Kick those “buts” and barriers!

Maybe you recall (from one of my previous posts) that I’ve started taking baby steps toward weight loss. The first action-step I chose to get me closer to my goal was to start keeping a food journal by writing down my breakfast each day.

That turned out to be TOO easy, not a challenge at all. My second plan was to get a pedometer and wear it for a week to get a baseline for the number of steps I took (on average) each day.

That sounded TOO easy, too. But easy is OK because the goal of baby steps is to build upon small successes to slowly but steadily reach the goal.

When it comes to weight loss, baby steps also give you plenty of time to learn and to practice the new way of eating and exercising that will help keep the weight off after you reach your goal weight.

Back to my second baby step: I had a few unexpected barriers. I put on my old pedometer and headed to work that first day.  This was a high-tech pedometer that my high-tech sons had given me.

Among the features it boasted was the ability to “talk” to me throughout the day. “You have walked one quarter of a mile,” it said to me that first morning. The robotic-sounding voice surprised me and I lost track of the gist of the phone conversation I was having. Oops.

After being interrupted again when the gizmo said “You have walked 1 thousand and 500 steps”, I decided to try to turn the function off.  Now which buttons do I push to keep this thing quiet?

I couldn't figure it out. That’s OK. I came up with a Plan B. I went shopping for a low-tech pedometer. It took a little hunting, but I finally found a nice sturdy, but simple step-counter. Now I’m set to go.

But, (there’s that dangerous word that can crop up when you’re trying to do what you know you need to do), I ran into one more barrier: I’d forget to put it on before I left for work.

That’s OK. I came up with a Plan C: I got a second pedometer to keep in my desk at work. Now I’m ready to take that step and another and another. Who knows? I may just make it up to 10,000 steps a day, one step at a time.

And I won't let any “buts” or barriers stop me.