Routines

I am finding it slightly easier to stick to my routines, a few minutes of exercise in the morning, skipping sugary snacks at work (trying to just stick to fruit, rice cakes and gum) and then going to the gym.  Currently, I'm making it to the gym is 2-3 days a week.  I assume when it gets nicer, I'll be back around 3-4 days.  I'm starting to know some of the regulars.  I still don't see great progress, but I am definitely in better shape than I was a few months back.  It does help that I haven't been sick in a while.  I don't really like going, but once I am there it isn't too bad, and I feel I am on track.

It can be frustrating though (being virtuous).  I generally feel like I've given up so much: meat and alcohol (though so long ago that it isn't painful), diet soda (and basically caffeine in general) and now sugar at work.  (I never started on coffee or cigarettes or really alcohol, so I never had to give that up.)  But I often am a bit cranky from lack of sleep (and it probably is the irregular sleep patterns that caused much of the weight gain in the first place), and this giving up the sugar isn't helping my mood.*  Of course, the sad thing is that people who succeed on their diets are those that ask themselves about every treat, is it worth eating this.  I don't really want to be that kind of person (and for the rest of my life!), but I think it is the only way to stop being fat.  It finally bothers me enough that I am training my will power on it.

At this point, the main hurdle I can see coming up is when I start biking to work again (maybe late March) and I'll be feeling like I deserve a treat for all the extra exercise.  If I can battle through that and just satisfy myself with fruit (and gum), then I think I'll start seeing the results soon enough.  Maybe one of these days I'll start jogging again, but I probably ought to lose a bit more weight first, just to spare my ankles. 


* I actually won a free donut in the Roll Up the Rim contest at Tim Hortons, and I am giving it to my son.  That kind of signaled to me that I am finally, finally serious about eating better.