I Did It!

I reached my goal of averaging 5000 steps per day since coming back from the beach.  I actually exceeded my goal by nearly 1000 steps each day.  My average was 5931 steps per day.  I will be shopping for new underwear soon.

Initially, it seemed as though I had to be intentional about taking a walk each day in order to get in enough steps.  It seemed to get easier as the days passed.  It was a good thing to push.  It made me go to the church building one day and walk and to the school gym another day.  I find that doing something for the first time is often the hardest time.  Now, I've done both and I plan to go back.  Both places good and both have their advantages.  The church building is closer and has no parking issues.  The school has a track specifically for walking, which is better for my hips.  Parking isn't much of an issue in the summer.  I had trouble with my wifi connection at both places too, making it hard to distract myself by listening to the book I'd selected.

I knew going in that this first challenge was to get a benchmark and I would up my goals for the next time period.  As I was pondering what my goals would be, 65MD announced that he want to trim a few pounds and wants to walk with me at school.  That is most exciting for me and I know it will help me stay on track.

I am setting my next goal to be done by June 15.  I had originally thought I'd do monthly goals.  But I can already see that my summer will be more unpredictable than the rest of the year.  I have a trip next week, to see my nephew graduate from high school.  I'm sure that will impact my steps on the days we are there.  65MD is teaching only one class this summer - one night per week at the women's prison!  (That is a whole blog post.)  It is just too hard to factor in all of the variables and know which ones I can push through, like walking in the airport on travel days and which ones I can't, like hip pain.

With all of that in mind, my goal is to average 6000 steps per day between today and June 15.  I had considered saying I needed to go someplace to walk a certain number of times, but in order to get that many steps in, I will have to go someplace, so that seems redundant.  If I meet that goal, I will give myself a new dressy outfit.  I'll up my game again for June 16-30 if this gets 'easier' as well.

BTW, I weighed this morning.  I weigh 235.0.  That was my pre-vacation weight.  I'm not sure if I'll weigh every Wednesday or not.  Being the first of the month, it seemed like a good idea.  I might weigh again on June 8, I might wait until June 15, or maybe July 1.  I'll decide at the time what I want to do.  This is not supposed to be about weight.  It is supposed to be about health.  I confess, I still want it to be about weight!