Sweet Saturday Samples - Nov 5

“Exercise 101” is a class that should be offered for those of us who haven’t seen the inside of a gym since our school days. Our character Peggy falls into that category. With a plan to limit her calorie intake and get moving, she’s starting a new exercise program. In today’s excerpt, Peg laces up her walking shoes in preparation for hitting the pavement. She’s ready to go!

Peg got up early the next morning and dressed in her new sweats, eager to tackle her first day of exercise. Following an eating plan she'd outlined the night before, she measured out ¾ cup of Total cereal, sliced a banana on top, and added a cup of 2% milk. She read the nutrition information from the cereal box and milk container, then looked up the calories for a banana in her new book while she ate.

Only 320 total calories so far. Not too shabby.

After her healthy breakfast, she grabbed a bottle of water, locked the door behind her, and set her pedometer to zero. She'd already decided early morning would be the best time to walk, before anyone else in the neighborhood was out and about. She'd driven her intended route, measuring the distance to the corner and back with her car's odometer, just to get an idea of how far she wanted to go. She didn't want to bite off more than she could chew, but surely even a two-ton heifer could walk the mile-and-a-half round trip. If—no, when—she mastered that, she planned to gradually increase the distance. Her new pedometer would record how far she was able to go on her first day. Another way to keep score, as June had suggested.

Standing on the porch, she felt like an explorer starting out on a great adventure, full of hope and maybe a little fear. I'm taking my first steps toward a healthy life, she thought, smiling as she stepped onto the front driveway.

As we all know, every journey begins with a first step. If you’d like to learn more about Peggy’s foray into the world of healthy eating and exercising, join us here again next Saturday for another peek. Or you can purchase our book, I.O.U. SEX, from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords and read more about Peg’s determination to win this battle once and for all.

Note: For more information on starting a walking program of your own, check out the advice on WebMD’s “Make Your Walk a Workout.” It includes advice for beginners as well as ideas for kicking up the intensity of the exercise. Safety tips are listed too. Here’s the link: Walking

You'll find more Sweet Saturday Samples here: Sweets