losing it

i skipped a whole week of working out.  i can't believe i just told you that, but it's true: i went to the gym last monday, and today was the first time i've been since then.  exactly seven days of me doing nada, zip, zilch, in the way of working out. 

the gross part?  i totally missed it. 

meatless mondays!

is anyone else doing meatless mondays?  i see mention of it on lots of other blogs, specifically on craft: zine.  meatless monday is an idea that's popular not just with people trying to lose a few pounds, but also people concerned with the environment, sustainable farming practices, and healthy living in general. my family started doing one meatless a meal a week a few months ago, which for us hasn't been too hard.  my (step)kids were raised vegetarian for a while, and their palates are pretty adventurous. they like beans, they like most (if not all) veggies, they haven't really noticed that this is a thing that we are doing.  every now and then one of them will grumble about "beans, again?" but the truth is there are as a ton of beans out there, and a million recipes for cooking with them, and i like them.  we do veggie based dinners, and a lot (a LOT) of beany-veggie stew things. 

the cool thing about doing it is that i get to try out new recipes, we save money on our grocery bill, and i feel good serving food that's healthy without having to try too hard.  a little prep, and you can ignore a bean dish for a long time while you do other stuff.  what we're eating tonight is included after the break! 

it's too soon for a plateau!

this week i worked out more than ever, was good about eating more veggies and being reasonable, and found out i didn't lose any weight this week.  the good news, i guess, is that i also didn't gain any weight.  i'm having a pretty "cheaty" day today; went out with my boyfriend and stepdaughter and had some delicious french onion soup (with a salad!) and my mother brought over donuts this morning for my niece's birthday.  donuts!  delicious, sugary, fried donuts.  i might have eaten two.  oops!  they were seriously good, though, and it's not every day your niece turns five. 

i did work out a lot this week (three times is a lot for me), and my time on the treadmills and ellipticals is getting longer and longer every time.  i don't think i've ever gone to the gym so much.  i expect at some point it will feel like a normal part of my day, and not so noteworthy, but until then i'm going to enjoy feeling like a rockstar for going, especially when i don't really want to.  little things like that keep me going.  :-)     

the truth about endorphins

or, how it's not a lie thin people tell us to make us feel bad

i have never, ever, ever in my whole life bought into the idea that working out magically makes a person feel awesome.  partially because i despise working out so much, and have spent so much of my 33 years on earth feeling awkward and uncoordinated while working out in public.  

however, i'm old enough to now admit that i was maybe, kind of, a little bit wrong. 

let's get physical!

i joined the gym at work today.  i really couldn't not do it; it's only $12.50 a month and the only people who use it are little old ladies and co-workers. not a lot of hardbodies in there to make me feel gross, and no one, but no one, is going that fast in there.  it's not a big gym, which is what you would expect from a small hospital, but it has three elliptical machines, a few rowers, bikes and treadmills.  they also have circuit training classes, lots and lots of weights, and way too much swing music, which evidently old ladies like to listen to when they work out.

i went down there today to just pay and check it out, and Mark, the guy who runs it, said, "well if you're done with work, why not do a quick workout now?"  um, because i'm in my scrubs?  oh wait, scrubs are like pjs and twenty minutes working out on a treadmill without my sports bra isn't going to turn me into pancake boobs.  those excuses went out the window, and i went ahead and familiarized myself with the equipment while getting sweaty in my work clothes.

i honestly hate going to the gym.  i feel self-conscious and weird, and not just about my body; i'm not terribly coordinated, and knowing people can see my flail and flop is unnerving.  needless to say, i'm proud of myself for going in. tonight i'm going to go pack a gym back to keep in my car so i can go right after work (or even on long lunch breaks) and i'm going to make myself a deal; for every 10 visits i make to the gym, i can treat myself to a little something (i'm thinking maybe downloads for my ipod, goofy shit like ke$ha that is fun to work out to).   i'm going to positively reward myself and see if that helps.  i'm also going to remind myself as often as i can that making a new habit takes a while and that not wanting to go to the gym this month isn't because i suck, i'm just not used to it.

cross your fingers...the last time i joined a gym, i went five times and paid hundred of dollars for the privilege.    

amanda

and the biggest loser is...

who knows.  i don't actually watch that show.  but, they're doing a "biggest loser" event at the hospital where i work, and i signed up.  not just for the 12 week challenge, but for the year long one as well.  it was one of my resolutions to get healthier and lose some weight this year, and then this came along, and i couldn't in good conscience not sign up.  

the last time i did one of these competitions at work, we all got a food diary and got points for filling it out.  i'd always thought of a food journal as being the dorkiest thing on earth.  it made me uncomfortable to think of writing every little thing down; it seemed weirdly compulsive, and i didn't want to get all bogged down in the "numbers" of losing weight.  at the same time, the first week i used it i lost 7 pounds.  writing everything down reminded me to eat more vegetables, showed me in detail how beverage calories add up (i'm talking about you, beer), and encouraged me to take an honest look at what i eat and when.  this doesn't mean i don't occasionally indulge, but it helps me keep track of when i do.   

so as much as i don't want to be a weird, dieting woman, constantly counting calories, i would like to be leaner, healthier, and not have to buy a fat girl wedding dress in a few months.  i'm glad sarah started this blog; saying this out loud does usually helps keep me honest.  hooray for the chunkersons!