My new plan? One step at a time.

I want to thank everyone that stopped by in reference to my last blog and offered advice and encouragement. I have evaluated this advice and decided that it all is true. I am trying to do too much too soon. I needed to step back and reassess this "lifestyle change" of mine. I have way way too many things going on in my life that are out of control and not succeeding at my diet is just one more thing that i beat myself up about that i felt was also out of control. NOT that eating unhealthy, whatever, whenever was in control, but, I felt so bad because i wanted to do good and wasn't sticking to what at the time was my plan. I do need to make small manageable changes, changes that i can feel in control of and that won't overwhelm an already overwhelmed, frustrated, stressed out and over worked me. The first change is going to be to EXERCISE. Yes, exercise, there i said it. . . . I am going to exercise. I was in such bad shape this time last year. I could barely make it up the 5 steps to our house without being out of breath and my heart racing. I have already become so much more active! We have a two acre piece of property, the other day, Bob (our dog) and I, mini-jogged half the length of it. I wasn't too outta breath and i didn't want to fall out. This is a huge accomplishment for me. So, I plan to exercise at least 20 minutes a day 5 days a week. I will raise this amount as i need to be challenged more and more. The second change i will make is that i will drink more water, I love my sweet tea and it is really hard for me to give it up. I think if I just say, no more sweet tea than i would just drink other high calorie beverages. So I will allow myself my coffee in the morning and a V8 if I'm feeling froggy but the rest of the day i need to stick to water. This all by itself is an ordeal for me, I didn't realize how comforting my sweet tea was to me. I wish i could make the same association with water.