Day One: Setting the Pace

Well, yesterday was the weigh-in! According to the City of Faribault, I weight 193.6 lbs. According to work (also a medical scale) I weigh 188.8. I prefer the latter, but fear the former is probably correct. So I will just adjust my reporting accordingly. Reported weight will be a difference of 4.8 lbs. Which is really pretty depressing since according to the scale at work, I'm DOWN from my top weight of 193.6!!! Coincidence or conspiracy? You be the judge.


So attractive! Oy!

Prior to the weigh-in, I went to the Running Room in Burnsville and got myself a nice pair of running shoes, shorts, a sports bra and socks. I'm completely excuse-less now. (Well, other than the fact that it's 19 below - windchill of UNFREAKING REAL fahrenheit.) Anyway, I've decided that I'll do my yoga DVDs (Rodney Yee) every night that I work, and run on the other days. I yoga'd this morning at midnight, so that counts for today, right??? I broke a sweat, but will be able to be more vigorous once I can fold myself properly.

Here's an even LESS attractive picture of me!




There was a day - about three years ago - when I could probably have taught a yoga class, and I ran a 5K. (I'm wearing the shirt to prove it.) But now I'm starting all over from scratch. But at least I know what it takes, I have the time and the equipment. I actually can't wait to get out there. And I felt so good after doing the yoga this morning, that it's really it's own incentive.

Included in the challenge this year are three components: weight loss, eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, and exercising 30+ minutes a day.

I had to look up what constitutes a serving, and found this chart on cancer.org (the American Cancer Association's website):

Eating at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits each day may not be that hard to do when you look at how small one serving really is:

1/2 cup of fruit
1 medium piece of fruit (banana, apple, orange)
1/4 cup of dried fruit
3/4 cup (6 ounces) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
1 cup of leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables
Trying to visualize the serving sizes? This may help:
1 medium apple or orange: the size of a tennis ball
1 cup vegetables or fruit: the size of a baseball
1 medium potato: the size of a computer mouse
1 cup of lettuce: 4 leaves

Snack Your Way To 5 A Day

Keep dried fruits and vegetable juice boxes in your desk drawer and glove compartment.

Keep a bowl full of fresh veggies and fruits on your kitchen counter.

Short on time? Look for prewashed, precut vegetables such as baby carrots and broccoli florets at the grocery store. Dip them in nonfat ranch dressing for extra zip.

Limit French fries, snack chips, and other fried vegetable products as nibbles, as well as at meals.

So far today I've had two bananas, which equals two servings. I just got home from work, so I have to sleep for a few hours, then I'll worry about getting the rest of my servings! BTW, I may or may not look better after I get sleep!