So I have decided it is time to get back on the horse and ride off into the thin and fabulous sunset.  After being in and out of town, the holidays wreaking havoc with my diet and being sick for three weeks with SARS or whatever the hell I had, it is time to get back on the train.

I have had some 12-grain toast with a little PB and J this morning, a banana, an orange and some pretzels.  A lot of water.  AND I’m headed to the gym for the first time in about a month.  The antibiotic I was on, believe it or not, Avelox, has a side effect (while rare) of rupturing one’s Achilles’ tendon.  Sick, right? Eff that, big time.   So I decided even on the days I did feel well, but was still popping the pills, I didn’t want to risk it.  I’ll slowly ramp up to more weight and speed, but right now, I am just happy to be going to the gym at all.

I know my tushie has gotten bigger.  I know my arms are a little flabbier than before.  But I’ve decided today that it’s on.  been watching my intake, going to the gym and taking care of business so when the summer comes around, I look amazing.

Okay – not really – I’m still doing really well, given that we just completed the worst time of the year to be on a diet.  I have lost an additional 4 lbs over the Christmas/New Years break.  Granted, I’ve also had a heck of a head cold to make food taste like cardboard, and have no smell whatsoever, so that did have a lot to do with it. 

This particular season gets on my nerves.  This being the post-holiday, resolution season.  I can’t get the machines I enjoy at the gym because every other middle-aged, over-weight, fad diet lover is pouring sweat and whatever other bodily fluids they can all over them.  I can’t work the treadmill because Suzy Homemaker who has lost the allure her hubby loves so much is busy jogging herself into a heart attack on every last one of them.

SERIOUSLY – why do people think that the passing of another year is what’s going to save their arteries and cholesterol against their own bad eating habits and workout routines?  This is an ongoing thing.  Every year, without fail, millions of people resolve to lose weight, eat right, get in shape, etc, etc….  I’m no amazing person myself, but I don’t wait til January 1st rolls around to realize that I need to take action and get my ass to work in order to live a longer life.

These fad diets, Sugar Busters, Nutrasystem, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Hollywood - may work for some, and have on many occassions, but if people don’t actually take the time to learn about nutrition and that magical mathematical equation that results in more calories burned than consumed, they are never gonna get it off and keep it off.  It’s a sad state of affairs. 

We are so incredibly stupid sometimes.  A pill is not gonna make me Pamela Anderson.  It’s just not.  And why would I want to be?  Why are we so caught up with being SKINNY?  Can’t we just be healthy?  There’s nothing wrong with a little meat on your bones – as long as you are healthy.  Go to the doctor – see what they say.  How’z your blood work?  How’z your cholesterol?  Seriously – most of what we see on the television is severely under-nourished.  I don’t want my daughter to emulate those idiots. 

Be yourself, be healthy, enjoy life and don’t freakin’ starve yourself.  If I catch you with a diet pill and not doing any freakin’ work, I’m talking big shit, and I hope you throw them out.  Just sayin’.  Love ya!!! 

Well, don’t weigh me right now, because, as you can see from the title, I’ve flat lined.  It’s time to step it up.  I’ve been building on my consistency and retraining my intake, but that’s not enough at this point.  SO, this morning, I introduced my body to just a little bit more: 3 sets of 30 sit ups after my traditional morning walk.  Twist that walk a bit with some intermittent jogging and we’ve got increased caloric output.  That was just this morning.

My uber-intelligent 7th grader informed me that there is such a thing as the Fit channel on Time Warner Cable, and that we could DVR some of the workouts and see which ones we like.  If we find one we particularly enjoy, we can just save it and use it at our own convenience.  Now, I don’t want to brag, but she’s a freakin’ genius… yeah – she gets it from her mom….just sayin’.

This is my plan.  I’m still working on the food part – as you well know, but I’m thinking that an increased exercise plan, and incorporating good portions of my life into them (i.e. my new puppy – taking walks, utilizing my DVR, actually visiting the workout facilities at my complex) will actually help me with my goal.

