Small Steps Toward Healthier Living

* For a compilation of articles, books, and resources about healthier, more natural living (covering topics such as nutrition, health, cold remedies, pregnancy, baby care, cleaning, and much more), read Natural Living 101 * This is a great resource! I highly recommend checking it out. I know I will be referring to it frequently for information. *

I have been thinking about moving toward a healthier lifestyle with regard to using less chemicals in the home, eating healthier foods, etc.

So...I bought my first jar of organic coconut oil a few days ago and have already used it in a smoothie, for frying, and on my daughter's skin! Our daughter has a bit of eczema or something going on; we've been using a steroid cream, but the side effects of that stuff are nasty (it lowers her already-low immune system), so I want another solution.

P.S. Read about some of the benefits of coconut oil here. It's one of the healthiest fats; it does not go rancid at high temperatures, it can help boost the immune system, and has even helped wiht some skin conditions such as eczema. If you buy the expeller pressed stuff, it doesn't even taste like coconut, so it's perfect for sauteeing and cooking. It's not overly expensive (my jar was about $10 on sale), and it has a very long shelf life.

Another small success was purchasing whole wheat macaroni to replace our nutrition-less white refined flour macaroni. Yay!

I also started keeping track of how much water I drink each day. I'm aiming for 8 glasses/day.

We also want to get back on track with exercising now that things have settled down a bit here (for now.) While I would much prefer to play sports with my husband (we've talked about joining the badminton club in town here), it just isn't feasible since we have a young daughter. So, my husband has talked about maybe joining soccer (he loves soccer and is an amazing player), while I'll probably get back on my trusty treadmill. I even went downstairs to get on it yesterday, only to find that I couldn't figure out how to unfold the crazy thing! No worries, though; last night my husband showed me how to unfold it, and we're ready to go now!

A Month of Gluten-Free

For awhile, I've planned on taking one month to go gluten-free, just to see if it makes any difference for my health. I've also been planning on trying to eat healthier, such as more organic, more fruits and veggies, more whole grains, less refined sugar and flour. Of course, I'm waiting until after Christmas and New Years. I figure this will be the best of both worlds - enjoy the Christmas goodies and then go g/f to lose the Christmas goodies weight! ;-) My mom is gluten-intolerant, and this often runs in families. While I'm at it, I'm also going to try my best to cut way back on refined sugar for the month. This is going to be QUITE the challenge, as I do like my breads and junk food. I figure I can do it for one month, and then if it makes a noticeable difference, the health benefits will be motivation enough to keep me at it. Truth be told, I'm really hoping that I won't have to be gluten free forever. If I do decide to eat gluten again, I'm hoping to grind organic wheat for bread and soak my grains whenever possible. Here's a rough plan for the next month. I've brainstormed some recipes that are gluten-free that I'll plan for for the next month. I'll refer back to this list when I do my weekly menu plan.

Breakfasts: Instead of my usual toast with coffee, I'll probably try having a rice cake with peanut butter, piece of fruit, egg/omelet, yogurt.

Lunches: I'm usually eating leftovers for lunch. Or, I often have a yogurt and fruit smoothie with crackers and cheese/tuna or something like that. For this gluten-free month, I'll probably stick with the same thing...just using rice crackers instead of regular crackers.

Supper: Here are a few gluten-free meal ideas I've been brainstorming

*Note: Although I'm trying my best to go truly gluten-free, there are some things (such as soy sauce and some canned soups in casseroles) that I'm just not going to worry about whether or not it's truly gluten-free because I am not celiac - I'll just try to use these in moderation*

Black Bean Soup, Sweet Potato Fries
Lemon Turkey Rice Soup
Lazy Cabbage Rolls
Turkey Casserole
Curried Beef Stuffed Squash
Pan-Seared Salmon with Thai Rice Noodles,
Flatlander Chili
Chicken Enchiladas made with Corn Tortillas
Slow Cooker Beef in Pomegranate Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Zesty Chicken Oregano, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Easy Curry Chicken and Rice
Spinach and Tomato Topped Salmon with Potato Wedges or Rice
Lemon Dill Baked Salmon
Asian Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry
Potato Soup

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle (Part 4)

If you missed the first 3 posts of this series, you can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

In the final part of this series, I want to outline exactly what I did to lose the weight and what I'm doing now maintain my current weight. My total weight loss since the end of December 2009 is about 30-35 pounds. I have been maintaining for about 6 weeks now. Here's what I did.

