I haven't done a “what's up with me” update.
I've been lacking motivation to walk/exercise. I still hung in and got three workouts a week in, but last week I slid down to two. So today, I got out for a 3 mile walk right after breakfast so there would be no excuses. I have to get back on the Wii but it just seems so hard.
I can feel the difference the less exercise has. My knee pain is back and I'm less flexible. I suppose it is inevitable in the winter, but I'm searching for a good motivator. I put on a pair of one of my new size 14 jeans and they still fit so at least I'm not gaining, but I'd prefer them to fit a little more comfortably and I have about 6 other size 14 articles of clothing that don't yet fit. I find that clothing helps beyond simply measuring how much weight I've lost. I haven't been on the scale in three weeks.
I've also been working on a very specific goal to increase my consumption of fruits & veggies. There are new federal guidelines that tailor consumption to your weight and activity level. I am recommended to eat 1.5 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies each day. Which is hard. Really hard. Check out this site for more details. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
My walk this AM was pretty awesome. About 90% of the sidewalk was clear and there were snowflakes flurrying all around me. I had a few moments when I gasped at how cold the air had become, but I cut 5 minutes off my time so perhaps the briskness paid off for me. I also have an iPod that Laura gifted to me for Christmas. That makes the walk super bearable even when its cold.
What is getting old is my route. I try to stick to good sidewalks which eliminates half of the Northside. Sparkpeople.com has a great route tracker so I'm working to up my distance to 4 miles per walk and trying to figure out a route that makes sense. Or routes. I want to go down by the stadiums onto the trails but I quiver at how cold it might be. Maybe I'll venture down there this week and see what happens. If I don't blog all week, call Ledcat to go find me.
Blogging has picked back up. I'm on medical leave so I have more time and inspiration. Blogging is a stress reliever for me and I set some interesting goals for this year, including more contributions to national blogs. I'm trying to infuse a bit more of Sue the person into this blog that has really tilted too far to Sue the political lesbian in the past years.
The Society has a new project we'll be unveiling soon to demonstrate what a group of determined Pgh women can accomplish (or at least try to accomplish). We met yesterday and that was pretty exciting. Just the pre-project conversation was very stimulating. I love women with opinions.
I'm off to do a blogging interview. I'm not walking.
I made it onto the Wii tonight for 25 minutes and met my SparkPeople daily fitness goal. I also learned I lost the 2 lbs I gained over the holidays so size 14, I'm here to stay. I hope. Woo hoo! Plus, I've pulled off the fruits and veggies thing for 2 straight days.
Congrats for being consistent on the healthy lifestyle changes even when you are dealing with a medical issue. I imagine you deserve a rest anyway after what you did for all those people during the holidays. Keep up the good work.
I don't know many women who would blog about their clothing size. LOL. You must be feeling good and you should. Size 14 is the average size woman in America. I hope you also feel good about reducing your chances of heart disease and diabetes which kill women every day.
Just don't stop writing about politics!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who else will kick the butts of the local politicians?