Back into the Sling of things! Week 1!

Did I say sling? I meant swing - but I got your attention! HA! :-)

So as I have quietly mentioned in a couple of posts I am getting myself back in the habit of exercising and eating better. In truth my eating has been pretty moderate all along. However, other factors have taken their toll on my mid-section, energy level and mood over the past year. But as you will see - I am rapidly on the uptick and have been for some time now. People can definitely tell too! And I'm glad I started this before the pressure of the New Year's Resolutions crowd - b/c I'm already feeling good and seeing progress without worrying about timing. Here's 2 ways I fixed some problems to get me into a place where I could focus more on my health.

Problem: Soul and body-killing job:
The stress of work in the majority of 2005 pushed me away from the gym and into the fetal position many times. Working at that horrible job with that miserable troll of a boss damn was pushing me down the slippery slope. So instead of coping and burning the stress in the gym, I just stayed at work longer, put my heart more into it - and got agita, exhausted and angry while still being treated miserably.

Solution: Found new job. Stood up for self and values. Went out gracefully - while igniting angry backlash AGAINST my abusive boss at my former company.

Problem: New Job, New Challenges, New Routine
Well my new job is not really a problem. More something that I needed to adjust to and figure out. A steep learning curve and heavy backlog of work meant a solid 3 months of working hard, sometimes overtime and figuring out how to re-balance, get organized and manage my time. This is still a work in progress but I feel I am on solid-footing, have killed a lot of backlog, made progress and still kept people happy if not pretty impressed with my performance. However, this didn't help my physical routine. But I knew going into the new job I wouldn't have a lot of time or leftover mental power to jump-start my exercise program. Life-lesson that I have learned - stop trying to do everything at once TOS, even if all things are necessary and good. So I gave myself a 3 month pass from the gym while just trying to watch what I was eating and drinking. Overall - I ended up fine, some excess flab but worth it since I feel I know my path and place at the office, feel more settled etc.

Solution: Got organized, even filed during the very short quiet period. Worklife is much more in order - though still learning

Present Day - Back in the gym, focusing on health
Like I said - I made sure to start this BEFORE the holiday gorging season. I did my fair share of rich foods - but not nearly like in previous years and nowhere near the US average. I also watched my alcohol intake. The cold, dark months usually love to inspire time at home with a glass of wine and snoozing. Not this year.

So here's my weekly (yes - I'm tracking all this at home in excel but thought the extra re-assurance of your eyeballs couldn't hurt. Encouragement, suggestions, experiences and any good vibes are appreciated) summary:

Pre-New Year's
Week before Christmas and then Xmas vacation: Re-joined Gold's Gym. Did 40 minute cardio sessions once prior to leaving and 3 times while on the left coast. Would have gone for a 4th time but that damn Westin in Union Sq. charges (even us Gold Preferred!) $12 a day for the gym. Nope - walked the hills of San Fran instead for free.

New Year's Week
In the past eight days I have been to the gym 7 times. 3 of those times were with the muscleBoo :-). I did some sort of strength training exercise routine 6 out of the 7 times + 20 minutes of cardio (elliptical). And of course on Weds I had a heartpounding, feet tangling and overall sweaty good time with Josefina in her kickass step class errr. American Idol prep course...

I feel good. Slightly sore in some spots (shut it wiseguys!) but actually pretty good. I'm going at my own pace while still challenging myself a little more each time. Going with Boo is awesome, he is very easy-going and motivational. Plus he's cute as hell and I try not to grin like an idiot while we work out ;-) I need more of that but because of the new work schedule it's getting me to self-motivate and be more independent in the gym - which is a good thing. Plus it makes me appreciate my time with him even more - whether at the gym or just in general.

But I'm looking forward to more workouts with him on the week - this afternoon in fact. Now I'm looking for workout buds during the week. Thankfully I saw a couple of bloggers at the Midtown Golds and will be bugging them to go with me too :-) Now who else has a Gold's membership?! If you are willing and don't mind a novice who is ramping up lemme know!

More news later... and maybe a picture once I start seeing some real results!