Weekly Goals

I've really been struggling with my New Year's goals.  So, I thought it would be easier to focus on the smaller picture.  I will make small, weekly goals to help me along.

This week my goal is to track all of my food.  I have been using Weight Watcher's Points Plus system.  Oh, no.  I don't pay for it.  I found some free sites from a blog called Freckleberry Finds.  She had a blog post about free WW calculators.

I did Weight Watchers years ago.  I lost 50 lbs doing it, too.  My problem was that I would still binge right after the weigh in and then spend the rest of the week trying to drop extra pounds.  I never really grasped the whole healthy eating for the long haul until I started to take running a bit more seriously.  What I eat directly affects the way I feel while running, so I had to eat (relatively) healthy.

I needed something different to get me excited about logging my food again.  I had been using Spark and still use it to log my fitness, but I had really fallen out of logging my food.  So, I thought maybe using WW would make it fun again.

I started yesterday and logged everything.  I get 32 points a day.  I was right on until Kevin brought a giant baked potato home with melted butter, sour cream, and shredded cheese on it for me.  Yes, I could have said no, but obviously I have a problem with self control.  I ate it and it was delicious.  And then I had some sherbet ice cream.  And some hot chocolate.  So, I used 24 extra points!

What I've learned after 2 days of tracking?  I am eating way more than I thought (NEWSFLASH!).  So, I am already out of points; weekly and daily after today.  Thankfully, I have running to do this week to balance it out and I can earn some extra points back.  I guess I am not as healthy as I thought I was!

Here is my workout schedule for the week:
Mon: off
Tues: Run 3
Wed: Speed Work 5x400s (Depending on the ice situation)
Thurs: Run 3
Fri: off
Sat: Run 3
Sun: Run 5

Do you track your food?  If yes, then how?

Knitting Machine!

Today I decided to really buckle down with my eating.  Ever since I made my New Year goals I really haven't made any effort to make them happen...story of my life.

This morning I faced the dreaded scale.  It wasn't a big surprise that I had gained a couple of pounds.  It's a starting point, right?
I then recorded my measurements in this cool tracker that Becky got me at Barnes and Noble.

You record all of your body measurements and it even has some fitness tests.  You record how long it takes you to run a mile, how many push-ups, sit-ups, squats, balance that you can do at the start.  Then you record for the whole year and you see the results!  It also has a workout and food journal.  At the end of each month, there's a page where you summarize everything and see your progress.  I am pretty excited about it.  I really like these kinds of things.

I also needed to look for a running plan to follow.  Otherwise, I really don't have any motivation to hit the pavement.  I looked at my race schedule and my next race is in March, the Blarney 5K Run/Walk.  I printed out Hal's 5K Intermediate Plan.  It is exactly the number of days until the race and this way I can work on getting faster (in theory).

Yesterday, I started knitting a blanket.  I really don't knit and wanted to try and make something.  I decided to make squares using different stitches.  That way, I make a blanket and perfect different stitches.  I have a book with a bunch of knitting stitches in it.  I finished the Stockinette stitch square (top) and the Moss stitch square (bottom).

I'm going to make the blanket 3x4 squares.  I'm using wool and it is going to be a really warm blanket.

My cat was not a fan of me knitting, though.  Every time he would come lay on my lap he would get bopped with the knitting needle.  Then, he would get up and give me the stink eye.

What's your favorite hobby?