Anyone want to chime in on this one???

With crazier schedules by the day, more obligations popping up by the week, it can be hard to fit in a legitimate trip to the gym. You get up, you take care of the kids and/or pets, you work, you fix dinner, you have extra-curriculars in meetings and church. You name it, and its cutting into your valuable exercise time. By the time the responsibilities are taken care of for the day, you’re drained. How are you supposed to have the energy to work out then?

Thankfully, there is good news. Every little bit counts and each effort is cumulative just like your GPA back in high school. You always hear people on TV telling you to park further away from the store you’re patronizing or taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator…and those are all great tips. Often times though, I know I find myself going to work and back and not making stops in between. Our parking lot is only so big at work and once I get home, I look for any parking spot I can find: It doesn’t provide for me the extra exercise I’d like. If there is no reason to go upstairs in my building, I usually don’t; I am busy enough at my own desk.

So to be more realistic, here are a few more ways to inject a little more health into your life.

• If you have the house to yourself, put on the radio and have a mini dance party. When the boyfriend is at work, I throw on a little Britney or Janet in the iPod and shake it while I cook dinner.
• Go out to a club with you girlfriends. You dont have to drink 10 cosmos to have a good time. Be the designated driver and sweat it out to a live DJ.
• Do a few sit ups or push-ups during commercial breaks of your favorite shows. Not as easy for the folks with DVRs, but you get the point. Drop and give me 20 right when you wake up or right before you go to bed. Do it while you’re on hold with the bank, contesting your overdraft fees. I know I spend plenty of time doing that.
• If you don’t have time to get changed, drive to the gym, work out and drive back, just walk in your neighborhood. If you only have your lunch hour to work out due to after-work commitments, make the best of your time and move quickly from machine to machine to be time-effective for the 30-45 minutes you have.
• If there isn’t a place to walk in yor neighborhood, but there is at work, bring you tennis shoes and take a brisk 20 minute walk for a break in the afternoon.
• Call somebody who you know will make you LAUGH. Not only is it good for the abs, it’s phenomenal for the soul.

Ya know, every little bit doesn’t just go in as far as physical activity either; you can practice restraint with your eating as well. Maybe you have a real craving for a 12 oz. ribeye steak, loaded baked potato and a salad with a gallon of ranch smothering and weighing down the lettuce leaves. To drink, a tall pint of ice cold beer or a few refills on Coke. In that scenario:

• Look at your portion sizes. Life is too short to never eat what you want, but can you do an 8 oz. steak instead?
• Look at compromise. OK, maybe you can’t skimp on the steak. But maybe there is a healthier side dish you could partake in. A sweet potato perhaps? Some green beans? Low-fat dressing on the salad? A lite beer or water?
• Look at what you’re craving. Salty? Try pretzels over potato chips…or even a string cheese. Sweet? Try fruit over a Snickers. Sometimes I even find myself craving dairy. Yogurt or a glass of milk is going to be better over creamy chocolate pudding or a slice of extra-cheesy pizza.
• Look at your carbs. Maybe there is a way to replace a carbohydrate with a protein or vegetable/fruit serving.
• Look at your creativity. I know that I can get in the rut of eating whatever is convenient or cheap, regardless of how healthy it is. If you take just a minute in the morning to pack salsa and tortilla chips over potato chips, you have something a little special to look forward to later. String cheese reminds me of when I was a kid so I love packing those. Make your own trail mix. Make creative, but healthy snacks and you’ll look more forward to eating them.

In the end, making the small efforts and sacrifices will add up. If you’re capable of making those small changes day to day, think of the impact they will have on your habits and waistline long term. It’s trite, but no one got this way overnight and it won’t melt off overnight either. The accumulation of little habits got us here, where we are unhappy with the state of things. Each day, if you can make one step closer to your goals, you’re doing well. Forward progress is the name of the game..and you should be proud!

What do YOU guys (y’all, youins) do to chip away at your health debt? What is your chisel of choice? Leave your thoughts after the jump!