January update

In my last rambling post I mentioned that I wanted to get back on track (like the rest of the world in January) and I wanted to post a quick update about how that is going.

I have been very satisfied with how things are going so far. I have no idea if I've lost weight because I just purchased my first scale this past weekend. I used to occasionally check my weight at my old gym but haven't been able to since I cancelled my membership. Prior to cancelling that membership I stopped using the gym's locker room anyway (where the scale is) so I hadn't been checking my weight regularly for a year or so. There is a scale in the locker room I use at work now but it doesn't seem to work properly so I can only get a guesstimate of my weight so I just don't use it. I realize that a lot of people don't or can't use scales to track their progress for various reasons but I thought it would be helpful to me. I also really wanted to know my puppy's weight since it had been months since we'd weighed her at the vet*. At any rate, I've weighed myself twice now (two different days wearing different sets of clothing) and it was exactly the same both times. I did it in the afternoon/evening though so I haven't recorded that weight because I'd like to set a precedent to track my weight one day a week or so and weigh myself first thing in the morning. In case you were wondering, I wasn't thrilled with the number on the scale but I wasn't horrified either. It was about what I was expecting.

I am also very pleased with how my workouts have been going so far. We started going to the gym on January 2nd and have been there at least every other day since then. I've even gone the past three days in a row because the weather has been crappy so I haven't been running outside. When I'm at the gym I usually either run on the treadmill or workout on the elliptical depending on how much I've run during the week outside. So far I am trying not to run twice a day but I don't mind doing 5 miles at lunch and then following it up with 30 minutes on the elliptical after work. On days that I don't run or elliptical, I try to take the dogs for an extra long walk so I'm at least doing something.

My eating has been going okay. I am more aware of what goes in my mouth since I'm tracking my calorie intake. I'm not always certain I know how many calories are in some of the foods I eat but I'm doing the best I can with the app and the internet. I like that the app allows me to enter a recipe and the number of servings it makes and it calculates the calories for me. However, since I often cook without following recipes or measuring things exactly it is more difficult to calculate. My husband and our roomie also cook occasionally and I try to include their "recipes" as well but again, it's a gray area. I know that cooking (mostly from scratch) is still way healthier than ordering food so I know I'm still better off. I also am getting better at eating proper portion sizes. As for the times I've ordered food or gone out for lunch or dinner, I make smarter choices and often look up nutrition information prior to ordering so I can make smarter decisions. I also stopped drinking alcohol Monday through Thursday and have not even been tempted all that much. I've also tried to cut calories in my drinks I've had on the weekends and/or drink less than I would have.

I think I'm on my way to being healthier and happier so far in 2013.


*Nova weighs 43 lbs!! That's only 4 pounds less than Delilah even though Delilah is longer and taller. We think Nova could be a much heftier basset than Delilah when all is said and done.