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Introduction Text May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. (Neil Gaiman) "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." (Aristoteles) Stop looking back into the past; you can't change it now. Instead, turn around and take notice of what's ahead on the path of life. Here's where your work begins. With the first step. Then another. And another. ________________________________________ 2012 Summer plan (June/July) Food: Measure and track daily. Stay in range. Drink 1-2 l water. Eat 5 freggies. Fibre! Fitness: Track 300 min/week. Two-day rule. Tennis! Fun! Play! Cardio: Intervals 1x/week, walk/run 2x/week. Tennis. For better structure, and consistency re-start the C25K program. Strength: Home or gym program 2x/week, plank and squats 2x/week. Random acts of fitness. Stairs. Wellness: Yoga. Sleep before midnight. Meditate. Think about something positive daily. Gratitude. Post on SP! My mid-term goal is to get back to my lowest weight (June 2010) and get beyond that. I think my body is fighting my previous weight loss even though I took off slowly. Also my recent gain is due to lots of life stressors in the last year. (Death in the family, work stress and lifestyle change fatigue ++). Unfortunately I slacked off tracking food and fitness and the _intensity_ of my workouts during this period. This summer I will restart food tracking (and fitness) on SP because I know it works and it will keep me focused! I need to make my health a priority in my life again. I still stand by my "LIV-it, not DIE-t" mantra, and won't mind taking off my excess weight slowly. ________________________________________ ABOUT ME: I stumbled upon Spark People in May 2008, about a month before I turned 41 years old. Since then I've been living healthily, and have lost more than 80 pounds. I feel confident enough to say I know I CAN get the excess weight off and I have changed the way I live. I have grown in so many ways since I started working with myself, and that is so rewarding. I had a normal weight during childhood and adolescence, but started to gain in my late teens/early twenties and have steadily increased in size while I was in complete denial about it. I have never had an eating disorder, or tried to diet before starting here on Spark. My weight problem had a lot to do with me failing to realize that portions could be smaller, and I fell into a habit of treating myself out of all proportions. Too many treats on an almost daily basis, either because I "deserved" it, because it was easy or any other kind of "reason"behind a bad choice. I am extremely happy to be able to say that since getting my wake up call here on Spark I have stopped ignoring my weight problem and I'm working on getting my body back to a healthy weight I can live with (a healthy body and hopefully a lower blood pressure). I read on someone's Spark Page that this isn't a DIE-t - it is a LIVE-it and I really like that expression! My "LIVE-it" is simple! I intend to live the way I do now until the day I die, focusing on these simple things: I can eat all kinds of food in moderation, I practice some portion control, I get some daily exercise and I have a more active lifestyle without doing TOO MUCH in any direction so I end up with a "die-t" and a burn-out. One part of my new lifestyle is UNBREAKABLE: "The Two Day Rule": Do NOT let more than two days go by before I Get Off My Ass And Move. Moving does not have to be for hours, but I DO have to make an effort to breathe a little faster. I am not in a hurry. This weight crept on slowly and I won't shed it quickly. I plan to enjoy each step of my journey and stop to smell the roses on my way. I love how Spark People and Spark Friends are encouraging me to grow personally on so many levels and I will always be grateful for stumbling upon this community! Some of the reasons behind WHY I became overweight are still shrouded in mystery for me. I have started to dig, and I am working through my head and examining these issues slowly, sorting and thinking and analyzing, in order to avoid backsliding into lethargy and denial again. I know some of the "why" involved treating myself out of all proportion, sedating myself with snacks and junk food in order to avoid dealing with problems and troublesome emotions, or just pure denial because I didn't stop to think things through, didn't want to feel the emotions or didn't think there was any use to even try to lose the weight I carried. Lately I have come to wonder: does it really matter so much "why" I sedated myself with overeating? As long as I make sure I am aware NOW and move forward from here? Ask me again once I'm closer to goal! For now, as long as I don't slip back into apathy again, the "why" can rest. I feel so good these days being more active - I really BELIEVE exercise and activity will be a staple in my life from now on! It makes me calmer and is good for my mental health as well as my physical well-being. Deep down I fear I'll sink into denial again when the going gets rough, so I hope I will always manage to keep a watchful eye on myself. So far it's been amazingly easy to make this effort, and it is a LOT easier because my darling has joined me. We both feel great when we move. And now it's about time I Got Off My Ass And Moved (GOYAAM)! ________________________________________ A NEW LOVE OF RUNNING I did the Couch to 5K-program from http://coolrunning.com in 2008, and can't praise it enough! Since finishing that program, I'm still running/waddling two-three times every week and I'm looking into another structured program to continue with my running, working up towards 10K. My talent is not for speed, but I enjoy the simplicity of running, and it's easy to fit into a busy life and how easy to take my running shoes with me when I travel! It's a great way to do some sightseeing! I did my first race in 2009 (5K) and also did one 5K race in 2010: September 11, 2010: 5.5 K race, L�renskog, Norway 39:08 In 2012 my goal is to run a 5K and try to increase to 10K race after getting kind of stuck doing shorter distances and never progressing from there. I'm looking into possible races now and will put in the training for that. ________________________________________ ONGOING CHALLENGES: Yearly Calories Burned ------------------------------------ - In 2009 my goal of burning 100,000 calories doing fitness was done on 10/10/09 and in 2009 I burned 125,243 calories. - My goal for 2010 was to improve this and burn 127,500 calories! I didn't quite manage that, but ended the year with 88,203 calories burned. 