To lose it...

• Decided that I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and I was ready to do something about it.
  
• Set a reasonable goal for myself to lose 20 pounds (I ended up losing 30-35). I aimed to lose 1-2 pounds per week at first and then half a pound per week at the end.
  
• Became accountable by participating in weekly weigh-ins at a blog that I read. (This helped keep me motivated, too.)
• Started moving more. I needed to get motivated to exercise again, so I decided to try the Couch to 5K program and blog about my progress to keep accountable. Seeing the visible results of my fitness level improving was VERY motivating for me. Since I am a competitive person, it was good to "beat" each previous week's time and improve my fitness each week. After about a month, I started having so much more energy, and I attribute this to exercising. Honestly, sometimes I hated exercising and I had to force myself to do it, but I always felt so good after the workout was done. I also made an effort to just move more around the house - less sitting around and more of housekeeping, gardening, etc.
  
• Started a food and exercise journal to keep track of what I was eating and approximately how much. This was really key I think. It made me get honest with what I was eating. I didn't count calories, but I would write down a brief description of how much I was eating such as "small plate", "2 scoops ice cream", "15 chips" etc. to get estimates of how much I was eating. It is interesting to note that once I started writing down exactly what I was eating, I could see that I was eating way too much junk food (cake, cookies, pop, chips, ice cream, etc.). I didn't realize how much junk I was eating until I started writing it all down. If I flip back from when I first started my food journal and compare what I was eating then to what I'm eating now, there is a pretty big difference. The exercise journal was important, too. Because I had started running on the treadmill, I did keep track of how many calories I burned. I aimed to burn about 1500 calories per week.
  
• Participated in weekly weigh-ins. Each Monday I weighed myself and checked in with the blog I read.
  
• Kept track of my progress. I wrote down my weekly weight so I could see my progress.
  
• Planned healthier meals. I had already been menu planning, but I decided to put more effort to create healthier menu plans. For example, we eat fish more, we eat a lot less creamy dishes than we used to (and if they are creamy, I alter the recipe to try to reduce the calories.) I also experimented with and planned ahead for making different salads and vegetable dishes to get us eating more fruits and veggies. We ate more homemade soups, too. (not the creamy kind, which I don't like anyway.)
• Started eating breakfast.I used to hardly ever eat breakfast, but I really believe eating breakfast is important to losing weight. It sounds backwards, but I think that it helps prevent overeating during the day. For breakfast, I usually just have 1-2 pieces of toast, fruit, and the occasional egg.
• Ate simpler, healthier lunches. For lunches, I would usually have a tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, leftovers, or a fruit smoothie and omelet.
  
• Ate out less and made smarter choices when eating out. I also stopped feeling bad if I didn't finish all my food at a restaurant. We all know how the portions at a restaurant are enormous.
  
• Paid attention to hunger/full cues. I had to teach myself to quit eating when I was full and only eat when I was hungry. This meant that if I had half a sandwich left but felt full, I would wrap the sandwich for later and stop eating. This also meant that if I was hungry at 2 in the afternoon because I had a smaller than usual lunch, I would have a snack such as and apple or smoothie or piece of toast. I think I was really used to overeating before and that feeling of being "stuffed." I now absolutely hate the feeling of being stuffed and hardly ever overeat because I don't like that feeling anymore. When I do occasionally overeat now, I regret it because I hate that feeling.
• Allowed myself treats and didn't ban any food. I still ate cookies, cakes, chips, ice cream, and pop. I just ate it less often and ate less of it. I went from drinking pop nearly every day to drinking it 1-2 times a week at most (and then less of it at those times, too.)I would opt for a small piece of cake instead of a big piece.
• Made lower-calorie substitutions for some of my favourite foods with "instead of that, eat this" philosophy. For example, I used to drink a lot of homemade milkshakes and iced cappuccinos. Instead of homemade milkshakes, I made homemade fruit smoothies with fruit, orange juice, and yogurt. Instead of munching on chips, I munched on lower-calorie popcorn or rice crisps. Instead of snacking on ice cream and junk food all the time, I started snacking on foods like grapes.
• Didn't get discouraged when I hit a plateau. I hit a weight-loss plateau for about a month. I actually thought that I was perhaps at the weight I would maintain. I looked at my food journal and saw areas I could improve on. After about a month, I started losing again and lost 10 more pounds.
  

