You Never Forget How Much It Hurts to Fall Off of a Bicycle

Post Number: 53

Review of Yesterday's Progress
     Daily Points Left: 37 of 71 (Goal: 21)
     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)
     Pedometer Reading: 846 (I can explain this)
     Meetings Attended: Missed Overeaters Anonymous
     Exercise Completed: Didn't attend Y for Bicycle machine work out

Jaguar pointed out a couple days ago that I placed one of the sticky notes on the Wheaties box in an interesting location. Reading what's printed on the box with my sticky notes, the message reads, "Gearing up for / Kimkins onslaught this week."

Quick sticky note review, even though I have only been using them for 3 days. Here are my primary reminders for this week and a review of each:

• First Note
• Reminder: Be active for 5 minutes out of every sedentary hour
• Review: Near total failure so far. This one has only been used twice so far this week.
• Second Note
• Reminder: Put down the fork and sip water between meals
• Review: Mixed success. I have remembered for about a third of the meals. Tried drinking lots of water after the meal. Doesn't help. Tried drinking lots of water before the meal. That works nearly as well. But the best effect comes from putting down the fork and sipping water between bites.
• Third Note
• Reminder: Kimkins onslaught this week
• Review: Near total success so far. Carbs have been low, but I ate the cheese and toppings off three pieces of pizza. This made for one meal a little higher in fat than I like.
• Fourth Note
• Reminder: Light a candle when a craving hits (or unpack a box or both)
• Review: Haven't needed to light a candle until yesterday, which makes this reminder a success and served to suggest this review
• Fifth Note
• Reminder: Get to Bed!
• Review: Complete success so far in getting to bed. Mixed results in remaining asleep because of sick kids

Reviewing plans, goals, and responsibilities is how I overcome lackadaisical attitudes, resistant behavior, or Murphic Entropy. Unfortunately, Murphic Entropy can pervert a chosen path by adding an obstacle long before you see it coming. And I aided Murphic Entropy yesterday because I changed my plans. Originally, I was going to leave half an hour before MBWM. I changed my departure time to half an hour after. I did this to shorten my time between the Y and my OA meeting from an hour and a half down to a half hour. I had planned to learn the best way to set up a bicycle machine, see if they have a rowing machine, and seek any additional advice in burning calories while at the Y. If that half hour in between exercise and meeting was available and not just a cushion, I was going to read from the Big Book. My plans were set. I was ready to go! And go, my MBWM went, as she left for an appointment related to caring for her parents on time. I went to leave a half hour later but my car battery was dead. My portable battery was in MBWM's van. The van's battery has died twice in the last month while running errands so it made sense to leave the battery in the van. I have a second portable battery, but it was dead (of course). I was unable to locate its charging cord. And I did not locate a neighbor that was home and had jumper cables. The effort of Murphic Entropy preceded my designs not only in terms of timing, but also in terms of preparations. I've never had to jump start my car before. Never occurred to me that I would need to plan accordingly. I suspect that I won't have this issue anymore because I will be more vigilant and my car just hasn't needed it until this once. I know it sounds like paranoia, but it seems to me that the more meaningful the task that induces a positive change in my lifestyle, the more the universe pushes back with Murphic Entropy.

And in this case, the Murphic Entropy spilled over into my OA meeting. This made me a little testy, but there are things I did to use the time wisely. Among the most off-the-beaten-track was cutting up the last of the pumpkin for steaming. We purchased pumpkins from Linder Farms for $10 per car load. Now we will have pumpkin available for everything from pumpkin muffins to Sloppy Joes. Yes, Sloppy Joes. Pumpkin is a wonderful filler for many of our dishes. With the seasoning, it's hard to tell it's there. It cuts down on expensive meat while increasing the nutritional value. The pumpkin deal was quite the opportunity.

Another opportunity I have is to get back on course. I will do so today. My body is grateful for the break in the action as expressed with a reduction in the amount of pain in my muscles and joints. But I need to get back on the bicycle, as it were. I am far from making exercise a habit. Pushing myself today into something resembling a return to exercise success is very necessary.

And with that, I am going to close my blog and head off to the Y. No if's, and's, or but's about it.

Yours in opportunity of stretching yourself into something better,

Eliot

P.S.:
I haven't viewed them in awhile, but I thought I'd share a former enjoyment among favorites, Savage Chicken.

P.P.S.:
Pedometer Reading Explanation: I took off the pedometer to change into my work out clothes prior to driving to the Y. I packed a change of clothes that included my pedometer. I never made it to the Y to work out while staying in my work out clothes the rest of the day.