Sunday, January 08, 2006
Off To A Good Start
So far, so good. Instead of resting on Sunday, I rested on Saturday instead due to weather. Yes, I've gone for a nice run for the past 4 of 5 days. Plus one walk with my friend. Not too shabby! I'm quite proud of myself. I've been setting the damn alarm for 6:15* am everyday and actually getting up instead of hitting snooze or simply turning the cursed thing off and rolling over to snuggle up against Mr. Chick. His morning breath alone is enough to get my ass out of bed.
* I originally set the alarm for 6am but this is my compromise. I feel better getting even just those extra 15 minutes of sleep. Oh the psychological games I play - !
When I go for my run in the morning it's still dark. Pitch black, actually. I've gone as far as to carry a flashlight with me for safety. It's so others can see me more than for providing illumination. Because it's impossible to hold a flashlight steady enough to be of any use when you're jogging. Try it - you can't do it. I'm still digging my new running shoes and kicking myself for not getting them sooner. What a difference a fresh pair of decent running shoes can make! There is a new spring in my step when I run in them. Probably just psychological again, but hey, it's working and that's all that matters.
I'm not weighing myself. I have a scale that is both my friend and enemy, but right now I'm giving it the cold shoulder. I don't want to get obsessed about the number. It's not healthy for me, and really - what difference does it make? Either I'm feeling good and fitting in my clothes better, or I'm not. So I have no idea if stepping up my exercise this week has made any difference in my weight or not. I'm also proud of myself for my eating this past week. MUCH better. I'm making small changes that I'm hoping add up to big results down the road. Stuff like portion control and cutting out nightly desserts. I must confess to one "diet" sort of thing: I'm eating a Lean Cuisine for lunch instead of making myself a sandwich or whatever I used to have. It's part of my plan to get used to smaller portions. Plus, I save the plastic containers and use them as plates/bowls for the kids. I usually prefer to eat a "hot lunch" in the winter and having a Lean Cuisine, as crappy as they are, is better than a huge bowl of pasta as I was prone to do before (my kids are freaks for noodles). And I'm sticking to one helping of dinner. When my plate is clean, that's it for me. And I'm skipping dessert most night. Not all - I still have to enjoy my life - but it's not a nightly thing for me anymore.
Don't you think there HAS to be some difference after all that? I would think so. Maybe I'll just weigh myself once a week. The temptation is strong. I can't deny it. But man! Do I hate my scale. It's evil.
I've found that I feel good about myself for making the effort and sticking to it. Mr. Chick is impressed, too. But I've been OTR* this week and no amount of exercise can completely take away the occasional bitchiness that comes with that. I've been more tired in the evenings, too, because of my earlier mornings and extra exertions, but I'm feeling strong throughout the day. I think what I'm feeling most is less guilt. I always feel guilty when I don't workout enough. What I'm finding is that the hardest part of this is actually getting out of my warm bed and going for my run. I'm always glad I did it, but it's hard to get rolling. Sort of like sex. I may not feel like it at first, but I'm always glad I did it afterwards. I have to keep that in mind if I want to keep it going. And I do.
* On the rag. My period. Aunt Flow. Menstruation. Whatever you choose to call it.
I'm off to shower. There is nothing attractive about the copious amounts of sweat I produce when I exercise. I'm like a dude that way. I'm downright salty. Thanks for those genes, Dad!
* I originally set the alarm for 6am but this is my compromise. I feel better getting even just those extra 15 minutes of sleep. Oh the psychological games I play - !
When I go for my run in the morning it's still dark. Pitch black, actually. I've gone as far as to carry a flashlight with me for safety. It's so others can see me more than for providing illumination. Because it's impossible to hold a flashlight steady enough to be of any use when you're jogging. Try it - you can't do it. I'm still digging my new running shoes and kicking myself for not getting them sooner. What a difference a fresh pair of decent running shoes can make! There is a new spring in my step when I run in them. Probably just psychological again, but hey, it's working and that's all that matters.
I'm not weighing myself. I have a scale that is both my friend and enemy, but right now I'm giving it the cold shoulder. I don't want to get obsessed about the number. It's not healthy for me, and really - what difference does it make? Either I'm feeling good and fitting in my clothes better, or I'm not. So I have no idea if stepping up my exercise this week has made any difference in my weight or not. I'm also proud of myself for my eating this past week. MUCH better. I'm making small changes that I'm hoping add up to big results down the road. Stuff like portion control and cutting out nightly desserts. I must confess to one "diet" sort of thing: I'm eating a Lean Cuisine for lunch instead of making myself a sandwich or whatever I used to have. It's part of my plan to get used to smaller portions. Plus, I save the plastic containers and use them as plates/bowls for the kids. I usually prefer to eat a "hot lunch" in the winter and having a Lean Cuisine, as crappy as they are, is better than a huge bowl of pasta as I was prone to do before (my kids are freaks for noodles). And I'm sticking to one helping of dinner. When my plate is clean, that's it for me. And I'm skipping dessert most night. Not all - I still have to enjoy my life - but it's not a nightly thing for me anymore.
Don't you think there HAS to be some difference after all that? I would think so. Maybe I'll just weigh myself once a week. The temptation is strong. I can't deny it. But man! Do I hate my scale. It's evil.
I've found that I feel good about myself for making the effort and sticking to it. Mr. Chick is impressed, too. But I've been OTR* this week and no amount of exercise can completely take away the occasional bitchiness that comes with that. I've been more tired in the evenings, too, because of my earlier mornings and extra exertions, but I'm feeling strong throughout the day. I think what I'm feeling most is less guilt. I always feel guilty when I don't workout enough. What I'm finding is that the hardest part of this is actually getting out of my warm bed and going for my run. I'm always glad I did it, but it's hard to get rolling. Sort of like sex. I may not feel like it at first, but I'm always glad I did it afterwards. I have to keep that in mind if I want to keep it going. And I do.
* On the rag. My period. Aunt Flow. Menstruation. Whatever you choose to call it.
I'm off to shower. There is nothing attractive about the copious amounts of sweat I produce when I exercise. I'm like a dude that way. I'm downright salty. Thanks for those genes, Dad!
// posted by MP @ 10:22 AM 
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