My Journey to Wellness – Part 2

Hey friends!

I am writing you from a hotel room in Carmel, Indiana.  I got here last night for a Delta blogger event (faucets, not airplane). :)

We are getting ready to head out for the day and have a lot of stuff on our agenda, but before I do, I wanted to stop in and give you an update on my Journey to Wellness.

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If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can read Part 1 HERE.

First of all, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of the comments, messages, and emails that I have gotten the past week in response to that post.  I read every one of your comments on that post, and it is very obvious that many of us are struggling with the exact same thing.  But knowing that you were praying for me, and many of you were joining me in this journey, made it so much better!

So last week, my main goal was to drink more water, and drink more water I did.  My aunt Pat got me a stainless steel tumbler like this one for my birthday,  that is perfect for drinking lots of water.


 

It is big, and it keeps my water ice cold all day long.  I also love that it is stainless steel because I can use my essential oils in my water, and it doesn’t hurt them or the cup. 

Honestly, the first half of the week I did better at drinking more water than the second half of the week.  My birthday was yesterday, so my Dad and Janet took me to lunch on Monday, and of course, I had a coke with my meal as a treat.  And then yesterday Tuesday was my real birthday, so of course, I had to treat myself again with a coke.  And last night was a welcome reception at the Delta Event, and I didn’t want to be rude, so of course I ate #allthefoods.  (See where I am going with this?). 

It is so easy to get distracted from our goals.  Every day, I start out really good, but by the end of the day, I’ve usually blown it. 

But I am not going to let it get me down.  I am going to continue drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.  I am determined to like that stuff!  ha!

This week, I am going to add another goal…..exercise.  ugh.

This is a hard one.  Especially because it is hard for me to find time to exercise.  And if I DO find time to exercise, well…that’s the last thing I want to do with my extra time, ya know?!   It is so hard to be motivated. 

Sooooo, I am going to be using an app called, Lose it!  I have used this app in the past, and I love it!

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It is a simple way to keep track of what I am eating and how much I am exercising.  I wanted to see if you would want to be friends on this app and encourage each other along the way?  (Btw, I am NOT an affiliate for Lose it!, and this is not a sponsored post.   I just like this app.)

I’ve never added “friends” on this app, so I am not sure the best way to do it, but if you download the app, you can find me and request to be friends.  

I am “Traci-Beneath My Heart” on the app.  

I am going to start logging what I eat, how much water I drink, and how much I exercise on this app.  I “think” we can message each other and encourage each other through this app.  Ya wanna do it?!  (Please say yes.  Please say yes.)

That’s it for today, folks!

I gotta go now.  Let me know in the comments how your week went.  

Did you start drinking more water?  Got any advice for me about how to get motivated to exercise?

I would love to hear about it!

Have a blessed day!

xoxo

Traci

32 Comments

  1. I have been struggling with my health for a very long time and over the next year I am determined to turn things around. So I am starting on my own wellness journey. And, yes, one of my biggest challenges is drinking enough water. I have to make a special effort to do that or I get busy with the day’s activities and just forget. I’ll be following your health journey and I know that you can do it!!

  2. I am a sugar addict and am trying so hard to give it up. I labeled November as “No Sweets November” until Thanksgiving;) Good luck with your journey! Don’t let the ups and downs stop you from achieving your goals!

  3. I put on my exercise clothes and just start my run with the expectation that I may not want to finish and that would be OK. I’ve never not finished yet, although I may walk more than run. Putting on the clothes is the key.
    My BF has never been able to lose wight or exercise. I tried to get her to do it with me to help both of us, but no dice. However, she recently made a real effort and has lost almost 100lbs. She doing it for her health and just tries to incorporate exercise into her daily routines. Instead of sitting when on the phone, she gets up and goes for a walk. She also joined the Y and uses their personal trainers as she’d never exercised before. Now she’s overcome her embarrassment and is starting to swim. I’m so happy for her and look forward to a time we can exercise together. A partner is very motivating. I’m with you on this journey.
    Cold turkey woked best for my sugar addiction. I hardly think about it now.

  4. I am SOOO proud of you!

    Okay, so you weren’t perfect last week. Neither was I. I didn’t exercise nearly as much as I should have. We won’t be perfect next week, either. But as St. Benedict liked to say, “Always we begin again.” Right?

    Keep drinking that water, girl. . .your body will address and you will come to crave it in time. :)

  5. KEEP GOING! Thanks for the encouragement to drink more water. I need this! I think instead of sipping throughout the day and not in taking that much at that pace, I am going to set my phone to remind me every hour… of the waking hours ;)… to drink an entire glass of water. Then sipping at other times can just fill in and not feel like I have to keep at it to make some accomplishments.

    I’ll see how that works!

