Tim's blog, week 1: Little steps, and a big mantra

One week into my little experiment and I’m very happy to report that things are going remarkably well! Let me give you a little recap of my numbers (8/19 through 8/25):

1. 78,495 steps;
2. 97 floors;
3. 35.21 miles;
4. 16,006 calories burned;
5. 7,377 calories consumed (Note: On the first day, I did not enter my caloric intake); and
6. No significant weight loss.

My goal for this initial week was simple: 10,000 steps per day. Using my little device was very empowering and kept my weekly goal in the forefront of my mind. By being able to see my progress live and in real time this past week, I was better able to manage my food and exercise choices. Instead of driving my car to the supermarket, I chose to walk. Instead of having that little snack at 9:30 at night, I chose to drink lots of water.

Was I perfect in my choices every time? Certainly not, but I took a huge step forward in making better healthy decisions.

Two other things I want to mention:

1. I did not go out and buy any new food. I made a conscious decision to eat and log the food I had in the house. I wanted to see what would happen if I simply increased my activity level and ate the food that I normally buy, and I managed and carefully logged the caloric intake. The process of logging food is something that I’ve never done in my lifetime. This one simple process could be the most transformative action related to improving my health to date.

2. I also found it helpful to create a mantra that I had to repeat many times, over and over, in moments of doubt or frustration. My chosen one? “This is about my health.”

In past attempts at trying to get healthy, I became caught up in the vanity of losing weight, and although that is one important measurement, this process is really about my overall health. The mantra was helpful in those times when my ego wanted to compare my progress with other people I saw exercising while out and about or at the gym. It was also a reminder that my own progress is something to be celebrated and that small, positive changes in my health should not be discounted by comparing my progress with other people.

I’m not going to go run a marathon tomorrow. It’s not fair for me to measure my progress with a goal like that, and it’s worth saying that a healthy week of eating and exercise is a reason for me to acknowledge myself. I’ve gotten lots of great feedback and encouragement about my blog. Thanks to everyone and I look forward to writing again next week.

Tim Castallo is a coordinator for mHIMSS