Sweat is Sweet

Yeah. Still hanging in here....

Just getting back from my walk, and I'm still sweating from it. But it feels good. In fact, it feels grrrr-REAT! Now, after doing this walking routine regularly (5 - 6 days a week) for the last few months? I really am beginning to feel a slightly different level of personal fitness from when I began. I especially felt it this morning. I believe I'm walking faster, and with greater purpose. My thighs, which used to give me the teeniest burn walking up the few, extrememely gentle slight slopes of the walking path, no longer do so. In fact today, I was walking as fast as I could without actually jogging -- when I decided to hell with it, just try jogging a little. Because I felt like it. I actually WANTED to. And I did it! I jogged! Not very fast, far or long --but significantly longer than I would have been able to a few months ago. And I was most pleased that my breathing didn't go through the roof while doing it either, that I was able to keep it steady and comfortable. No gasping for breath or sucking in air! Mind you I've NEVER had much stamina for sports (even when I was thin), so I'm not expecting to go out and run any marathons anytime soon (as in, ever). Still, it's nice to feel I'm taking regular, satisfying steps, if small, toward an improved, healthier physical state of being.

Last week I went camping with my family, and took in a lovely 5 mile nature hike, IN SAND. Hiking in sand? Mercy! That was not an easy 5 miles! I was mightily tired afterwards -- but still not abnormally so, nor was I significantly sore. Probably would have been a different story before starting my walking routine....

The not-so-satisfying news, is that when I weighed myself last week, I was up to 245 again. Figures! Leave it to me to GAIN upon jump starting an exercise routine (and sticking to it). I didn't take it too badly however. I was happy to see at least that it wasn't '250', which, while only a 5 pound difference? Would have been psychologically crushing. Not to mention the fact that the weighing was done in the midst of Menstruation --plus perhaps I can console myself on the ol' 'muscle weighs more than fat' credo. Could that possibly account for an increased pound or two? Who knows. I'm not dwelling on it. Eh, as long as I can stay under the dreaded 250, I do believe I could probably live with myself, knowing that at least I'm *attempting* to get in shape with regular exercise and reasonably healthy eating. Whatever!

Is it really August already???

Well, hello. Seems I temporarily ditched this blog -- but no, still here, though I am leaving the house in just a few minutes. To EXERCISE. Yes! I jump-started yet another exercise routine in July -- brisk walking in the a.m.'s out at a local path in a lovely nearby park. I'm really enjoying it, despite this horrendous heatwave. In any case I've been managing to walk 5 or 6 times a week. And I swear it's really making a marked difference in my energy level....

My eating? It's taken a step or two backwards this summer I'd wager. I haven't been as on top of it as I was this past spring -- there's been some overeating, some snacking. The good news is that the garden produce is really rolling in now, so I'm desperately eating lots of delicious fresh veggies in order to keep up with the abundance. Namely zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, onions, basil, and tomatoes. Wonderful. The bad news is that I'm eating copious amounts of the high-cal zucchini bread, right along with the low-cal baked zucchini strips. Plenty 'o rich 'n' fattening basil pesto, in addition to the lean, basil-sprinkled vegetable stir fries. So, here I am exercising regularly yet again, but with sloppy-ish eating patterns -- when before I was eating decently, but with little physical activity.

Wow, can you imagine what might happen if I could just coordinate the two efforts???? (Hmmm. Must. Try.)

In the meantime, I'm just glad I'm back to moving around again. It feels really, really good....