To maintain my current weight...

• Weekly weigh-ins. I still weight myself every Monday and keep track of my weight in my Home Management Binder. I have been maintaining my weight for about 6 weeks now.
  
• Determined to not go over a certain weight. This is pretty key to maintaining, I think. No, it is not all about the numbers, but I still want to ensure that I do not let the weight slowly creep on again. Now that I'm at the weight I believe to be my healthy, normal, non-pregnant weight, I have a certain number that I refuse to let myself go over. If I ever see "that number" (which is about 3-4 pounds more than my current weight.) while I'm not pregnant, I have decided to work it off as soon as possible. I will not allow myself to ignorantly let the weight creep on again.
• Active lifestyle. Right now I actually am not regularly exercising like I was before when I was losing the weight. Because the weather is warmer now, I prefer to walk outside than jog on the treadmill. I do still try to go for a run once in awhile because I'd like to maintain my fitness if possible, but I do not have a set number of calories to burn each week anymore. Instead, I am trying to just have an active lifestyle. I take my baby for walks during the day when it's nice outside. I walk to garage sales. We take walks in the evening sometimes, too. I loosely aim for 3-4 days of purposeful walking (30-45 minutes of brisk walking) or exercising per week. I have been thinking about possibly starting to run regularly again and train for a 10K run, but currently I am not doing that.
  
• Maintain new eating habits. This has been easy and I actually hardly have to think about it anymore. Where it used to be "normal" for me to always overeat, it is now normal for me to hardly ever overeat. It is normal for me to eat and cook healthier foods. It is normal for me to eat just less of everything. It's normal for me to only drink pop on occasion.
• Keep a food and exercise journal. I am not as disciplined about this as when I was losing the weight, but I still loosely keep a food and exercise journal. I have noticed that when I don't do this, I don't eat as well as I should.
  

That's about it. Please note this is not medical advice. I am simply outlining the things that have helped me lose the weight and now maintain my current weight. Our bodies are each different. What worked for me may not work for you. Our metabolisms are different, too, so some of us will lose weight more easily than others. My ultimate goal was (and still is) to be healthier and to take better care of my body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I want to nourish my body with good food (at least, most of the time) and keep my heart healthy and strong by keeping active, all while keeping a biblical perspective. Remember that ultimately it is not our size but our heart that matter to the Lord.

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle (Part 3)

In case you missed them, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here of this series.

As I said in Part 2, my theory as to why I was not able to have real success with losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight was because my methods and philosophy were both wrong. My methods included doing extreme things that I could never keep up with long-term and my philosophy was based too much on the numbers.

So, what is different this time? Well, I started to get serious again about losing some weight at the end of December 2009 when a fellow blogger decided it was time to get healthy and was hosting weekly weigh-ins. I basically just said, "why not" and committed to checking in each Monday with my progress. To be honest, I was skeptical as to whether or not this time would be any different, but I was getting really sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all the time. I had absolutely no energy. Besides the fact I was feeling sluggish all the time, having a baby changed my perspective on things. My family has a history of heart disease and diabetes. I started becoming concerned about my health and realizing that I need to take proper care of my body as I have a little one to care for, too. I want to set a good example to my children of how to live a healthy lifestyle. I wanted to look and feel healthy again; I wanted energy. This time it was about being healthier. Yes, the numbers still mattered somewhat, but ultimately, it was about getting healthier. I think that is why this time is different.

I looked at what I was eating and how much I was eating. I had to get honest with the fact that I had often been guilty of grossly overeating (gluttony), which is sinful. I had to get honest with the fact that I was eating way too much junk food, which was harming my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Like I mentioned in Part 1, these were two of the main motivators for me to change my lifestyle. My lack of energy and feeling sluggish all the time were a result of how I was treating my body - what I was feeding it and how much I was feeding it, along with sitting around way too much.

