Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A new challenge...



...is in store for me. With changes in career, education and LIFE coming up, I've decided to start transitioning this blog for dual purposes: to help me journal about parts of my life and to keep me accountable for the goals I will set for myself.

I have a habit of pretty much doing whatever I want, which is great for personal freedom but terrible for getting things done, for coming to terms with my weaknesses or for challenging myself.

I'm hoping that the next several months will help continue what I have learned thus far: I am only limited by the doors I close on myself, I can change what I do not like about myself and about the world and I have the ability to ask for help when I meet obstacles. Whew!

So, first challenge: Respect and take care of my health and my body. I am prone to over-eating and to self-indulging. I also have a huge appetite and a habit of matching my boyfriend's amount of food, meal for meal. Finally, I really like to sleep, sit on the couch, watch TV and go out to eat and drink. This adds up to a lot more jelly than I'd like. And not the "I don't think you're ready for this jelly" jelly, but more like "I ate too many Jelly Bellies" jelly.

I am more tired than ever, my moods are swinging like crazy and I really don't like not fitting into my clothes. That's the vanity part talking.

As many of you know, I am finishing my master's degree in public health and have been accepted to medical school. I will begin my new, exciting academic and professional career this coming Fall. However, I cannot become someone who claims to be an expert in health and tell others to practice preventive health without being as healthy as I possibly can myself.

Thus, a new challenge for the coming months.

First Step: Start tracking where I am now. Without knowing who I am today I'll never be able to make a plan to change that nor will I be able to track from where I've come. Therefore, I have become a member of LiveStrong.com, an excellent site for finding like-minded people, for tracking weight and eating habits and for setting personal goals. I have been logging every single piece of food I put in my mouth for a week now. Already learned: My favorite Jimmy John's sub is over 900 CALORIES! Guess that's out...

Second Step:
Seek Professional Help. I have an appointment this week (7:30AM!) with a personal trainer and nutrition expert in order to get an idea of what it might cost to have a personalized plan and coach to help me along. Although I used to be an athlete and have been self-motivated before, I think it's time to take a really close look at my regimen (or lack thereof) now that I'm in my 30's and have a job that REQUIRES me to sit for 8 hours straight.

Cross your fingers...she sounds like a real butt-kicker. Which is good. Because my butt is really starting to look like it hasn't been kicked in awhile.