As they say, you have to crawl before you can walk.  And you have to walk before you can run.   Walking was (and is) an awesome way to start being more active.  I think I was with Weight Watchers about a month or so before the idea of “Moving More” even entered my mind.  I was losing weight fairly easily, like we all do in the beginning.  But then the inevitable happens and it sloooows right down.  It’s your body saying, easy there girl — there are other skills you need to learn on this journey to remake yourself.

Right around early April 2010, the topic at my Weight Watchers meeting was taking on the Walk-It challenge.   It was weird.  Normally, this kind of thing would go in one ear and out the other, but this time around, something was different.  I was different.  I was AWAKE!  And when you are AWAKE, the opportunities come and you embrace them.  I was ready to embrace.  Give me that pamphlet!!    Denise passed out pamphlets that showed a training schedule. I forget all the details, but it was like an 8 weeks schedule, which had you walking 10 mins, 15 mins, 20 mins each night — easily working your way up to the 5K, with rest days mixed in.  Totally reasonable.  It was perfectly timed to conclude right around Memorial Day in May,  so you could begin to walk in spring, and be ready to walk the 5K just as summer  was starting — and maybe lose some more weight heading into summer.  God, I LOVE Weight Watchers.  They really do put alot of thought into their program to set us up for success.  The only thing they can’t do is tie your sneakers for ya and make you do it!.  Here is where we take over.

So I headed home and showed my husband Peter the pamphlet.  He agreed to walk with me.  I needed company at this point.  I think I knew myself well enough that I knew if Peter and I didn’t do this together, I would have quit.  I think it’s important to know yourself and not feel bad about the practical truths of where you are in your journey.  Don’t hide in shame because your committment is not where it needs to be.  Don’t avoid trying because you sweat like a bull when you walk.  All of these things were true about me too.  But this time, I did something different.  I didn’t let DOUBT win the day, and I asked Peter for help.   Say WHAT????  Yeah, I asked for help.   Wait a minute, I’m the mommy, I’m the professional, I’m the capable one, I help others!  Well, girl — get real.  You NEED help and you WILL ask for it.  That was a big big step.  And looking back, I was a silly fool for making it so hard on myself.  But it’s just one of the million baby steps on this journey, and I took it.  It doesn’t matter anymore how long it took.  I’m focusing on the steps in front of me, not the ones behind me.

So Peter and I walked every night.   Sometimes alone, sometimes with our chocolate labs (Jewel and Zoey).  Walking with the dogs was really great.  They love to walk and kept the pace quick and steady.  So if you are a dog owner, use your little four-legged friend as a companion and get out there.  Peter and I were ready come end of May for the 5K Walk-It challenge.  We walked it in the park, and the next Saturday meeting, those of us who walked  received a 5K charm from Denise.  It was a pretty little charm, and it meant alot to me.  It was like a little trophy, and it spurred me on to keep going.

Before Denise’s Walk It Challenge, I had never heard of a 5K.  Hey, I’m American —- I deal in miles, not K’s.  5K is 3.1 miles.  Walking it took us about 60 minutes that first time.   Afterwards, Peter and I would walk a 5K in our neighborhood each night during the summer.  We would talk about our day, talk about our daughters, laugh, and enjoy each other.   Walking and moving brought Peter and I even closer together – which was a lovely side benefit.  For myself, for my journey, Walking moved me out off of the Couch and out of the “I Can’t” mindset and started to shift my thinking about who I was.  Could I become strong?  I wonder……….(WooHooo, now we’re cooking with gas!)

Ciao for now….

Diane