So, my philosophy was different this time. I became more concerned about my health than just the numbers. My methods, therefore, were also different this time. I decided that I was only going to do things that were sustainable over the long-term.

For me, this meant that I could commit to exercising 30 minutes a day most days. I did not commit to more than that because I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain that over the long-term. My philosophy for exercise was this: Something is Always Better than Nothing. This meant that if I had a busy day and couldn't spend 30 minutes on the treadmill, I would just do 10 minutes. This meant that if I was super tired and just didn't feel like doing anything, I would tell myself to just do 5 minutes of activity. To get me motivated to exercise, I decided to set a goal to run 5 km in 30 minutes. I followed the Couch to 5 K program, which only required 30 minutes of training 3 days a week. This was realistic for me and I could blog about my progress to stay accountable. It gave me a goal to work toward where I could see real results each week in my fitness level.

My new philosophy and methods also meant no crash dieting. I was not about to say I would never eat chips, drink pop, or eat cake again. Why not? Well, the reality is that this would not be sustainable over the long-term for me. So I just said LESS of these things and MORE fresh fruits and veggies. I had been addicted to pop and had been drinking it almost every day. I decided to drink less pop and drink it only on certain occasions, such as when we went to someone's house, or when we ate pizza. I would try to share a can instead of drinking it all.

Portion control was my main philosophy with regards to what I was eating. Basically I just decided to eat less of everything. I knew I had been overeating for a very long time, so I decided to pay attention to my body's cues and simply stop eating when I was full. Instead of a big piece of cake, I'd have a small piece of cake. Instead of my usual 3 scoops of ice cream, I'd have 1 scoop of ice cream. Instead of my usual large plate of nachos, I'd have a mini plate of nachos. Instead of my usual 3 cookies, I'd have just 1. This is really exactly what I did (and still do). I still eat junk food and sweets, I just eat less of them.

I also adopted the philosophy of "instead of this, eat that." What do I mean by that? In Part 4 of this series, I plan to discuss the practical things I did to lose the weight and what I'm doing now to maintain my weight.

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle (Part 2)

In case you missed it, you can read Part 1 of this series here.

Ultimately, I had to fact the fact that I had not been taking proper care of my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. For the past 4 years, I had been giving little thought to what I was putting in my mouth and was simply too lazy to put in regular amounts of exercise into my day. Before I got married (right after I graduated from high school), I had been extremely active, playing lots of sports all through my high school career. Playing sports was so much fun that I never really thought of it as "exercise". Additionally, my mom made sure we were fed nutritious meals, so I hardly gave a thought to what I was eating. I didn't grow up with a lot of junk food in the house, so eating it was never really an issue for me. We had the occasional treat, but that was it.

After I graduated from high school, got married, and moved away from home, things were completely different. I was no longer able to depend on high school sports to get my physical exercise, and I was too shy to join a recreational sports team in a city where I hardly knew anyone. The demands of working outside the home and having a home of my own now to take care of left me with little time or energy to go to the gym. It also left me little time or energy to put into planning, preparing, and eating healthy meals. Thus, with my husband enrolled full time in an intense university program, and with me working outside the home and having so much to learn about cooking, cleaning, and now being a married woman, my physical health and appearance quickly got put on the back burner. Meals were mostly high in calories and low in nutrition, and we did not eat much fresh fruit or vegetables. I got accustomed to throwing on a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt when I got home from work. We started having ice cream every night before bed and going for lots of late night runs to the McDonalds Drive-Thru when my husband wanted a break from studying around midnight.

