Week 1

Here is the update for this week...

I have started a food and activity journal to keep track of what I'm eating and what exercising/activity I do each day. So far its been easier than I thought it would be to keep track of everything. The "journal" is just a small notebook so its easy to take with me wherever I go. I haven't done a lot to change the food that I eat. Mostly right now I'm trying to have smaller meals more often (difficult when you teach and there's only small breaks in between classes). I need to get better about packing something and bringing it to school because there aren't a lot of healthy alternatives to purchase at school. Choices tend to be sweets and pastries-neither of which is good for someone changing their eating habits.

As for activity, this week has been a bit rough. By the time I get home from school I don't want to go back out in the very cold temperatures we've been having so I've just been doing strengthening workouts in my apartment. These workouts are great! They are 8 minute stretch, abs, arms, legs and buns videos from the 90s. The leader is decked out in his best spandex jumpsuit and he's completely over the top and my workout buddy Sarah and I spend most of the workout laughing at his wondrous cheesiness and our own inability to do the exercises well (especially the abs workout-we are pathetic!) But each time I do the videos they get a little easier. I usually feel it two days later, but its just a reminder that its working muscles that need to be worked.

My goal for this week is to actually get outside for some cardio. I know I need to start building that because its not great at all. I found a really great (free) podcast that a guy put together as part of the Couch to 5K that Cool Running has. The program is about conditioning yourself to be able to run (or most likely my case jog) a 5K after 9 weeks. The guy who created the podcast set it up in 9 separate podcasts one for each week. In each he prompts you when to shift from a walk to a jog/run. Each week the amount of time jogging/running is increased to help slowly condition the body. The first week has more walking with small 60 second sprints...the last week is logically a full jog/run for the whole 5K. I'm excited to get started. Sarah is going to do this with me, but since she is the more experienced runner I'm going to get started on it without her to get me closer to her level before she joins me.

So we'll see how this coming week goes!