14 January 2009

and, again

New year, recommit. Such a cliche, I know. I've been hovering at around 12lbs (a couple up, a couple down) over where I feel best for months and months. Pants tight or abandoned. Flubby feeling.

As usual, it's not the exercise that I have problems with, but rather the eating. I love me my food. Unlike so many other bloggers, I don't have a problem with fast food and snack food - I can take it or leave it. I generally eat really well, healthy foods, whole grains, lots of veggies. I prefer non-fat dairy and love plain yogurt. My downfall? My sweet tooth. I love chocolate and pastries and homemade cookies. I have no problem passing up packaged treats, but homemade or bakery items? Step aside. So, it's recommitting to BFL eating - treats on Sunday only. If I eat sugary stuff, I want more sugary stuff. If I avoid it, I don't crave it. On Sundays, I try to get it out of my system - I save up the stuff that I want to eat and give myself permission to indulge on Sunday. More often than not, I'm not all that into it by then.

I also enjoy my wine. One thing I noticed this fall was that, if I have wine with dinner, not only am I consuming those ("empty") calories, but that my resolve to eschew after-dinner treats is diminished (can you say "nonexistent"?) So, I've been limiting alcohol consumption to weekends and drinking lots of my very favorite tea as an after-dinner treat.

Fitting exercise in every day is a challenge. On my dedicated boy-free work days (Monday and Wednesday), I ride to work, work out at the gym in my building for 1.5 hours (weights, elliptical, stretching), Pilates, then ride home. It's good. I love the freedom. Tuesday and Thursday, I'm in charge of boy drop-off and pick-up, so I try to squeeze something in. A half-hour of kettle bell swinging, bicycling to drop-off or pick-up with a lap up to Tabor. Friday is my day with the boy. When the weather is nice (or at least, not horribly nasty), we ride up to Tabor. If it's crappy, we (try to) go to the gym. Unfortunately, the boy has meltdowns more often than not and my workout is cut short. Weekends, we bicycle or walk. Last weekend, I dusted off my running shoes and did a 35-minute loop (and felt great!).

We joined a new gym (what an awesome deal) with a much nicer play area (climbing structures! how novel!) and the childcare costs half of what I used to pay. I'm hoping the boy will settle in, but the problem is that we don't go consistently enough for him to feel comfortable (different gym than my M/W gym).

I did get a new HRM (in green) and I like it a lot. Very motivating to see the last several months worth of exercises all summarized on my wrist. I also have a pedometer that measures "moderate" activity - great motivator for taking the stairs or walking at lunch.

So. Re(-re)(-re)(-re)commiting.

We saw Michael P0llan last night (fantastic) and I'm inspired to finally read his books.


What are you doing different for the new year?

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