Chugging along

I've been very good this week thus far so here's hoping that will continue. I've had salads for lunch the last two days, which have kept the calories down and yet they are very tasty. Yesterday I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the cycle, 30 minutes on the stepmill and then strength trained for 60 minutes. Let me tell you, the stepmill is about the most boring piece of cardio equipment you could ever hope to work out on. It took a lot of willpower to finish those 30 minutes…even with 4 minutes left in my 30 minute routine I was soooooo tempted just to jump off and call it a half hour…but I persisted. The good news is that on my schedule I only have to do the stepmill one time each week, so I think I will be able to manage it.

I'm getting a new attitude about working out and weight loss. I spend a LOT of money each month to get personal training sessions that are really excellent. However, in the past few years I have basically negated that by over-indulging on the weekends and when I travel. I need to view the personal training as an investment, for which I should expect a positive return. I haven't been viewing them that way, and reminding myself that they are an investment can hopefully help me out when I get a craving to eat or drink something I don't need. Yesterday in our coffee/kitchen area at work someone had left chocolate covered pretzels and someone else left three packages of Japanese rice crackers. I was very tempted, but then I remembered the Ellen Degeneres on TV saying "What….like you aren't going to be able to have this food whenever you want?" … So I left them alone.

Chamomile Tea at 2AM

I woke up at around 1:15 this morning after almost four hours of sleep. I had a nightmare about a dog attacking me that I just really couldn't shake. Then of course my mind started to race with all sorts of thoughts- about work, about the wedding... about everything. Why is it that when all you want to do is sleep your mind doesn't cooperate? After 45minutes of laying there completely awake I decided to get up and make some chamomile tea. I really hope that this will make me drowsy again.... I want to get back to sleep. There's only so much mundane websurfing you can do at 2:30 AM! Maybe I should count sheep...

Rest Day

I went to the gym yesterday and set up my January cardio schedule with my trainer. Since it is January, I fully expect the gym to once again become way overcrowded, especially early in the week. So I am taking Mondays off, since that's the worst day of the week. I'm strength training on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evening, and that's going to be tough with the crowds. I think I'll go to the gym in the early morning on those days to get my cardio in… Yesterday I did 70 minutes on the indoor cycle. The first 50 minutes were at my normal resistance (13) and then I dialed it up to 15/16 for ten minutes. After almost an hour of cycling, that was pretty tough, but I made it through...so I'm glad that today is a rest day on my legs. Between the cycling and the workout on Friday, my legs are TIRED!

Maybe I’m NOT in good shape!

Yesterday I went to the gym to go for a run. The good news is that makes three cardio sessions this week. The bad news is that I did not feel great on my run yesterday…I had hoped to run 45 minutes but I could barely muster 30 minutes. I may not have eaten well yesterday because I definitely felt weak at the end of the 30 minutes…not just tired. Well, that's alright…as long as I remain consistent and keep exercising on a daily basis I'm sure that I will get my cardio shape back quickly…its not like its been THAT long since I've done consistent cardio. I'm about to head to the cafeteria for lunch now and I think I will make a large healthy salad for myself. Looks like its sushi tonight so overall a good day of healthy eating! Now on to the weekend and hopefully my willpower will continue!

2008

Well, now its 2008 and its that time of year when I put down on paper some ideas for the new year. I have not achieved my goals for weight, so this seems like a great time to redouble my efforts and re-commit myself to losing weight. The good news is that I am still in great shape overall…I can run for miles, I can cycle for hours, I have a solid cardio base. However, I can use some work when it comes to muscle conditioning and overall weight.

So now that it is January here is my plan:

1. Eat sensible lunches and dinners. For lunch I will have either a salad or the Vietnamese Pho soup from the cafeteria. For dinner, I will be eating 3-6 ounces of lean meat (lean beef, chicken, fish), fresh vegetables and salad. No beer, wine or alcohol for the time being. No junk food, no crackers, no cheese, no chips, no dips, no fried food, no bacon/egg sandwiches…. I will be eating enough healthy foods so that I shouldn't be hungry, and I know that after a week of doing this I will begin to have fewer cravings for the bad stuff… the first week is always the most difficult. Most important will be the weekends since that is when I tend to binge and eat/drink the wrong things at the wrong amounts.
   
2. Exercise- minimum 5 days a week cardio including a balance of running and cycling (indoor for now). Minimum 2 days/week of strength training…. Even if meeting a trainer is not possible for both those sessions, I have to commit myself to going into the gym and strength train on my own. I have been doing so for years, so I do know a number of excellent strength training exercises…I just need to do them.
   

That's it…this is not a complicated plan, nor do I need a complicated plan. I just need to follow the plan carefully and consciously.

I do not know my starting weight today, and that's not important. I know I must have gained weight in December due to travel/lack of exercise/eating. I'm going to give myself a week to shed the initial water weight before weighing myself…that way I won't get overexcited at the loss of several pounds in the first week only to cheat on my diet after that first week. What will count will be solid consistent weight loss in the weeks after the first week. So essentially, whatever I weight next Wednesday will be the starting point for my tracking.