Weekly update

I started getting back in the swing of things earlier this month and, for the most part, it's been going pretty well. That's not to say that there haven't been some hiccups, mind you, but in general, it's been going well. I had committed to reducing the amount of junk food and fast food that I was eating, reducing the amount of alcohol that I was drinking, and increasing the amount of activity that I got every day.

In the summer, I had tried to do this by walking more. I was walking really long distances every day (we're talking 5k or more outside of walking at work) but it really didn't seem like it was doing much to reduce my weight. Now that the weather is cold, snowy and slippery, I've started using my elliptical more. I've found that because it's more intense than walking, I'm burning more calories and this is really helping things. I'm hoping that when the weather gets nice, the work I have done on my machine will translate to being able to run more easily and I can start jogging again.

I have a love-hate relationship with jogging. In the past, my knees were unable to handle the stress and although I wanted to jog I never was able to. Then, a couple of years ago, I started running. I started out slow and gentle and found that I was able to handle the wear and tear without my joints hurting me nearly as much as they had in the past. Then, I stopped making time to run and it kind of fell by the wayside.

I was using the elliptical pretty much daily for about a week and a half and then I ended up getting sick. I took a couple of days off but am back into the swing of things again (I think). I've been trying to do about three miles each session when I work out and then when I am able to, I am planning to up the distance. I'm also doing crunches and abdominal exercises to try and tone my stomach.

Previous weight as of January 22nd: 183.3 lbs
Weight as of January 27th: 182.2 lbs (a loss of 1.1 lbs)

Back into the Swing of Things

Now that the holidays have passed, I've been working on re-establishing some healthy habits. I weighed myself after the holidays and was quite sad to see that all of the weight that I had managed to lose had found me again. It had also brought along a few friends for good measure and, as a result, I was heavier than I had been in some time.

I was only heavier by a couple of pounds, mind you, but the fact of the matter remains. I am heavier. My clothes don't fit the way I want them to, and I don't like how I feel physically. I find that when I don't work out, I end up getting tired and have trouble staying up past about 9:30 at night. That's just not fun, especially on the nights when I am working til 9.

So, since this ISN'T the way I want to feel permanently, I've had to make some changes. I know that the way to do this properly is to gradually make small changes so that things don't feel so radical or difficult to achieve. I've started doing the following:

• Committing to eating healthy. Instead of hitting up the (delicious and oh-so-convenient) food court at lunch, I've been packing nutritious, filling, and lower calorie meals
• Getting more active. I've started using the elliptical that my amazing husband bought me. I've been trying out different programs and averaging about three miles a day
• Cutting out alcohol. This has been a hard one for me, to be honest. While I'm not a problem drinker, I do like to have a glass of wine (or two) when I cook. So far, I've been only having a drink one or two days a week and, when I do, it tends to be less than I have drank in the past

 I know that the three changes are kind of big but I have found that they don't FEEL that big. I LIKE healthy food, for example, I just needed to get off my butt and pack it for lunch. I LIKE using the elliptical, I just need to stop making excuses for not using it. The alcohol thing has been harder than expected but it's a work in progress.

Previous weight as of January 15th: 187.2 lbs
Weight as of January 22nd: 183.8 lbs (a loss of 3.2 lbs)