It's been maybe two years now that I've become more health conscious. There were many times I had quit something "cold turkey". That gung ho attitude worked...for about 72 hours. So I decided to take it easy on myself and start making changes slowly. Instead of going from a lethargic life to working out at the gym 6 days a week I decided to pick up running, doing it 3 days a week. It took me all of 2007 to build up a good base and I completed 2 5ks! The first one was a doozy. I had to run/walk the course. It was very hilly and I had trained on flat roads. The second one was a flat course and I ran the whole thing. A little while later I ran 3 miles as a workout. However, this past February I started to feel some bad knee pain and decided to do something else. I've listed my new program in an earlier post.
A few months before I decided to pick up running I started to tweak my foods. I began to read books on nutrition and joined a great health message forum. It all began with the coffee, y'all. I was consuming up to 3 cups a day, on average. In those cups I put in a sweetener and flavored creamer. I decided to quit that cold turkey and I promise I had a headache for 3 days. I didn't drink any coffee for 6 months or so. Once I picked up a part time job at Starbucks, I decided to drink it again, but even now I don't have more than one cup a day. I can go a week without any and feel just fine. That may sound like a small feat, but it was a big deal for me.
Now, around a year and a half ago I began to minimize the amount of red meat I ate, replacing it with ground turkey. I'm eating more fish now and fresh foods. I barely buy anything canned or pre-made. I have found that convenience foods aren't the way to go if one is concerned about their health. For me, it's not all about how I look, but how I feel. I want longevity of life.
I have been recording all my foods (even the stuff I'm not proud of, you know the minimal snacking here and there) through Sparkpeople. See the link to the left for a spin. It really helps me keep track of what I'm doing. If I am not seeing results I can look to past weeks and see what could be the cause.
I am down 3 pounds from last month, so this is encouraging. It doesn't sound like much to some, but I've been at the exact same weight since late 2006. I think I'm definitely getting somewhere, but it's taking a very looooong time.
My goals do not include a huge weight loss. In fact 10 less pounds on my body would be ideal. I do like to workout so I think that's something I'll keep doing even if I don't get those fitness magazine type results. I love to eat healthy food. There's something about it that makes me feel better about myself.