2010 was a particularly trying year work-wise, so I am really pleased, even though I didn't reach my big hairy goal. I feel good because I maintained a certain consistency through a challenging year! Keep on keeping on, is my motto! Goal for 2011: 120 000 calories. ____________________________________ 2011 ONGOING CHALLENGES & GOYAAM PLANS Fitness goals: --------------------------- Track calories burned: Status 3/20-11: 27,674 calories Not-Nuns 100 day movement challenge started Jan 1 3/20-11: 79/100 I'm still on track with daily 30 min (or more) of intentional movement logged! GO ME! Not-Nuns Winter Challenge (LOOW) Starting weight (date) - SW 1/21: 103,8 kg 228.8 lbs Week 1 - 1/28: 103,3 kg 227.7 lbs (-1.1) Week 2 - 2/4: 103,3 kg 227.7 lbs (0) Week 3 - 2/11: 102,2 kg 225.3 lbs (-1.9) Week 4 - 2/18: 102,1 kg 225.1 lbs (-0.2) Week 5 - 2/25: 102,2 kg 225.3 lbs (+0.2) forgiveness Week 6 - 3/4: 102,2 kg 225.3 lbs (0) Week 7 - 3/11: 103,3 kg 227.7 lbs (+2.4) Week 8 - 3/18: 104,4 kg 230.2 lbs (+2.5) must get my act together (and get more sleep and less stress) ____________________________________ Exercise Consistency Streak and Two-day rule: August11: Exercise 2 days /1 Gym days/ Two-day rule ok July11: Will update after checking my notebook June11: Will update after checking my notebook May11: Will update after checking my notebook Apr11: Will update after checking my notebook Mar11: Exercise 20 days/6 Gym days /Two-day rule ok Feb11: Exercise 28 day/5 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Jan11: Exercise 31 days/8 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Dec10: Exercise 16 days/7 Gym days/Two-day broken (went three days without workout during Christmas visits) Nov10: Exercise 17 days/10 Gym days/4 days rest Oct10: Exercise 21 days/9 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Sep10: Exercise 17 days/3 Gym days/3 rest days in a row Aug10: Exercise 18 days/2 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Jul10: Exercise 21 days/2 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Jun10: Exercise 18 days/6 Gym days/Two-day rule ok May10: Exercise 24 days/9 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Apr10: Exercise 20 days/7 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Mar10: Exercise 22 days/13 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Feb10: Exercise 19 days/10 Gym days/Two-day rule ok (just) Jan10: Exercise 31 days/18 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Dec09: Exercise 13 days/10 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Nov09: Exercise 20 days/15 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Oct09: Exercise 24 days/10 Gym days/Two-day rule ok Sep09: Exercise 25 days/Gym 13 days/Two-day rule ok Aug09: Exercise 23 days/Gym 8 days/Two-day rule ok Jul09: Exercise 24 days/Gym 12 days/Two-day rule ok Jun09: Exercise 24 days/Gym 9 days/Two-day rule ok May09: Exercise 20 days/Gym 8 days/Two-day rule ok Apr09: Exercise 20 days/Gym 8 days/Broke two-day rule due to a cold Mar09: Exercise 28 days/Gym 21 days/Two-day rule ok Feb09: Exercise 19 days/Gym 14 days/Two-day rule ok Jan09: Exercise 30 days/Gym 17 days/Two-day rule ok ________________________________________ 12/03/2008: Thank you so much for naming me a spark people motivator today! I am humbled and happy and so very inspired! ________________________________________ GOALS REACHED Mini-goal: First 5 kg before June 12th 2008 (First doctor's appointment since SP) (-11 lbs) "Instability" ball DONE May 20, 2008 Get into the habit of exercising at least 30 min 3-5 times a week DONE (Goal ongoing & met - see my Spark Streaks and my Consistency tracking above) 10% Goal #1: 125 kg (275 lbs) Gym membership DONE Aug. 22, 2008 20% Goal #2: 111.2 kg (245.2 lbs) I got a HRM for Christmas, so I will have to figure out a new reward - cross country gear perhaps. DONE Jan. 22, 2009 Celebrate below 100 kg! DONE Oct. 31, 2009! Reward: Canon SLR camera 30% Goal #3: 97.3 kg (214.5 lbs) DONE 97.2 kg on Jan 16, 2010 ________________________________________ NEXT MILESTONES TO COME (NB: I use kilograms in my ticker and goals and my ticker reflect the next milestone I'm working on, not my final goal.) Celebrate "No longer obese BMI"and One-derland = 90 kg to 76 kg (198 - 167.2 lbs): Re-evaluate goals and celebrate being overweight! Reward: New clothes? 40% Goal #4: 83.4 kg (183.9 lbs) Spa treatment? Healthy BMI = 75 kg to 55 kg (165 - 121 lbs): New clothes & Re-evaluate goals and rejoice! Possible final goal: 73 kg (160.6 lbs) or 50% Goal #5: 69.5 kg (153.2 lbs) Pampering day! Successful at maintaining weight in mid-range healthy BMI for 6 months ("Ideal" weight 65 kg?) (143 lbs): Tahiti here we come! These milestones (10% between each goal) will give me time to work with my mentality, and my body a chance to catch up with a new and healthy lifestyle. I've changed my ticker to reflect my current mini-goal. ________________________________________ A dose of inspiration "Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed". Charles Schulz "You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose." Dr. Seuss "If you lose, don't lose the lesson" Dalai Lama "The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." Mark Twain "...focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." Greg Anderson "It's good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." Ursula K. Le Guin "You are successful the moment you start moving toward a worthwhile goal." Charles Carlson "Stop living life for what's around the corner and start enjoying the walk down the street." Grant L. Miller "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare Let it Go -- by Ralph Waldo Emerson "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. " "Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people in the whole world. I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing, worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe." Neil Gaiman "What other people think about you is none of your business!" Unknown ________________________________________ READING LIST: Reading: John Bingham: "Running for mortals" TBR pile: John Bingham: "No need for speed" Just read: John "The Penguin" Bingham: "The courage to start" Haruki Murakami "What I talk about when I talk about running" ... hmmmm ... is there a trend here... ? :) ________________________________________

