Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Doing something to get healthy makes me happy!

Getting off dead center. Walking with a buddy. Tracking what I'm eating. Logging it all on SparkPeople. Feeling in control.

These are the things that have made me a very happy woman today.

Oh, and painting the white tips of my fingernails in red and blue polka-dots in honor of the 4th of July.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I Just Joined SparkPeople . . .


In my efforts to get healthy, I joined SparkPeople. I first heard about it through a doctor, and although I didn't use it when she recommended it, I'm going to use it now to:


  • track the food I eat.
  • track the fruit and veggie servings I get each day.
  • log the glasses of water I drink in a day.
  • post the workout activities and minutes I do.
  • STAY MOTIVATED!
If you'd like to find me there, my username is: ChristieHansen. Because it IS my name.


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

How a friend can make all the difference

I have a strange and unusual compulsion to analyze what's keeping me from being content and happy. And for the past few months, it's been my weight.

I'm at an all-time high. More than I weighed at full term with any of my pregnancies. Blech!

I know that happiness shouldn't be centered on what the scale says, but knowing something and feeling something are not the same thing. I feel fat. And it niggles at me throughout the day, eating away at my happiness.

Ever since I started teaching school two years ago I've fallen out of the habit of regular exercise. I know I need it, it helps me feel better, energizes me, and yet I still haven't made it a part of my routine.

Until yesterday.

I've finally found an exercise buddy! And it's making all the difference.

As part of my analysis on how to get healthy and happy, last week I jotted down some of my biggest obstacles -- the things that are stumbling blocks for me when it comes to fitness.  They are:


  • Sugars -- once I have a taste of sweet, I'm left wanting more. And more. And more.
  • Boredom eating.
  • Managing my environment -- having treats around the house.
  • Succumbing to the "I'm taking a break" mentality
  • Making excuses.
  • Not having an exercise buddy.
  • Ignoring and/or overriding hunger signals.
  • Eating too fast.
  • Multitasking while I'm eating.
  • All or nothing thinking.
Of all those challenges, I instantly saw one I could do something about -- not having an exercise buddy.

Sunday after church I cornered Susan. (This spring as I was driving to work before 7:00 AM, I'd often see her walking along my road.) "Susan," I said, "would it be possible for me to join you on your morning walks?"

Fortunately, she said yes.

We meet to walk at 6:00 AM -- a time I wouldn't normally see without having made a commitment to meet Susan. We walk and gab, and gab and walk. And before we know it, we've got our hour in and it's time to head home. I love it!

I can let myself down, turn off the alarm and go back to sleep. But when I've said I'll meet up with a friend, half the time I'm up even before my alarm goes off.

Aren't friends wonderful?!

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Who were you at 12 or 13?

Ray Bradbury passed away this week. (Tuesday, May 5, 2012) In my newspaper this morning there was a write up about him. I read it with interest and a little melancholy, but one thing stuck with me -- a quote of his from 1982:

"The great thing about my life is that everything I've done is a result of when I was 12 or 13."

This stayed with me for a couple reasons. First, I teach 12- and 13-year-olds. And we do a brief science fiction unit each year and read a few of Ray Bradbury's short stories. I thought the quote would be perfect to work up into a display during our sci-fi unit.

Second, I really do believe that there is something important that happens at 12 or 13. It's an age when kids are  past childhood, but not quite fully into adolescence. It's a time when they know what they like and what they don't like, and they're dreaming about the future. I deliberately chose to teach 7th grade students because I like that age of kids. They're malleable, flexible, intelligent and ready to laugh.

Ray Bradbury's quote had me thinking about myself at 12 or 13. We moved from our house in Hyrum to live with my Kofoed grandparents while my dad was building our new house. Looking back, I did things then that I still do now. I still write in a journal. I still mow the lawn and work in the yard. I didn't really enjoy cooking then, and I'm not enthusiastic about it now. I did craft projects, played the piano, and enjoyed looking through Country Living Magazine. I took long walks though the neighborhood and noticed landscaping techniques.

I can't completely say that "everything I've done is a result of when I was 12 or 13", but I'm certainly still the same person.

Friday, June 01, 2012

Yard Work Workout Boosts Mental Attitude

School's out for summer. (Humming the rock anthem that these words remind me of.) That means that my summer yard workout season is going to get underway.

I've noticed something about myself; perhaps it's true for you too . . . when I'm feeling blah, if I start doing something -- especially an outdoor gardening task -- I feel better in no time. Just being outside is a lift, but tackling some yard chore and being able to see immediate results gives my mental attitude a boost too.

The question is, if working in the yard lifts my mental attitude 100% of the time, why don't I spend more time doing it? And why don't I look forward to it? I think the answer is . . . because I'm human.