  6. I also had trouble with drinking enough water. I tried adding lemon and just didn’t care for it. My husband sugested limes. I tried it and loved it. I agree with what Teresa said about going cold turkey with the sweets. After a few weeks you wont miss it a bit.
    The other thing I would suggest is looking at the quality of food you are eating. (GMO’s, additives, preservitives, high fructose corn syrup…) The better the quality of food, the healthier you will be, the easier it will be to loose the weight.
    I am not on a diet. I have changed my eating habbits for life. I am now down 30 lbs in 10 months and feel so much better. Even though my progress seems slow my goal is to keep it off for good. If you loose it too fast your body may not acclimate to your new size. That is why so many peoples weight is like a yo-yo. My prayers for your success are with you.
    Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

    1. Great advice, Lynn! Thank you. I definitely want to try to make a lifestyle change and eat healthier foods. I’m tired of riding the yo-yo. :)
      Thank you for your encouragement! xoxo Traci

  7. I couldn’t believe some of the things you were saying, because it sounded like me, with one exception, I actually like ice cold water! That’s why I got myself a stainless steel tumbler! Also recently had downloaded the app Lose It! Haven’t really gotten started on the app. So I’ll see what I can learn and see if I can friend you on it. I have never been skinny, I’ve always be full figured, with the emphasis on Full…Ha! But in the last few months, I gained 10 pounds. I didn’t think I was eating any different than I had been. I recently had my checkup at the doctors, lab work and all. My numbers had never been so bad. So I talked to the doctor about this and he said 1200 calories a day and a brisk walk three times a week for 30 minutes each and drink water (for me that one was easy). So….I’m going to give it my best shot. I want to be healthy and feel better. So Traci you talking about this and sharing your struggle made me feel so much better. We can do this, I know we can!! Hopefully see you on the Lose It app!! God Bless!

    1. Hi Pam! I am going to try and stay around the 1200 calorie mark too. And definitely going to try and exercise at least three times a week. We can do this!! I haven’t figured out how to find people yet on the app, but hopefully we can connect. :)
      Have a wonderful weekend!

  8. Hi Traci so proud of you! A coke here and there is better than a few a day! As far as exercise here are a few ideas turn the radio up and dance w that beauty daughter of yours (if she will leave aunt cici that is 😉) if you have a wii alot of those games interactive so they get you moving. Lastly take a brisk walk w your hubby. Leave the kids at home and have some big ppl time.
    Ciao Nicki

  9. Traci,

    To drink more water pour from a gallon jug. Watch how much water you are drinking as you empty the jug. Pretty soon your body will be craving water.

  10. I try to remember that it is progress, not perfection. I would like to drop ten pounds but my real goal at 51 is to not gain any weight.
    I think there is hardly a person alive that doesn’t struggle with our appetites.

  11. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I’m hoping it will motivate me along with reading everyone’s comments. I don’t know much about oils. What do you put in your water and why? Looking forward to reading more about your exercise ideas and what you are eating. Now on to more water!

  12. Traci,
    I have started drinking water with you and plan on implementing exercise on Monday. I also started myfitness pal app. It is so hard to get my food intake in check, when I love it so much! (lol) I found that I get motivated to exercise, if I buy a new workout shirt or outfit. Once I get to the gym, I tend to get more motivation from everyone working out. The hardest part is getting there! Good luck this week, I am praying for us!

  13. I think you had a great first week! My goal in eating clean is 80/20%- and that is what my coaches push for- making healthy food choices 80% of the time and then eating what you crave 20%. Since I am carb cycling, it really works for me- I eat 100% clean 6 days out of each week, and then eat whatever I want on “metabolism reset day”. It really works! I am down 23 pounds and 42″ since mid-June.
    As far as exercise, I pay in advance for 20 CrossFit classes a month. If I skip one, I know that I am wasting money. That is great motivation for me to not miss a class. Also, setting out gym clothes at night before bed helps me get out the door before 6am to make it to class on time!
    You can do it, Traci!!! I believe in you!!!

  14. Hi Traci,

    I’ve followed your blog for a while and don’t usually comment, although I love your blog. This particular entry has resonated with me so much. I’ve struggled with gaining 20 pounds in the last 5 years and I’ve been praying for some motivation to care about myself enough to make some serious changes. I’m ready to do it! I’d love to join you on Lose It. I’ve downloaded the app and signed in. When I tried to add friends, it requires you to enter the friend’s email address that she joined Lose It with. I tried entering your blog email address and it said you were not signed up. Any suggestions?

      1. Hey Traci! Yes, that is the email that I tried. I tried again (and copy paste your email just to make sure I had it right). It says that they are not a user of LoseIt.com, so I chose the option to “send them an invitation”. I’m guessing you will get an email.

  15. You may think this is a silly little idea….but it works for me. Whenever I want something crunchy (potato chips, etc. ) I grab some cold crispy radishes out of the fridge and they satisfy the craving for crunch.

  16. I used to dislike water, and a friend of mine suggested something that I no longer even need to do! :) When you first get up, slug a huge glass of water… Maybe about 12 ounces, and just drink it fast. For some reason, it makes you drink more water all day long. I did this about 15 years ago, and now I probably drink a gallon and a half of water a day. Not sure why it works, but it really does! Love that you’ll be a good influence for us. ;)

  17. In September 2015 I downloaded an app called C25k. It’s an app that trains you for a 5k. I hate running. I’ve never been a runner. But after 4 kids I needed to lose my baby weight and I knew running would get me to where I wanted to be. Fast forward to today and I’ve lost all but 8lbs for a total of 77 lbs lost. I’ve also been doing Atkins since January. Keep with it and don’t be discouraged.

