A Walk in the Park

Um… a walk by the park, actually.  I had to mail my rebate form for my Tivo (oh, you’ve got to hear this!  I bought a Tivo in November for $42, bought the service for a year at $120 and I get a rebate of $170. Yes, they are paying me $8 to have Tivo service for a year.  Cool, no?) so I decided to walk the block and a half to the library.

When lunchtime rolled around… I was jonesing for mexican.  I’ve been really good lately and I started justifying it in my head… I’ll skip the chips and just get a chicken soft taco… how bad could that be?  But I didn’t. Score one for me!

Instead I changed into my sneakers and hoofed it to the post office, dropped off my letter, walked by the park, and came back to eat my Lean Cuisine in the staff room with a large bottle of water.  Yay me!  (Gotta celebrate the little victories)

So… What Happened?

Since the contest hasn’t officially started yet, let’s do a little introspecting… exactly how did I end up on SeosFightFat?  How did I get here from the size 4’s I was wearing at the 2003 SJ SES?  (Ah, those were the days…)

I’d like to spin you a story full of drama and intrigue with a little tragedy mixed in for effect but the sad, sad truth is… is… boredom.  Contentment.  Coma-inducing lethargy.

I’ve had my periods of high drama, no doubt.  But the downward slide (and upwards crawl of the scale) is more of a product of disinterest than personal turmoil.  As it is for most people, I imagine!  The more comfortable you are, the less you care where that extra slice of cheesecake ends up.

Yeah, ok, I feel a pang when I realize there’s a whole closet of clothes and nothing fits but hey, my trusty elastic waist flannel pants never let me down.  Not once.  And I think the waiters at the mexican restaurant think those plaid pants are hot with my ever-so-fashionable navy hoodie.

I’ve tried dieting a few times over the years but it was doomed to fail.  Dieting may depend on what you eat but if your head’s not into the challenge, it just doesn’t matter.  But this time… I think I’m back in the game.

I’ve actually been dieting for a few weeks, ever since I was confirmed to speak at London SES  and realized I’m going to see some dear friends I haven’t seen in a couple years, I’ve been slightly panicked.  It was the wakeup call I needed!

I’ve lost 5 pounds already and I didn’t stop dieting for the contest in order to boost my numbers. The best prize will be  a slimmer, healthier me!

The Battle of the Bulge

If you’ve ever read the nutrition information on a package of cookies, calculated the total number of calories if you were to eat the whole bag then said to yourself, “That’s not sooooo bad,” before you threw the empty wrapper in the trash, we’re going to get along just fine.

The problem with food is that it’s there… in my fridge… about 5 feet from my desk. The other problem is that in order to not feel like a shut-in, I like to go “out” for lunch and reconnect with the world… over an inexpensive and expansive mexican lunch. This pattern + 6 years of working from home has not been kind to my physique!

So, what am I doing? I’m going to use the Gold’s membership I’ve been paying for for the past year. I’m counting calories. The best thing of all is that I just started working a “real” job again.

I know, some of you are shuddering at the thought, but I have to say it’s the best thing I’ve done in a long time. I love the job and let’s face it; I need the routine and regimen. I’ve already lost a few pounds since I started last month (from bringing my food for the day instead of going out) and I plan to start using most of my lunch time to walk.

The trick is walking the opposite way from the Starbucks…