Write It Down

If there is one key to a successful exercise, and nutrician program, it is to write it down. Set managable weekly goals and write down your weekly performance. 30 years ago I established the goal of working out one half hour a day. I calibrated what level of activity I could reasonable do in a half hour. Bike 10 miles, swim 3/4 mile, run 3 miles, kayak a specific route, lift weights etc. I then started writing down my performance. A few years later I switched my goal to an hour a day of working out, which I continue to do to this day.At the close of the year I tally my yearly activity and note it on an excel spread sheet, next to the previous years. It is a great motivation tool to see your activity in black and white. After a period of time daily activity becomes a habit, and a way of life. In the 30 years I have been keeping track the numbers are pretty amazing. In these 30 years I have biked 117,000 miles, ran 6000 miles, kayaked 2400 miles, swam 3400 miles, and used weight machines 3700 times. My weight has maintained at the same basic level, and my blood chemistry has actually improved over time. Food takes a little different approach. I periodically check what I eat for a week, and study its calorie and sodium content, and make appropriate corrections. A great web site for both logging activity and daily food is www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie-counter.asp I usually log my daily activities in a pocket calendar, but any method works. Lastly I recommend, at least a yearly blood chemistry that includes chlolesteral, including HDL, and glucose.