Leap Year Gives An Extra Heart Filled Day

I went back to the gym yesterday. After two years of doing nothing, pretty much, I returned 10+ pounds heavier, tail between my legs. Occasionally, over the past two years, I'd go work out for a day, or even a week, and then I'd just quit. To make matters worse, I am a certified personal trainer (maintaining my certification but not currently using it to train people) so I know exactly what I should and shouldn't do to get back in shape. But knowing and doing are two very different actions.

I've set goals (dates, important events, sizes, parties, weddings, etc.) that I have not met. I most recently blamed it on my menopause, and while menopause and hormones can have an effect on weight, I am more certain that it's the poor eating, beer drinking, and lack of exercise that has gotten me where I am today.

February is heart healthy month, so I've decided to think differently about health. Instead of thinking about the weight I'd like to lose (because when it does or doesn't come off, it encourages or discourages me), I am going to try and get healthy again. With my schedule being crazy (and not being an excuse), I have carved out three days to go to the gym. My fourth day will be squats, ham curls, and calf raises in the kitchen. La la la!

Regarding food, I am going to try and eat as whole and healthy as possible. Yogurt for breakfast (unless it's the Greek egg white omelet at the diner), salad or a PB&J on wheat for lunch. Dinner is undecided but cannot include anything fried. I can snack through the day, but am trying to limit my snacks to healthy ones. Tonight, I tried eating a cucumber with vinegar for a snack (used to do this when I was power lifting and a size 4). Um, you cannot eat an entire cucumber and still be hungry. It's not possible. I got some grapefruits, cottage cheese, and packed tomorrow's lunch. I am not going to crack the whip on myself, and I am still going to drink my beer, but I am going to be more mindful of what I am eating and why.

Label on a pint of fair traded blueberries at the market tonight.

It takes 28 days to create a habit. I figure it's the end of January now, and with leap year here, there's 29 days in February. So between now and the end of the month, I will have 30 days under my belt.

But let me tell you that this challenge is tough already. As I write this, my son has ripped open a big bag of Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips, while sitting beside me. Laurie Cole, I need your help.