New month, new determination.

There’s something about the calendar reading “1st” that makes me want to get re-determined with my diet and fitness goals. I’m still at 152 lbs., due to my own inability to stick to the nutritional requirements (low carb) and exercise frequency (1 hr 5x/wk) that I KNOW works for me. So, this month will be about dedicating myself to that.

I plan to get up each morning before work and get a half-hour of cardio in. Then in the evenings I can concentrate on strength training. I know breaking it up like that is not optimal for calorie burning and weight loss (strength training should immediately follow cardio to get the most out of it), but it’s what will work better for me schedule-wise. I’ve got to lose this “all or nothing” attitude that I seem to have – even if I can’t do what is optimal, doing the next-best thing is FAR better than doing nothing at all, or half-assing it. So, Monday through Friday cardio in the mornings, Monday through Thursday weight training in the evenings (though since Monday is my work from home day, I’ll probably do both in succession), and try to do something fun and active on the weekends to break the routine and keep me from getting bored.

Food-wise, I’ve been trying to get back to recording my intake at SparkPeople again. I’m data driven and I WANT to record everything every day, but if I can just be consistent about doing it Monday through Friday, I’ll accept that. Really, though, I should track it more on the weekends, since that’s when I tend to fall off the bandwagon and stuff my pie-hole. Ih, I’ll make an earnest effort and not beat myself up if I don’t track every little thing.

I’m going to try to keep my carb intake (i.e. some sort of fiber-filled cereal) in the morning and concentrate more on protein for noon and night, and not eat anything after 7:00 p.m. so I don’t go to bed on a full stomach. I’m also going to try to avoid wheat, since I think a sensitivity to that is part of what is stalling my weight loss. Limiting rice and pasta isn’t a problem, since I don’t gravitate toward either of them. Potatoes, though, are a particular favorite. I’m going to try to limit them to 1x/week. More salads and veggies, more fish. Less cheese, though the mere thought of it makes me want to cry. My 8 cups of water a day hasn’t been hard to meet, since it’s so flipping hot here. So, there’s that, anyway.

I re-stocked on vitamins and have been trying to remember to take them – even though they’re RIGHT THERE on the bathroom counter, all divvied up in their little vitamin caddy, I still manage to forget. I’ve also added Align to my daily regimen (probiotic), and ordered a bottle of Lipofuze to give my metabolism and energy a boost. Yes, I know, I KNOW, diet pills are from the devil. But I had a good run when I took Xenadrine for a while, oh, years ago now, so I’m going to just try a month of a metabolism booster to, well, give me a boost.

Finally, I just placed a big old order with Avon for some facial skin care products. I need to prioritize my skin, it’s the only one I’ve got and it’s looking decidedly old lately. Out with the cheap grocery store brands, in with the expensive emollients, I guess. The last time I bit the bullet and ordered from Avon I saw excellent results, then the cheapskate in me went back to the grocery store brands. It sure was painful to click that “order” button, though.

Okay. I started this entry in part to give me time to digest my breakfast before working out. Can’t put it off any longer!