July is a time for warm reflections and executing summer plans.
Some of those reflections should include how you have spent the last seven months trying to navigate your lifestyle while slowly coming out of COVID. Remember back in January when you made those lofty resolutions?
Well, now is a great time to step back, reflect and see where you are with them. Since we’re just a month past the year’s halfway point, why not take stock of what has been done, what hasn’t been done and what you can do to salvage your losses.
I’m actually quite excited about my one and only resolution because I have never followed through with any of them throughout the years. However, this time I made one resolution, and I have been able to stick with it for seven months so far.
Want to know what that resolution was? I decided to take one simple step toward getting healthy, and it has worked flawlessly. So, here it is.
I’ve tried a plethora of diets over the years, trying to lose weight and get healthier. The only one that has ever yielded any kind of success was Weight Watchers, but it was only good for me as long as I was on it. Once I stopped, the weight returned and brought extra pounds with it. To be honest, I just could not make it a part of my lifestyle because of the kind of life I lead.
So here is what I did. I purchased a Fitbit and learned how to operate it. Then back in December, I simply started combining walking along with the only physical activity I absolutely love, which is dancing. I did this every day and checked my Fitbit to see the progress being made.
How I got started was to make sure I included my general steps around the house, to the store, and anywhere else I went. I noticed first that I was only getting in about 1,000 steps or less. I was barely moving day after day, which meant weight gain was a friend of mine that I didn’t need.
Once I realized that I was moving so little, I decided to deliberately move more and more. By January 1, I was ready to make my resolution and stay committed to it. So, on January 1, 2022, I clocked in 6,000 steps. This was a real feat for me. Then I came up with the idea of a plan to get to 10,000 steps a day. I thought this would be difficult because of my age, but I was willing to give it a try anyway.
What I did was put in 6,000 steps a day for the whole month of January, with the understanding that if you do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit. I had formed my habit.
When January was over, I thought about what would happen if I simply added an additional 500 steps to my already daily walking and dancing routine. So, in February, I upped the ante from 6,000 to 6,500.
The gradual addition didn’t feel forced or even added because there were actually days when I did more than 6,000 or 6,500. And now, here we are in July, and I am up to 9,000 steps per day.
The goal is to reach 10,000 steps a day and remain there. That means by September, I will be at 10,000 steps a day. Best of all, I had a doctor’s visit last week, and he was pleased that since I began this trek, I have slowly lost 10 pounds—in women’s language—that’s a whole dress size. Wish me luck.
Reflections are important. Find yours and look for ways to improve on whatever your endeavor.
I will be back in August and will bring along some updates on our new season. So, look out for some special guests, new topics for discussion, and our season premiere, but until then, keep flying on your wings.