Thursday, July 10, 2008

Goal-setting

So, I just stepped off the scale and was greeted with a 252. I mention this because, I fear the "easy" part is done. My diet, while far from perfect, is signifigantly improved. Previously it was McDonald's for breakfast. Jack-in-the-Box for lunch. Dinner was either at home, or at Panda Express. Thinking back on those times, it's a miracle I only weighed 280; I ate terribly. We all did.

I want to get down under 235 by Christmas. I doubt that I'll drop another 25 pounds in three months like I have (it took me some time to break my previous bad habits after leaving USAREC so I didn't actually start losing weight until late March). I attribute a lot of this weight-loss to the lifestyle change of better hours, less stress, and improved eating habits. But by the holiday time, I don't see it as unreasonable to have shed that remaining recruiter-weight.

Here is where I stand right this second as far as diet and exercise. I run a little over three miles a day on Monday-Wednesday-Friday. This at a moderate pace, I'm more concerned with endurance and my breathing those days. Tuesday-Thursday I do two miles but at a faster pace. I'm more concerned with leg strength and speed on those days. Saturday and Sunday are days of rest. I want to get down to just one day off, but, self-assessment here, it's a motivation issue. I hate to run. Hate it with a passion. I run during the week because, well, I leave for work early so I can beat traffic and leave early for the same reason. I get to the office a good two hours before the work-day starts. What else am I going to do for those two hours? Weekends though I don't have that same motivation. What I hope will happen soon is that I will be able to take Zoe for a run in the morning on Saturdays. The parvo scare from May has kept her on lockdown in the backyard until she's a bit older and has had more of her vaccines. So I'm hoping that in the not-too-distant future I'll be able to take her out of the house again. When that happens I'll be able to get a short run on Saturdays.

Of course, all the exercise in the world won't help without controlling the intake. I admit it. There is room for improvement in my eating habits. Room for a lot of improvement. Here's my usual diet. For breakfast I have a bowl of cereal. Currently it is Cocoa Puffies with skim milk. Lunch is at Subway where I get one of the low-fat six inch subs or the spicy italian. Dinner is at home. I've swapped drinking soda at work for drinking water, although I will have a medium soda with lunch and usually another one towards the end of the day. But I don't go through four or more like I used to. Snacking has, mostly, been reduced as well. My current vice is Mochi Ice Cream. Yummy.

Anyways. 235 pounds by Christmas.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Damned Travel System

I want to rant against DTS yet again, but honestly, it's just not worth it. At this point I'm pretty sure the problems are all me and that I'm some sort of luddite who just refuses to drink the DTS Kool-Aid. Yet again though, I have had my travel reimbursement delayed because something that "normally works fine" was wicked broken for me.

I hate DTS.