  18. starting out the day doing it right and ending the day not so great is better than not having any good part of the day. we have found that setting a certain amt of time for the exercise at an approximate time of day considering which part of the day might have appts or need to make phone calls helps us tremendously to make it work. does not have to be so much time at a precise time of day and every day. just doing it helps the time to become more accessible. it is like events sort of move around to help us be successful because we make a good resolve to do it.

    walking this journey with you. thanks for the extra motivation.

  19. Hi Tracie,….To help with your water drinking….try adding a little cranberry juice, some fresh lemon or lime, and a splash of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with “the mother” to your water…It tastes good and it is also good for you ( although the cranberry juice has been debunked as a preventative for urinary tract infections.) This was recommended by a functional medicine/family practice MD to my sister who is on a weight loss journey as well. I drink it also and love it. I would give you exact amounts but you need to play around with it to get it to your personal taste. Drink a glass FIRST thing in the morning for sure and periodically all day. I make a pitcher of this mixture and keep it in the refrigerator…Best of luck on this journey. I know you can do it as you seem to be very goal oriented and complete the many tasks and projects that you set for yourself. Your energy is inspiring to me and to many I know as a mother of 5 children, blogger, etc…You also have a very positive attitude which is a real plus! Good luck!

  20. I save my new podcast episodes for workouts only. It gives me something to look forward to when I have to take the dog for a walk/jog at 5 am. :)

  21. I really wish you the best on your road to wellness. It’s tough but so worth it. I have 3 young boys and its practically impossible to exercise once they’re up so I’ve been getting up at 4:30 or 5:30 in the morning to run or go to boot camp – no matter how much the rest of my day gets highjacked by life I’ve done something just for me. I started exercising after a relative had a long hospital stay and couldn’t walk because she was so weak and sick – having a strong healthy body is such a gift I try not to take it for granted. Keep it up we’re all rooting for you!

  22. Hi Tracie,

    This past April I got very sick and had to have my knee replacement taken out. For the next six months I had a spacer put in with antibiotics and was told not to put any weight or even bend my knee. So I wore a brace and I sat and slept in a chair in my family room. With so much time on my hands I decided to search the internet and look for ideas to redo some rooms in my house. While looking, I ran across your blog. I actually recognized you and thought of all the many blogs on line and yet I found yours. I started reading your different post and looking through all the pictures of your home. (which is beautiful) I found myself going back and reading your blog every few days. Last week, when I read about you wanting to get healthier, it really hit home. I have dieted so many times and each time something throws me off and I just give up. My doctor told me once that for every pound you lose it’s four pounds off my knees. This last replacement was just done a month ago. The doctor called it a salvage surgery and a difficult one. With so much bone loss and with problems of infections this is my last chance to keep my leg. Losing weight is just one thing I can do to help this situation. Although I am doing therapy to get me back on my feet, I really can’t exercise much. As far as water goes, I do drink a lot of it. For the past seven months my husband has done all the cooking and I have ate and appreciated every meal that he has fixed for me. So I might not be able to diet right now, but as soon as I’m back on my feet, I will join you. For now, I will start doing what I can. Like not eating brownies and ice cream my husband brings to me after supper.
    Thank you again, for being so open and honest with your situation. I will continue reading about your journey and will keep you in my prayers. You are an inspiration~

  23. Way to go, Traci! The hardest thing about starting a healthy lifestyle is agreeing to start and keep going in the first couple of weeks. As a dietitian and, at one point, a certified personal trainer, I am so excited for your wellness path! I can attest to how hard it is to get it started, but every step you take in the right direction will be a positive move towards wellness. As a note about sweets, I have found that the more fruit you eat during the day means the less cravings for sweets…and it is working wonders in your body at the same time. I also am not a fan of drinking water, but squeezing some fruit in it helps. And, as for exercise, keep searching for something you have fun doing, and/or a buddy to do it with. One day you can take a (quick) walk with a girlfriend or while your daughter rides her bike next to you. The next you can get a dance video (try Zumba Country…if you like country music, it’s very fun and not complicated!). Jillian Michael’s has a beginner 30 minute workout that you can fit into a busy day and graduates you to the next level as you get stronger and the workout gets easier. If you’re having trouble starting, tell yourself that you are going to do 10 to 15 minutes only. Once you get started you will probably find that you can keep going for a while longer. Be proud of yourself for what you are doing and don’t think too much about what you have left to do or start! Once step at a time and you’ll get there!

  24. Oh Traci. I can totally relate to where you are right now with your health. I’m trying to get back on the healthy eating and exercise bandwagon, too. I absolutely can’t believe how those extra pounds make you so stinkin’ tired! Which then, of course, means you don’t feel motivated to eat well or exercise. Isn’t that just the biggest kick in the pants?!?! I’m working to get leaner and healthier again because, honestly, I need the ENERGY to do what I feel called by God to do. At this moment in time, I’d just like to take a really long nap … after eating a meal that includes a ton of cheese, of course. I’ll be praying for you and joining you on the journey. :) #wegotthis

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