Eighty Nine Days to Go

I mentioned in my last post I am doing a challenge…a 100 day challenge. It’s not special except a 100 days is a long time to do some difficult things. They aren’t all difficult, just the things I struggle with are difficult.

It’s not like I haven’t done challenges before or been on restrictive diets or worked hard at things. It did take awhile to decide to do the challenge because there were the voices in my head, “You need to do something different,” and “But…I dooonnn’ttt waaaant toooo,” along with all the argument statements that backed them up.

It is the voices before decision that create the most trouble. Once decision takes over, the challenge is doable. It may not be fun, it may suck at times…a lot of times. It may be really hard in moments. It will be gratifying at times. There may be struggles, and challenges within the challenge–and within myself, and I only need to do it one more day. Every day.

What is it?

I have joined Zero to 100, a challenge put on by Brady McDonald. He has been levelling up over the last few years and recently completed the Arizona Ultraman. It is a free challenge you can join any time. It is basically this: 45 minute workout each day (can be total time over at least 5 days). Track macros, eat well, no junk food. No alcohol. Plan the next day in four areas, food, clothes, sleep and schedule.

While my schedule is flexible, there are parts that are pretty set in stone. Getting enough sleep has been a priority for me for a long time. I have been pretty good for planning food because I have done it for so long. I have also losely planned my clothes for the next day since I get up and often go for a workout. It’s not really a time challenge for me. I am working to improve these areas.

The Good

What of the first eleven days? I have lost three and a half pounds, I am feeling better. My mind is clearer and I have more energy. My resting heart rate has dropped by ten beats per minute. It hasn’t been this low in years.

I have been enjoying the food I have been choosing. I have been able to balance my macros to where I want them. It feels like I am eating more. I am making sure I get more fibre in my diet as well.

Despite the extra days of exercise, my hip is hurting less than it has in the last 8 months. I am hopeful for a full recovery.

The Bad

I have had some hard times. Last week I went from wallyball to a meeting. I drank a protein shake on the way. My brain was not functioning well for awhile; had a difficult time forming sentences. It passed in about 1/2 hour. Saturday I had a great sleep with lots of deep sleep. About mid day I felt dopey and emotional. It passed in a couple hours.

There were a couple days I really wanted to snack. I am not a huge snack person but I felt like I wanted something despite not feeling hungry. I resisted despite the obsession in my mind.

The Ugly

It seemed appropriate to add this heading; maybe superfluously. I have been craving garlic and totally enjoying a large (four cups) caesar salad with only 2 tablespoons of a light dressing and extra fresh garlic and fresh ground black pepper. It has less than 100 calories and provides a lot of vitamin A. I refrain from eating it before going to meetings.

On Saturday when I had the extra sleep, I woke up with black rings under my eyes. Seriously disturbing. I tried to cover it up with make up which I rarely wear.

Timing

Part of the challenge is the time involved. To take forty-five minutes in a day to exercise isn’t so bad. It does take time it is not just the 45 minutes. There is the driving time on the days I go to the gym or wallyball. There is the changing of clothes and shower considerations and scheduling accordingly. Because I am a woman who has hair and makeup to consider along with the shower, there is more planning involved.

With food, there was a learning curve with the app I am using to track food which is why I did a soft start the week before. I didn’t want to be learning it all while under the stress of all the things at once. It is getting easier as I repeat food options like oatmeal for breakfast or the salmon sandwich for lunch with sprouts and lettuce. Not that I have the same thing each day, just there are more items on my list, so fewer things to search and figure out serving size.

So Far

Things are going well. I am confident I will get through the next eighty nine days with some better habits and more awareness going forward. I am thankful to be feeling better and trust it will reflect in other areas of my life. It already is.

Age is A Number

It’s interesting who you meet when you attend an event. The particular interesting people were at the home of family member who was hosting a gathering. There were two ladies who traveled the 1.5 hours to get to the event and were former neighbours of the hosts.

The two ladies, Rose and Pat (not their real names) were accompanied by Pat’s dog who was 15 and quite spry for an old dog. Rose was the driver, and as evening was nearing, she was eager to get Pat, who was talking up a storm, ready to go. Rose had a workout planned. She didn’t go to the gym in the morning because she wanted to arriver early enough; she still needed to get home and to the gym for her 1.5 hour workout.

Pat had a conversation with someone about renovating her place. She has thought about it but in seeing the neighbours do a full renovation after the hosts had fixed up the place prior to moving, she decided that someone will just come in and change it when she sells. We don’t know when Pat plans to sell. She is doing well on her own though she no longer drives. She is however 95 years old.

Rose, on the other hand is 85 still drives, and clearly workouts for 1.5 hours each day. I was fascinated when she told me how long she is at the gym daily, and wanted to know what she does. I can’t recall all the details however it is broken into different parts. She spends the first 40 minutes on the treadmill walking 3 mph at a 3% incline. For those who don’t know, 3 mph is a pretty normal walking pace. The 3% is an incline and with each percentage above 1 is an increase of 1 mph effort on a treadmill. She does some body weight exercises after that.

These ladies walk the dog regularly, not short walks. They say that a pet will resemble the owners. In this case the dog is spry at 15 and doesn’t look a day over 10 which is pretty great. When I meet people like these ladies it inspires me to do better. They put in the effort regularly. They are strong and have a strong will to keep healthy and independent.

