Humbling Moment

Today I was chatting with girl friend on IM. This past weekend was her beach birthday party and she asked if I had seen the photos that her friend posted on Facebook. I had not yet seen them and went on to take a look. As I scrolled the pictures of various people, I came upon one of myself and was mortified by how much weight I've put on in recent months. Now I've never been a skinny girl and it's okay that I won't ever be. I am happy with myself, but health-wise I want to keep my weight down. I do not want the to come a day where I'm one of those glutenous people we see on television who need to have the wall of their house cut out in order to get them out! I guess I didn't quite realize how much I'd let go of my workout routine and healthy eating habits, so this is the wake-up call I needed.

In the past, I have had some luck with keeping a food and exercise diary. Since I now have an iPhone, I figured there has to be some sort of app I could download to help me with this and not have to carry around a book everywhere I go. Sure enough, there's lots of apps! I chose one called Lose It. This seems a lot like a Weight Watchers type program where you set a goal and then record what you eat and your exercise and it calculates your progress. To start, I had to enter my personal information like age, height and of course, weight. For this I stepped into the clinic at work since I hadn't weighed myself in quite some time. This was the humbling moment. I have gone 6lbs over the weight I promised myself would always be my peak weight. I'm disappointed in myself for allowing this. I know it doesn't sound like that much, but I broke a promise to myself and that's the part that stings.

One of my biggest challenges is eating healthy. Sure grabbing some fresh fruit or veggies is easy, but I truly hate to cook. I don't enjoy it in the least. I've done a little cooking since Brian and I started dating, but its out of necessity, not pleasure. The other thing is the grocery store. It already seems that I'm there so frequently, but to eat healthy means at least a weekly trip, if not more. Fresh greens and veggies just do not keep. These sound like excuses, I know, but it's my reality and my struggle. If anyone has suggestions that have worked for them, I'm open!

I have been decent about exercise lately. I bike a few times a week, between 5-10 miles at a time. Also, I've been attending yoga classes at least once a week, which I'm enjoying very much. My knees cause me a little trouble so running is out for me. I can do walks, but to be totally honest, I don't feel that safe walking alone out here. A few people have told me situations where they've been approached or followed in broad daylight. I'd love to avoid the cost and annoyance of joining a gym, but perhaps it's my only option. If I had room in my apartment, I'd spring for an elliptical machine. Has anyone tried those compact ones? I wonder about their stability and just how good of a work-out one can get.

Mostly I am writing this to hold myself accountable for this lifestyle change. Just like when I quit smoking, I need people to check in and see how I'm doing. So feel free to email me, text me, or call me to ask if I'm sticking with it!

Until next time.