5 Weeks In--Health Makeover Kickin' Butt!

Other than a horrendously awful cold that just started improving a couple of days ago, my health has improved tremendously in the past month, one lifestyle change at a time. I knew if I tried to change everything at once, it would have been too overwhelming, and I probably would have said, "Oh, screw it--this is too hard."

I haven't had one single moment of weakness in over a month, I think because I'm thinking "Moderation" instead of "You Shouldn't." As an example, I eat extra sharp cheddar cheese every day--1 piece, with an apple.

Here's my timeline so far:

8/29/05. My job at Case starts and the price of gas goes through the roof. I have ample motivation to walk to work 5 days a week. every week I walk a total of 15 miles for a total time of 4 hours and 10 minutes.

9/8/05. I finish my last economy-size bag of bite-sized candy bars and decide to stop bingeing. For the next few days I still eat more than I need to, but at least it's real food instead of candy.

9/12/05. I begin watching portion sizes and eating more fiber. My stomach "shrinks" overnight and I am amazed at how little I actually need to feel full.

9/19/05. I decide to take my measurements so I can measure progress, even weighing myself for the first time in a couple of years. If I were a more typical female victim of our society's brainwashing, I probably would have thought, "Ugh, huge, what a cow," etc. But I don't hate my body. I just thought, "Wow, kind of big."

9/26/05. Time to start incorporating stength training, putting the mid-day holes in my work schedule to good use. I am alternating my 2 entry-level Firm videos 3 times a week. So far I've only skipped once, this past weekend, because I was sick.

I feel great. I've lost about 5 pounds and at least half an inch of every measurement. Ideally, I could stand to get rid of about 40 extra pounds (!) but I'm not in any big hurry. I don't want to become one of those boring people and get all anal about it. Last time I did that, and I eventually rebelled--for the last 6 years.