It really shouldn't have surprised me, then, when my weight started going up. But, the weight crept on so slowly that I didn't really realize (or maybe I was in denial) how much weight I had gained until I saw pictures of myself in my friend's wedding, only 6 months after my own wedding. In 6 months, I had probably gained about 20-25 pounds, and I was really disappointed in myself. I couldn't believe I had let myself go like that. Over the next couple years, I would try to diet and exercise several times. I would lose 10 pounds, and then gain 15. Then several months later I would try again, and the same thing - lose a bit, gain a bit more. I guess I was what you might call a "yo-yo dieter." I couldn't figure out why I wasn't able to have some real long-term success. In about 3 1/2 years, I had gained at least 35 pounds since I had gotten married. Then, when I got pregnant with our daughter, I gained an additional 35 plus pounds during the pregnancy (most of which came off quite quickly after she was born, thankfully.) But by December 2009, I was getting sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

Looking back, I realize that a big reason why I couldn't have long term success during those first 3 1/2 years was because I wasn't looking at weight loss the right way. Both my methods for weight loss and perspective on weight loss were all wrong. I was going to extremes, doing things that I could never do for the rest of my life, such as exercising for an hour or more every day and restricting my food intake too much in order to lose the weight. I was restricting my food intake so much that it was only a matter of time before I would binge and be worse off. I had set myself up for failure each time.

Besides my methods being wrong and not sustainable over the long-term, my perspective was also wrong. I usually started one of my failed attempts to lose the weight after going shopping for clothes and feeling badly about my ever-increasing size. I was only focused on the numbers. Thus, when the numbers stopped dropping or I didn't see "number results", I would get discouraged and give up completely, thinking "what's the use" - thus gaining the weight (plus more) back. I really think that this is key - In order to have real success, you CANNOT ONLY be focused on the numbers. The reason for this is because eventually the numbers will stop dropping. You will stop losing eventually. You will hit plateaus along the way. If you are only focused on the numbers, you are setting yourself up for failure, in my opinion. You may have some success, but I don't think it's likely you will achieve long-term success.

So, now I've discussed how I gained the weight and my failed attempts at long term success due to having a wrong perspective and wrong methods. Obviously I cannot truly say that I have achieved long-term success yet because I've only lost the weight recently. However, I really am hopeful and quite confident that this change will be for the long-term because of my new perspective and methods. In Part 3 of this series, I'm going to discuss my new perspective and methods.

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle (Part 1)

I want to blog a bit about the whole issue of proper nutrition, exercise, and having a healthy (or at least, a healthier) lifestyle. I have struggled with this for a few years now, and I am sure there are others out there who are struggling like I am to live a healthy lifestyle amidst the busyness of life. In this series, I'll explain my own struggle and how I have been able to get back on track.

Part 1 of this series is about keeping the right perspective on body image. Since the end of December 2009, I have lost 35 pounds and am back to the the same size I was when I got married (which I haven't been since I got married 4 years ago.) Before I get into the why's and how's of losing the weight, I want to help us have a right perspective on body image. Losing weight, exercising, and focusing on our outer appearance should NOT consume our lives. We should, however, try our best to take care of the earthly body that the Lord has given us.

Things to Consider Regarding a Proper Perspective on Body Image

• God is Ultimately Concerned With Our Hearts, Not Our Size. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
  

• Godliness is More Profitable Than Physical Exercise. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

With that in mind...Christians should also remember

• Our Bodies Should Glorify God. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

• We Should Not be Gluttonous. Gluttony is eating or drinking in excess by not exercising self-control and indulging the flesh. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.Proverbs 23:21

Those last 2 points were really important motivators in helping me lose weight. I had to get honest with the fact that the main reasons why I had gained 35 pounds since I got married (not including my pregnancy weight, which was an additional 35-40 pounds) were because

1) I had begun regularly overeating (lack of self-control) since I moved away from home
2) I had begun eating a lot of low-nutrition, high-calorie foods (not giving my body proper nutrition)
3) I had stopped exercising regularly

Those were really the bottom line reasons for me gaining weight. In Part 2 of this series, I'll expand on why I believe I gained the weight and my struggle to get back to a healthy lifestyle.

Couch to 5K Update

Last week I only got the first 2 workouts done for Week 6 of the Couch to 5K Running Program since we went on a short family holiday to visit my sister. I wasn't sure if I should march right through to Week 7 or repeat Week 6, so yesterday I decided to just start running and "see how it goes." I felt really good after 10 minutes of running, so I decided to try for the first workout of Week 7, which is running 2 1/2 miles in 25 minutes with no walking. I was able to do it yesterday, so I guess that means I will do Week 7 this week (3 workouts of running 2 1/2 miles in 25 minutes with no walking). I am truly amazed at the body's ability to gain endurance through training. When I first started on the treadmill just over 2 months ago, I literally could barely run for 2 minutes straight without being completely winded.

