Scaling the scale: the Y scale "says" I'm down 3 pounds since my body fat analysis on 12/28. I can sorta believe it, since I have been working out almost every day for about 2 weeks now. I certainly feel tighter and look slimmer. It does help to wear black to the gym, of course! It does *not* help to eat almost a 1/2-pound of chocolate in one day, with generous scoops of peanut butter, even if it is natural pb. Why why why did I feel the need to eat it all today (there is still one block left, which I'm sure won't last the night)??? Mostly because it's here, and my resistance/willpower is never good when the temptation is easily accessible. I keep thinking/hoping to get all the junky food out of the house, but somehow it finds its way back in. The holidays were no help. Well, I'll just have to be more diligent about it, and start journalling about my feelings and why I feel this emptiness inside that I use food to fulfill. Of course, it only does so for a very short time, and then it's just worse, because now I've eaten crap on top of feeling whatever it was I was feeling before I masked it with food. *sigh*

Tonight was the elliptical. It makes me sweat sooo much more than the treadmill (unless I run a lot, which I still can't do yet due to my shin splints. I'm working up to it, and am still at 4x, 1.0 minute each during the whole 30-35 minutes), and it keeps my heart rate up more consistently. Plus it's not hard on my shins like the running can be. I love the heart rate tracker and mileage tracker and all the bells and whistles on the screen. I love to track things. So far in 2006, I've logged 8.07 miles. I think that would be a fun goal to work on (how many miles can I go in a month? A year?).

The gym wasn't completely insane, although I grabbed the last available elliptical. It was 7:30 at night, which is probably when most folks have already worked out and gone home. I stayed home with my sick child today, so was able to control when I ate (besides all that frickin chocolate) and time it to work out in the evening. I can't eat before working out - it makes me feel like yakking. Then I worked my shoulders and back. The back has been challenging in trying to get enough weight to really work my back muscles w/o popping my arms off. I've been using the weighted/seated row and the pulldown, and my hands and elbows seem to take a beating. I could do free weight rows, I supposed, but I love the machine.

Some goals that I have been considering for this year:

Continue to work out at least 3x/week, with 30 minutes of cardio and one/two body parts weight lifting (usually 30-35 minutes each time).

Daily multivitamin. I bring a baggie to work each week with the full week's dosage, so that helps to remind me. Weekends can be more challenging, but I think if it's a habit 5 days/week then the other 2 will follow naturally.

More regular journalling. Daily is ideal, but given my track record, probably too lofty a goal just yet. I *know* how important this piece of the work I am doing is, and perhaps that is why I do not do it regularly. Maybe I am afraid of what I might discover about myself...

Daily flaxseed oil. Usually not hard to do if I have daily salads/greens.

Daily fruits and vegetables. I get tripped up here if I don't plan properly or shop regularly. I have been doing a fairly consistently good job of planning/shopping, but recognize that it can be an issue if I don't. This also helps with planning/buying meals for the week. Last August, the owner of my work's cafeteria pushed me over my personal edge with the way they were charging for food, and I vowed to bring my own food from then on. With a few exceptions, I have been bringing my lunch since then. YaHOO! I also end up eating less and eating more healthfully, plus I can control how "natural"/unprocessed my food is.

Longer terms goals include more yoga and more meditation. I am smart enough about how I work to know that I start out strong with tons of goals and then quickly abandon them due to being overwhelmed with too many changes at once. Thankfully I've been doing most of the above already, so continuing them should be within my reach, and I can hold the more challenging ones (journalling, meditation) as, well, challenges!

Here's to a healthier me in 2006.