A gold star for my efforts?

   Still catching up from last week.  I thought by now I'd have the hang of this write/ work-out/ work thing but I'm apparently mastering it as well as the Stairmaster (that will be a really funny comment later. . . you'll see).

   To completely catch up I have to rewind to Friday and my weekly meeting with Dr. Josh.  The meeting was brief because I accidentally schedule my appointment when I was supposed to be working. Most docs would have instructed me to re-schedule. Not Dr. Josh - No, no - he made a "work call" (like a house call but at work).  Now granted, we work in the same building . . . but still! 

   He looked over my food journal and gave me the thumbs-up in approval.  I would have preferred a gold star or a "100%" written in red ink with a smiley face in the zeros but I'll take a thumbs up.  I can't bring myself to tell him that I haven't cleaned out my car yet. That's just embarrassing at this point. It's just that something keeps coming up that keeps me from doing it.  But I'm sure that's what Pigpen told the rest of the Peanuts gang when the subject of cleaning came up too. THIS WEEK IT SHALL BE DONE!!!

   But I did tell 10 friends how much I respect them and admire them.  Why did I do that and what does it have to do with getting into shape? you ask.  Well, it's all about being the best me I can be.  Eating healthy, treating my body better, being a better friend are all apples on the same tree in my opinion.

   This week, I've decided that my "life" assignment is going to be to read a book.  Nothing on the classics list or anything.  I've already read most of the books on that list anyways. WHICH REMINDS ME. . . . . . Ahem, I must take this moment to say something I've been waiting to say for ten years - - - HOLDEN CAULFIELD, YOU ARE SO OVERRATED MY FRIEND! Back to what I was saying. . . life assignment, books. Why am I doing that and what does it have to do with getting into shape? you ask (FYI: you're kinda repetitive with the questions) Well, so many times in the past when I've gone on DIEts, I do what I like to call "cocooning".  I do nothing but:
        1. Workout
        2. Think about working out
        3. Talk about working out
        4. Write about working out (ummmm. . . . pay no attention to that blog behind the curtain!!)
  Then, in a few months time, I emerge a beautiful (cranky and starving) butterfly.  But when I try to incorporate ordinary things back into my life, I'm at a complete loss of how to do it and keep up with obsessive behavior at the same time. I don't want to fall into the same bad habits.  I want this new lifestyle to be PART of my life, not consume it.  

   So believe it or not, doing ordinary tasks is pretty extraordinary for me right now.  I'm not cocooning. . . I'm living.  I'm doing all of the things that I love to do: reading; going to the movies; picking fights with rude dog owners at the dog park; picking out my dream house on http://www.prudential.com/ (so I'm ready when I win the lotto); etc. WHILE working out and eating healthy.  I'm really trying to take the "it's the journey not the destination" idea to heart.  But I'll never be above getting a gold star for my efforts.


PS -- For my "nutritional" goal for the week, I am going to try a food I have never tried before. I'm not talking about anything those crazy people would try on that old reality show, Fear Factor (Side Note: I know a girl that went on that show and she won by chowing down on spleen, spine, and hairy snouts.  DIS-GUS-TING).  That is a DEFINITE NGH (see post: NGH).  I'm talking something like roasted kale or a kumquat. Puh-lease! I'm the crazy lady who dresses her dog up in sweaters in winter.  I'm not the crazy lady who would eat spleen or hairy snouts. My craziness is endearing. . . not revolting.