Barefoot in Autumn

One thing that I love now about Saturdays is that I usually don't work on Saturday morning. This allows me to sleep in past 3:45 AM (my usual time to get up) and allows me to fix a hot breakfast that I can share with the dogs. They will sit quietly while I portion a bite for me and then a bite for each of the two dogs.

After we ate, I took the puppy, now four months old, on a eight-block walk. The temperature was 44 degrees, but I did not mind going barefoot. As the puppy gets older, I anticipate the walks getting longer. I plan on walking barefoot through the winter, although I haven't quite decided on the snow and ice...we will definitely have to think on that one. The good thing about walking is that the pace is enough to burn off a few calories, and every one of them adds up.

I need to burn more, especially as I become older and heavier as the metabolism slows down. I find that following up the walk with a fifteen minute bike ride (stationary bike in the basement) is a great way to start the weekend! An added benefit is that my metabolism is higher for the start of the weekend and that makes the calories burned at rest disappear at a more rapid pace. Someday,I will earn enough at one job to have just one job and not spend 70-83 hours, seven days a week working. It is realized that less sleep makes it more difficult to lose the unwanted poundage, but one has to do what one has to do.

Have a great day!

October Begins

Fall has got to be one of my favorite times of year, it began in Colorado (officially for me) and now it is a cool one in the St. Louis area. I have worked up to walking the puppy (now 15 weeks old) about 8 blocks or so. It isn't a blistering pace (what, with the sniffing and all), but I am getting my feet built up to to withstand longer times and faster paces.

In addition to the walking activity, I have begun building my leg muscles up more by riding on our stationary bike that records time, calories, heart rate, and distance. This gives me standards by which to gauge my progress.

One of the greatest challenges in weight loss and exercise programs is that one needs to stay focused on the end result and make progress each day toward the end. You, too, can accomplish a lot that you set your mind to accomplishing!