i'm melting!

Yes, it's true. I'm melting. Not to worry, though. I'm not going to disappear anytime soon like the Wicked Witch of the West. My melting is taking place very slowly. But it is taking place, which is the good news.

It's been four weeks since I started making a conscious effort to get in shape and lose weight. Since January 8, I've been keeping a record of what I'm doing and trying to keep a record of the number of calories I'm eating so that I can figure out what's working and what I need to do better. When I started, I weighed 200 pounds. (Yep, I'm a big girl.) But before I give you my results, I'll tell you what I've been doing. Depending on your interests, this may tie for the MOST BORING BLOG EVER award:

January 8-14

• Monday: Walked/jogged 5k on treadmill (46 minutes, 52 seconds). Burned 390 calories. Ate 1402 calories.
• Tuesday: Hiked 1.96 miles on treadmill (30 minutes). Burned 262 calories. Ate 1533 calories.
• Wednesday: Didn't exercise. Ate 1395 calories.
• Thursday: Walked/jogged 2.52 miles on treadmill (39 minutes). Burned 311 calories. Ate 1260 calories.
• Friday: Lifted weights for 40 minutes. Didn't count calories.
• Saturday & Sunday: Didn't exercise or count calories.

January 15-21

• Monday: Didn't exercise or count calories.
• Tuesday: Hiked 2.01 miles on treadmill (36 minutes). Burned 282 calories. Ate 1928 calories.
• Wednesday: Didn't exercise. Ate 1600 calories.
• Thursday: Walked/jogged 2.5 miles on treadmill (38 minutes, 27 seconds). Burned 299 calories. Ate 1730 calories.
• Friday: Lifted weights 45 minutes, walked around track 10 minutes. Ate 1494 calories.
• Saturday & Sunday: Didn't exercise or count calories.

January 22-28

• Monday: Didn't exercise or count calories.
• Tuesday: Hiked 1.49 miles on treadmill (30 minutes). Burned 218 calories. Didn't count calories.
• Wednesday: Didn't exercise or count calories.
• Thursday: Walked/jogged 5k on treadmill (48 minutes, 33 seconds). Burned 371 calories. Didn't count calories.
• Friday: Lifted weights 40 minutes, walked around track 10 minutes. Didn't count calories.
• Saturday & Sunday: Didn't exercise or count calories.

January 29-February 4

• Monday: Didn't exercise or count calories.
• Tuesday: Walked/jogged 5k on treadmill (45 minutes 31 seconds). Burned 394 calories. Didn't count calories.
• Wednesday: Didn't exercise or count calories.
• Thursday: Walked 2 miles on treadmill (34 minutes). Burned 222 calories. Didn't count calories.
• Friday: Lifted weights 45 minutes, walked around track 15 minutes. Didn't count calories.
• Saturday & Sunday: Didn't exercise or count calories.

That's my log; now here are my results: I have lost five full pounds and now weigh 195. This probably would have discouraged me in the past, but I'm feeling better about myself lately and seeing teensy results--my waist line is very pronounced (although the middle section of my stomach doesn't seem to notice) and I'm starting to see tiny hollows in my cheeks again instead of having a huge, round face. Sometimes I even think I'm starting to see muscles.

I do want to step up the weight loss, so I've decided to make two goals for the next four weeks: First, Dana and I have committed to doing weights on Mondays as well as Fridays, and I'd like to add another cardio day every week as well. That day will be on the weekends--Dana is so good to me and has asked if I would like to do that as well, since she knows that I need motivation (in the form of obligation) to actually do it. Second, I want to count calories for 21 days straight, whether I do a good job at keeping them low or not. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, so I'd like it to become a habit; besides, I tend to eat less when I actually see how many calories I'm consuming. So look for another boring update in another four weeks--hopefully, we'll both see even better results!

P.S. If you're worried about me taking time out of my precious twelve hours left until I show up with a draft of my portfolio piece at my prof's office--and probably not getting that book chapter in today (at least in a form any different from what it was when I graduated my master's program)--you don't have to worry. I wrote this last Friday and just waited to weigh myself until this morning. It only took a few minutes to update--a few minutes I desperately needed away from Vygotsky, Leont'ev, Engestrom, and Russell and their theories of activity (by the way--Russell happens to be the prof I'm meeting with this evening). But I will take an hour and a half to lift weights (and walk, and drive there)!