Couch to 5K Update

I just finished Week 5 of the Couch to 5K plan that will hopefully have me running 5 km (3 miles) in half an hour. This week I completed my first 2 mile run (in 20 minutes) with no walking. I did my first 2 mile run on Wednesday, and then I did another 2 mile run this evening. On to Week 6 next week! I am a bit confused as to why the first two workouts for Week 6 are actually easier than the 2 mile run...but the last workout is a 2 1/4 mile run with no walking. I am starting to actually enjoy exercising - I am beginning to notice some of its benefits. I feel like I have more energy overall and I am just feeling better in general.

Couch to 5K Update

Last week I completed Week 4 of the Couch to 5K Plan. I found it to be quite a bit tougher than the previous week. During the last 5 minutes of jogging, I really had to push myself! I am very nervous for this week(Week 5). It looks much more challenging than last week, which I found somewhat tough. The last workout for this week on Friday will have me (maybe) running 2 miles in 20 minutes with no walking. I am very skeptical that I will be able to do it, but I plan on giving it my best shot. I plan on doing the program Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for this week.

Couch to 5K Plan - Week 3 Done!

I just finished Week 3 of the Couch to 5K plan, and I feel great! So far I really like the plan. It's challenging enough to keep me interested, yet it's convenient enough to keep committed. The plan is very doable (wow, that word looks weird) with only 30 minute workouts. This week I even had the treadmill set on a slight incline for the last workout of the week. I might even get on the treadmill today for an extra workout this week. I'm starting to really like this whole running thing. In fact, instead of dreading the part of my day when I exercise, I am actually looking forward to it! I thought Week 3 was fairly easy, but Week 4 will be more challenging with substantially more running time and a lot less walking time. I am getting really nervous for Week 5, however, which will have one workout of running 2 miles in 20 minutes non-stop. Oh well, I guess I'll take it one workout at a time.
(P.S. My clothes are fitting better, too, which is a really good motivator as well :D)

From the Couch to 5 Km (I Hope!)

There is something about having kids that just makes a person think about life differently.
After having our daughter, I've suddenly found myself becoming much more concerned about things like healthy eating, preventing heart disease, preventing diabetes, preventing osteoporosis, (oh, and losing that baby weight).

But really, all kidding aside, I am making an honest attempt to start exercising regularly again. Preventing heart disease, diabetes, etc. is definitely part of the why I need to get moving, but I could *ahem* stand to lose a few pounds, too.

Back in high school, I was fairly fit and trim. Basketball, volleyball, and track and field kept me moving, and playing sports was actually fun. But after I finished high school, got married, and moved, I just couldn't seem to get myself to go to the gym or join a rec sports team. I tried to go to the gym here and there, but I just couldn't seem to get motivated. I got bored with it so easily. I absolutely hated the elliptical and didn't care much for the stationary bike either. The only thing that could keep half my attention was the treadmill. So, now I have a treadmill at home, and after using it fairly regularly for the past month, I am starting to actually like exercising (Did I just say that out loud?). Well, maybe I don't like it when I'm huffing and puffing and my legs and lungs are burning, but I love the feeling I get after I've done the time and I take my stinky shoes off and sit down to a huge glass of icy cold water.

Anyway, I recently found this plan called the Couch to 5 K plan, which aims to get a couch potato running 5 km in about 2 months time.(And, get this, it only takes about 30 minutes a day 3-4 times a week!) So, I printed it off, and started at Week 2, which I completed last week. This week I'm on Week 3. I really, really hope I will stick with it this time. I would love to be able to run 5 km regularly. So, anyway, I am hoping blogging about this will help me be somewhat "accountable" and I plan on giving weekly updates. I am a bit nervous and not all that confident that I'll actually be able to do it, but I'm going to give it an honest try!

I was not home much Monday or Tuesday, so unfortunately I did not get much exercise time in those days, but today I will be starting Week 3 of the Couch to 5 Km plan.