January 29, 2003 - 6:05 p.m.

A Better Me

Finally got back to the gym today! I don't know if it's the knowledge that I will be seen in a swimsuit in 2.5 weeks or what, but I was unusually motivated today! I used the treadmill for 35 minutes, and I only walked for 2 minutes in the middle. I selected the random setting, which means the machine automatically randomly varies the incline throughout the workout. That way I really worked all the muscles in my lower body. I also varied the speed, but never went below 4.5mph. I ended up covering a bit over 3 miles! Go me. I've also eaten really healthily so far today. I had an english muffin with boysenberry jam (yum!) for breakfast, a smoothie after the gym, a black bean and cheese quesadilla (made with low-fat cheese and low-fat tortillas) for lunch, and some canned peaches. Not too shabby so long as I don't blow it at dinner!

This pretty healthy day has gotten me thinking about how much I have changed my lifestyle since high school. Back then I thought of myself as completely unathletic and never exercized for its own sake. I occasionally dieted, but never lasted long. I wasn't very overweight, but I was definitely out of shape and heavier than I needed to be. Then in college, I started eating a wider variety of foods and more fruits and vegetable, but I ate way too much. I walked to class, but still almost never got any substantial exercize. At my heaviest, I was about 20 pounds more than I weigh now. Doesn't sound like much, but I'm only five feet tall.

A couple years ago I decided I really needed to start working on a healthier lifestyle. I started running, albeit sporadically, and found that I actually enjoyed running on the wooded trails near my house. I also worked harder at eating better: more veggies, less fat, less sugar. It worked fairly well, but I still had ups and downs a lot.

Then I became a nanny and suddenly had time to work out! When the kids are all in school in the morning, I have a few hours free, which I usually use to go to the gym. I also don't have to pay for the gym membership, since it is part of the family's membership, which helps a lot. Over the past year and a half, I have made a lot of progress. I can run 3 miles now, I can last through an hour long step class with pretty high intensity, I am getting some decent muscle definition, I am leaner, I can do real pushups (though I still can't do a pullup *sigh*). I still wouldn't call myself an athlete, but it isn't nearly the stretch it once would have been!

It's so nice to not cringe when I look in the mirror, and to be mostly happy with my health and my body!

today's project: snowman collages (basically decorating paper snowman shapes with odds and ends)

musing about: whether I can survive the next couple weeks without ice cream

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