eachother!

Jo said...

I have been putting off regular exercise for about a year now... and after watching the Olympics... looking at all those hot bods. We can do it, Ana! Let's encourage one another to healthier bodies! :)

:.tossan® said...

What wonderful Art. Beautiful color, nice sharp and really good to enjoy. Greetings

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

I share a lot of your qualities, Ana. And I honestly didn't really get into any type of exercise routine until my 40s. I was also blessed with a fast metabolism and don't have much of a sweet tooth, so it contributed to my lack of motivation to do something. But as I got older, my body weakened and it was time to do something. I started slowly and got into a routine eventually that I actually enjoy. I get lazy sometimes and slack off for awhile, but get back on track again. So get going at a pace that works for you and do exercises that are fun and interesting. And don't be too hard on yourself when you slack off. It happens.

geetlee said...

Cheering you on :)
Once you get into a routine you may even start to enjoy exercise.
Beautiful art as always.

Ola said...

good decision!
I am a fan of physical activities, I can even say I am a bit addicted:)

Blog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking

Victoria said...

Hugs friend..wishing you much success on your new journey..shine on..you can totally do it!I am someone who has experienced what it is like to lose their health at one time in my life..it is not something you want to lose..it is a long road back..so be well..and I am happy for you you are taking charge! Fantastic! Shine on!
Beautiful art by the way..the colors are magnificent..and your brushstrokes are wonderful...fabulous piece!!
Victoria

alteredstatesstudio said...

it is so hard...good luck to you Ana! you and me both- i too, have discovered that i am obviously not a spring chicken any more. i like your motto- one day at a time. sounds like that is a great plan.

Anonymous said...

Before I bought my first car at age 33, I walked because the bus was so slow. I was very slim. Now that I have a car, I walk very little and have gained a lot of weight, as a result. My sister-in-law wants to start a walking regimen in my neighborhood for us, so I'll see how that goes.

Almost Precious said...

Exercise is good for us, just wish it were more fun and less work. :D

Thank you, Ana, for your lovely thoughts and good wishes - I sincerely appreciate them. :)

Laeli said...

I'm a huge fan of HAES-Health At Every Size. It's a whole body/spirit approach, that's very kind and smart too, in my opinion.

I've had to add some pretty heavy duty weight lifting to my health routine...my poor back was falling apart,youch!

Marja's Stamp Addiction en Marja's Creativity said...

Good decision and I wish you good luck and hold on.
Your art is beautiful, I hope you can express your feelings in this.
Lovely greet
Marja
(marjascreativity)

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You are on the right track, my friend! And no matter what our health or age....we need to keep moving! It makes us feel better both mentally and physically. It gets harder when you get older...but don't start worrying about that yet! heehee! Just enjoy your body and the way it works and strettttchhhh!

Jess said...

Let me say first of all this is a beautiful painting! I too have health issues big time and I'm trying to change my lifestyle. I agree that rather than forcing exercise upon ourselves that we find a chore isn't the answer. It's better to take one day at a time as you're doing and to simply move more and to eat healthily. :) Good luck, I'm there with you!
Jess x x

Buttons Thoughts said...

Good luck Ana. I think you are going to be just fine. Love the art B

Christine said...

One thing that has motivated me lately to follow through is to choose a chuck of time and to participate with others and to report in to each other. (You might have read what I did on my blog for the 30x30 June challenge?) I think it's so cool that you are blogging your progress and procrastination :) I'm newly motivated to choose another focus for September. I've been lazy about doing what I know I need to do to be more fulfilled and am inspired by your project.

Zena said...

Good luck, dear. I can relate to your words. I won´t describe myself as lazy (but I have been and still am a great procrastinator) but I have avoided physical activities along my life. Like you, I am not a sweets eater and I am rather thin, and like you, along the years I have started to "notice" my bones...

Along my healing journey I have discovered that I´ve been avoiding not only physical activities, but many other things that could be good for me due to many reasons: preconceived ideas about myself, perfectionism, need to please, and a my need to sabotage my joy... but now things are changing