Life doesn't always turn out like you plan.....

Today I set off for my first walk since leaving hospital.  Taking advantage of the warm sunshine, I set out just after lunch and strolled down to the creek.  I coped ok on the way there but struggled quite a bit on the return 500m. My lung (the one that I had the pneumonia in) burned quite badly on the way back and I started to cough quite a bit.  I arrived home tired and clammy but happy that I'd taken the first step back towards daily exercise and wellbeing. While my focus at present is on improving my health, I am keeping my weight and weight loss in mind.  My losing continues to be very slow but I'm pleased to say that I'm down another kilo.

When I started my focus on weight loss and wellbeing a year ago I never could have imagined that my journey would have been so S.L.O.W.  I understood that my health would be a long term journey but I really expected to have lost weight far more quickly and that I'd be happily at goal now.  I rather suspect that if I knew that my weight loss journey would be this glacially slow I would have given up before I started. As it is, I set my foot on this path 12 months ago and although the journey has not turned out as I had imagined, I find myself with no interest in giving up.  While experiencing moments of disappointment with my progress and the increasing complexity of my medical situation I find myself happy to have lost almost 10kgs and to have mainly kept this off. Prior to my pneumonia I was extremely pleased with the progress I had made with my daily walk, having found a new route I enjoyed and being able to successfully walk for 35 minutes or more each day without crashing back into fatigue.  This was a HUGE improvement on what I had been physically able to achieve for many years and I know I'll get back to this walk as my body heals.  Maybe I'm like a diamond and am simply taking a long time to form.... :)

I've Come a LOOOONG Way..... Counting Steps

I recently purchased  this lovely new pedometer watch. I was sick of my regular pedometer making suicidal leaps towards the toilet or unclipping itself and swinging crazily from my waist band.  I also wear dresses on a semi regular basis and you can't wear a pedometer at your waist with a dress.  So far I'm really happy with how this nifty little device is performing. It's easy to use, never attempts to swim in the loo, never falls off, gets knocked etc.  My particular pedometer watch is a Techo40 Accelerometer purchased at the wonderful Walking With Attitude.

At the height of my illness 1000 steps was an absolute push for me and would result in heart palpitations, exhaustion and sometimes would see me semi-bed ridden for days on end.  When I recall that, I realise just how far I've come, and my frustration with what I still can't do fades.  This week I am averaging 11 500 steps a day with the need for only one afternoon sleep. Generally I feel quite well so that is BRILLIANT.  My steps consist of incidental movement throughout the day and an intentional walk each afternoon. Due to the smelly demise, (gag) of a poor carpet snake on my usual walk I've discovered, with the help of a dear neighbour (thanks Di), a lovely new and longer walk.  I head in the opposite direction to the gag inducing carpet snake, past the very vocal 'guard dogs' down the road and cut through a little easement into a new estate where once grew macadamias and pineapples.  It's a lovely walk away from cars, in semi bushland yet with enough houses and activity for personal safety. Yesterday I passed kangaroos feeding in the lovely shade of a park and regretted not bringing my camera.  This is the little easement into the new estate.  I love it through here, it's always so cool and quiet.

My goal for the next week is to keep tracking my steps and work towards consistently achieving 10 000 steps per day.  My long term goal is to work up to 15 000 steps per day and I think that will be achievable for me.  My biggest goal is to NOT get overexcited by my progress and overdo it  - who me? Never!!

I'll let you know how I go!  If anyone does use walking as their main form of exercise and is looking for ways to keep it interesting I can highly recommend Walking With Attitude as a source to investigate. They have fun virtual walking programmes including programmes for increasing your fitness etc.  I get no kickbacks from them, I've just used their site in the past and quite enjoyed it for a change.

More later...