I want to feel HAPPY, FIT and STRONG and be able to DO things I never thought I could do when carrying my extra weight. I CAN! AND I DO! NOW, even while I am still officially obese, but SO MUCH FITTER than I used to be! If I can, YOU can too! HELL YEAH! My long term goal is not a number, but it is somewhere in the healthy body fat / BMI range. I wan to lower BP (and hopefully stop taking BP pills if at all possible). Next mid-term goal: "No longer obese BMI"and One-derland = 90 kg to 76 kg (198 - 167.2 lbs) Fitness goals for 2011: - Participate in a 10K - Try a new sport Short term goals: Complete the 100 day challenge of moving daily. Continue to track daily food/fitness and measure inches lost monthly. Track weight weekly Be more active on teams. (NB: I use kilograms in my ticker and goals and my ticker reflects the next milestone I'm working on, not my final goal.)

Strength training program 1-2 hours/week Cardio (long or interval) 2-3 hours/week Moderate daily activity and random acts of fitness 7 hours/week Reach weekly targets on my HRM: 2500 kcal/week, 300-400 fitness minutes, food within calorie range 6 days, drink water, sleep enough! Track food and fitness. Stay aware! Every step I take, every move I make, every bread I break, I'll be tracking it.

I'm from Norway, I am 43 years old and I live with a very supportive and caring boyfriend. We've been together for close to 20 years and we are changing our lives together! He's been inspired by me and we stay active together 5-6 times every week. It's really great, we've both lost a lot of weight and inspired others by our lifestyle change.

I read a lot and love everything from classics and what's called "literature" to genre based books and graphic novels. I love to draw and photograph and use my creativity in other ways, for instance by cooking, knitting, crocheting, gardening. I have always loved singing it's fun to do it again in a choir at work. Last, but not least: since finding Spark People I can add "exercise" to the list of interests and things I *have* to include in my day. Hooray!

Add a Link Marit "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristoteles Next race: Find a 10K to run in 2011. (My first) September 11, 2010: 5.5 K race 39:08 June 12, 2009: Midnight Race, Copenhagen (First 5K) 40:19 Co-leader of GOYAAM (Get Off Your Ahem And Move!) <link>teams.sparkpeople.com/GOYAAM</link>
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