Though their stories were fascinating and I may meet them again, I am fortunate to have inspiration much closer to home. My parents are in their 80s and remain on the farm. They are active and generally healthy and it’s difficult for me to remember they are not still in their 60s …which would be weird because I am in my 60s…which is weird, because I feel like I am still in my 40s, except I don’t have to take care of kids. As the average age span increases, it seems there are those who are younger while they are technically older.

Barring medical incidents and physical disabilities, most of us are capable of achieving similar outcomes. I have friends and family who have developed sudden disabilities. It is a tragedy particularly when they were once active.

I have been challenged for awhile and feeling stuck in many ways. The couple years of stress and concern, and other things left me feeling less whole. I gained 10 pounds over that period and have struggled emotionally on and off. Things were feeling really blah the last 6 or so months despite feeling happy that hubby is able to walk normally after the two hip surgeries and do the things he used to do. I needed a disruption…a positive one.

I joined a challenge. I did a soft start over the last couple weeks, making some small efforts to confirm my ability and become comfortable with apps and inputs and I waited until after a very busy event to make my first couple of weeks successful.

I joined Zero to 100 officially on April 1st. It is a 100 day challenge. Each day I exercise 45 minutes, eat healthy (track macros) and no junk food, no alcohol, and plan my next day. While I have spent a lot of years keeping active, this is a new level. My initial resistance was the food tracking and having diet restrictions. Resistance is strongest when it is something that we should do for our own good.

I had a realization a few weeks ago that I can do the exercise but didn’t want to do the food part. That was the moment of truth; the reason to do it is for the food part. Now that I have been doing it for awhile, in practice days, and my first full week as of today, it is not so bad. It does take extra time. It isn’t perfect. I am still working our the right amounts of things to not come out over my daily macro goals or for some macros, getting enough.

Some days are easier than others. I won’t pretend to not have some difficult moments. I have lost a couple of pounds and that good start does help.

I will be sharing more on it as I move forward. Have you done any difficult challenges?

I Didn’t Fall

I went skating on a lake in February. It was a bit rough. The years between being on skates took their toll. I felt like I was skating for the very first time. I likened my form to that of a toddler. I didn’t fall; I took it slow and steady and took many rests between.

A couple of weeks later, I went skating again, sharper skates, and a smoother surface in the rec centre rink. The skating of a couple weeks before did not seem to improve my balance or skills when I started out, yet again like a new born deer’s attempts at walking. My inner toddler showed up, except the falling. I took it slow and steady and took some rests. And each time I went back out, I got faster, more relaxed and looking like I had skated once or twice.

Over the years I have worked hard on keeping my world big in the face of the natural tendency of aging and aging mindset, that creates a shrinking world. That shrinking world comes from being tired and unsure and sometimes fear. Or, it may be we get wiser as we age. I know people who are afraid to drive in their late 50s and people who give up working out or doing sports in their 30’s and 40s for fear of injury. I started this blog 11 years ago when I turned 50 to encourage people to do more than they think they can.

I have been doing a lot of reflection over the last few months, about a number of things but more recently, about not falling while skating. I am very aware many people would not get on skates at all after 5-6 years gap of being on skates. There is always a last time we do something and we don’t know when that is; it is rarely a conscious decision.

I broke my wrist a couple of years ago. With working out, and conscious work on form, the difference in my right hand, arm and wrist is almost imperceivable. I felt confident afterwards and still do with my abilities. But there is residual fear…or at least that’s where I think I am challenged. I don’t want to fall on the cold hard ice. I don’t want to hurt. I may subconsciously fear my ability to heal at my age, or my ability to do the activity at my age. I may have succumbed to the agism that creeps up on us and preaches, ‘you are too old for…’ But is it true?

I haven’t snowboarded since before covid. There are contributing factors. It was a hassle during covid with times and masks and procedures. Then there was no snow and then I broke my wrist. Last winter my husband was unable to walk without a walker and was awaiting hip replacement surgeries. I was holding down the fort; physically doing the things that kept our home in operation and the risk of me being injured put him at risk of not getting his surgery as well as us not caring for ourselves. It is a strange place to find yourself when, you haven’t reached senior status in all things.

I am happy to report Lawrence got 2 new hips, one end of March (we just had the one year anniversary), and the second in September last year. He is able to skate and do so many things he hasn’t been able to for a couple of years. This is not to say I will take risks. That said, what I may not consider risk may be for someone else. This season I missed snowboarding again, with lack of snow and weather that went to extremes in March. Next year.

I am resisting letting fear make my world smaller. I still drive downtown and find parking and walk the blocks to get to the destination all without knowing where I am going. I hate it and feel nervous most of the time. Then again, it may be a product of who I have been most of my life, needing to know in advance what things look like and how they will likely play out. And as people age, they become more of who they are, and the habits they have formed. I seek to become more conscious of those things and resist the urge for doing what is comfortable.

I am working on becoming comfortable with the unknown, because it is all unknown…and fleeting. And I can’t control those things. I will never be willy-nilly or detached from the best possible or intended outcome, but I will work on my illusion of controlling the outcome, especially when other factors can disrupt it.

I have said in the past that the secret to happiness is low expectations. I have changed it to Happiness is created through high standards and managed expectations. High standards are intentionally aiming for excellence/the best: managed expectations with yourself (and others), because life happens.

Without throwing caution to the wind, I can do things that I may not think I am capable of. I can push some limits. I will continue to expand my world as my mindset may be encouraging me to shrink it.

As you are aging, do you find you take fewer risks? Do you find your world slowly deflating, because you are tired, injured, don’t care or fearful?