Whew, another active day but as I sit here, I am still coherent, so it’s a good time to blog. Here’s what I accomplished on this fine Saturday, the first day of my weekend off. I went to my 9 a.m. Tai Chi class for an hour, and then zipped over to Zumba Gold class. Faster pace, for sure, for the next hour. I don’t usually double up my exercise like that but I didn’t get to Zumba on Tuesday and I really want to get at least one class in each week.
After Zumba, I went over to the animal shelter. I’m on the Board and am also a volunteer. We’ve been working with a mastiff that has anxiety and stress issues. He’s really a sweet dog, but because of his size he can be intimidating if he gets all jumpy, and if he growls or barks when he’s anxious, so the more positive interaction he gets, the better. I actually worked with him a little on his leash manners too, enough that I felt confident that I could handle him on a short walk. He did great. I’m so proud of him.
After that I hit the supermarket, then came home and did some clearing out/clean up work in my shed. I had some squares of pebble tile left over from my pool and bathroom that I offered to a friend, so that clearing out involved lifting. Good work. I followed that up with some time in the pool, mostly cleaning said tile. Whew!
I did find some time to relax and read, which was great. I also made boating plans with friends for tomorrow. If all goes as planned, I’ll get to share about experiencing something else from my Promise List!
After dinner I remembered that I hadn’t walked the dogs today! Even though they had plenty of yard time, running in and out with me as I did my tasks, there’s something about a good walk. So, we set out for about 20 to 30 minutes.
This, my friends, was a physically active and productive day. It’s all made possible by weight loss.
The weight loss has also helped my non-physical productivity. While I’ve always been pretty efficient and also able to accomplish a lot of work, I’d noticed in the last few years before my surgery that my brain was draining sooner than I was accustomed. I also found that around 3:00 or 3:30 p.m. I really wanted to nod off at my desk. I believe now that the mid-afternoon snooze-desire was probably mostly due to the sleep hypopnea at night where I wasn’t getting the quality of sleep I needed in my 7 hours each night. I have also come to believe that the sheer physical energy I expended just in walking or going up the stairs to my office or, hell, just moving at all in my large body wore me out. No wonder I was tired mid-day! No wonder I often dozed off after dinner for a ten or twenty minute nap at home.
These days at work, I habitually have a sizeable to-do list. I probably always had a sizeable list, but I seem to have made it even more sizeable. It’s like the more that I get done, the more I think of to do, and the more I want to take on. I don’t need to doze mid-afternoon. I have more energy physically and mentally. Being healthier has enabled me to raise the bar for myself. I am now even more productive.
I truly love my job and believe in our mission. My work contributes to our success and I want to do whatever I can. So, this extra productivity also feeds my spirit. This is definitely a terrific bonus to the weight loss.
Weighty Matters 
I’m getting tired just reading about all that! :p
I slept great until around 5:30 a.m. I’m so excited to go out boating with friends today that I was like a kid before Christmas!
Wow, you are so amazing! I’d love to have half that energy! Of course, my lack of it probably comes from a combo of a lot of meds and having been sedentary for a long time now. I sleep every afternoon. But looking at your list of all that you accomplished today, including all the physical stuff, makes me feel kind of envious. I’m very, very glad for you! Maybe this will inspire me to become more physically active.
Sounds awesome Mary! I feel the same way. After this last surgery I feel like after a month I am back into my mode of productivity. It is not only physical it is mental strength too. I bet you will sleep good tonight!