Kris the Girl

This will be fast – I’ve been pretty busy at work so I’ve had no time to blog. This week was definitely a bust, but I’m not disheartened. Next week is my time to shine! Or something. Here’s hoping work stress doesn’t sabotage any good work I can do.

This week has been an interesting one. For one, I’ve been busy at work, thus the lack of posts. As for the plan, it’s been somewhat hit or miss, but more hits than misses.
I definitely suck at the getting up and the early. But I’ve been watching a LOT less TV (which helps me do other things in the evening) and I haven’t eaten out all week. Even for lunch. I tried out some yoga this week, and I just did a lower body workout yesterday that is killing me today – yay, sore muscles! Except when I can’t walk, which is always. It did not feel like I was really doing anything while I was doing the excercises – this one was sneaky. But I like it. I’ve eaten several servings of fruit at least once a day, I’ve had a good breakfast every day, and I’ve really enjoyed just making my own food. Last night I made zucchini cakes in the oven – sort of a fritter thing, but I baked ‘em instead of frying them. The gardens around here are positively bursting with squash-type things, so I used a gigantic zucch from one of my coworker’s gardens, and did Fiber One cereal instead of the called for bread crumbs. If I had to do it over, I would use less of the cereal – I think it works well in this, but I had too much and it is a little overpowering in the cakes. But they are good, don’t get me wrong. The zucchini is delish.
So this next week, I’m going to focus more on getting in those actual, purposeful workouts. Cleaning house and mowing the lawn burn more calories than sitting on my duff, but I am actually trying to accomplish something here beyond letting out my reluctant June Cleaver. Not that June would’ve mowed the lawn, but I’m just saying. Working out on purpose is good!

New stat bar – will update weekly. Pic to be uploaded later today, and the pic will be updated monthly.
B/W/H: 37/31/44, 171lbs, 5′9″

I’ve been thinking about goals over the last few days. Specifically, what kind of goal do I want? A weight loss goal would I think be false and unrealistic. A measurement goal would be better, but still would only convey a shape, not an ability. What is it that I’m seeking in this endeavor? I want to be active. I want to be able to run and jump and skip and play, and not feel bloaty and splotchy and out of breath for it. Do I want to look good naked? Sure – but that’s sort of a fringe benefit. Plus I’m the only one seeing that particular view, so it’s not high on my list of goal priorities.

So how to I put together a plan of just…general fitness and well-being? How boring is that! But that’s really what I want. I’m not a stranger to several workout/fitness plans, and I’ll be freely dabbling in several. I will document, to the best of my ability/time/focus/memory, everything I can about this process – diet, exercises, emotional well-being, reflections, etc. So far, my plan is as follows:

Phase One: (Three Months)

• Diet Overhaul: I don’t eat horribly. I enjoy both fruits and vegetables. Fiber is my friend. Lean meats are delish. I don’t eat fast food all the time, and I don’t eat dessert all the time. My diet is not about fasting or feasting, but eating correctly. I hate counting calories, though, so I’m going to try my own general plan, like this:
  1.) STOP EATING OUT. Holy crap, is restaurant food ever bad for you! I’m not cutting it out completely, but I can cook and I enjoy cooking, and dangit I’m going to use my own kitchen! This is going to be especially helpful for lunch, more than dinner. I can either go home for lunch or make something yummy to bring, and I’ll share recipes/ideas for sandwich alternatives. No one loves sandwiches more than I do, but even I can’t do it every day.
  2.) I will also stock my house with snacks that would make the food pyramid proud - fruits/veggies, few processed foods, low sugar/fat content. I will also not add to my food bill and actually eat it all before it spoils (since I won’t be eating out very much).
  3.) My one caveat to this is that I detest non-fat versions of things (dairy) that are supposed to have fat in them. Let’s face it, they taste funny. I will, however, use “light” and “reduced-fat” things of this nature wherever taste and/or texture won’t be affected. 
  4.) I will not keep desserts or alcoholic beverages in my house. I enjoy both of these things, but I don’t need the temptation on the other side of that refrigerator door. These can be enjoyed at others’ houses, or at the occasional restaurant, but not in the same meal.
• Exercise: Get ready for a smattering of randomness, but I’ll try to make sense:
  1.) At least three days a week, and no more  six days a week, I will do SOMETHING. Vague? Yes. I want a rounded workout plan, but it’ll take me a few weeks to settle into something.
  2.) These things will include: yoga, weight lifting, and some kind of cardio – running (hate), Tae-Bo DVDs, chasing my dogs around the dog park, etc. For right now, these will be around 20 minutes a day. I’m trying to change my whole habits here, and that’ll take some getting used to.
  3.) I will get up early at least 3 days a week to accomplish this before work. Believe me, this will actually be the hardest thing.
• Record: I will keep track of this. I’ll post my diet, mood, feeling, workout, anything that I want to keep track of, and that may or may not help anyone who finds this.

Alright. This is my last stand, my declaration, my throwing-of-the-gauntlet, my chain mail glove slap to my own face. I am 25 years old, and I refuse to be out of shape any longer. I am going to start being the active person I am, and that starts now, with this blog.
Wait…how does one start being active with a blog, exactly? OK, the blog keeps me sitting at a desk, but since I’m here anyway all day working, I might as well use that seat-time to have some record of this adventure – plus maybe a little accountability, if someone stumbles over here.

I have no firm plan right now, beyond getting in shape. Over the next few posts, I’ll add my stats, my weight/size goals, exercises, diet, etc. I’ll also try to find some sort of layout that will keep those things showing, sort of a running tally. I want to update those once a week (especially the weight and size), but other than that I also plan on blogging about the whole experience, my own history and hangups about weight loss, size, the pressure on women in our society to be thin, my favorite flavor of ice cream…basically any and everything that comes to mind, that might either help me, or help anyone else. I am well aware that mine is not a unique goal, and I shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Welcome to my blog.