Ninety days of consistent walking, drinking a protein shake, and taking my vitamins. I am incredibly proud of myself. I started this journey for several reasons, but one of them was not to lose weight. That statement may be odd. Well, all my life, any time I tried to make a shift in my body change, it was always directed around what I weighed and my measurements. I would then find myself measuring my success around those numbers, and when I didn't get to them fast enough, I would quit. Can anyone relate?

This time, I decided to make a life change and get into a consistent practice of walking. A few factors helped me make this decision: I am about to turn sixty years old, and I was diagnosed with a leaky heart (which explains so much of my childhood) and family hereditary diseases. I decided that I would start by working on helping my heart pump blood better through walking.

All my life, I have had a hard time walking up hills, climbing stairs, doing aerobics, and hiking, and now I know why. I live on a mountain, and driving to locations to work out or walk is not appealing to me. I live in a small house and do not have a room for a treadmill.

A walking pad was my solution. I looked into a walking pad that you can put away after you are done by sliding it under the furniture. The first time I purchased it, I would forget about it once it was put away, so I decided to put it in my kitchen, where it now stays permanently.
Yep, in the way, but my husband doesn't mind, and my grandkids beg to walk on it.

I walk between five and eight a.m.; if I do it later, it throws off my day. I prefer to do it early so I can get some creative time or write before my day officially starts.

Have there been days when I didn't feel like walking? Oh, yes!! Many have been, but I get up and do it anyway. At first, I checked the clock every minute and couldn't wait until it was over, but I quickly shifted to watch my art classes or YouTube. It helps the time go by faster.

As for speed, I keep it between 2.5 and 3.0 and do minute jogs here and there, depending on how I feel. My doctor has advised me to keep my heart rate to 100 to 125 and nothing below or over. I push it some days, but this is about steady, consistent walking. I am not trying to impress anyone.

I haven't weighed or measured myself at all. My body is shifting, but I can tell you I don't feel like I have lost twenty pounds, either. I did not put this weight on overnight; it will only come off fast if I make significant changes, which I am working on slowly. It's not a race; it is about healthy creating habits. 

I plan on continuing, and my goal is to do another 90 days but add another fifteen minutes to walking daily. I also plan on including stretching, somatic yoga, and weights.

This is what I learned during this whole experience. I can do anything I put my mind to; I need to create boundaries and set up the perimeters according to my lifestyle. Once I took the focus off of trying to lose weight and instead put the emphasis on trying to live longer, doing it one day at a time, I was able to create a healthy habit.

Onto the next 90 days! Wish me luck!