Still Here and Workin' the Program!

Wow, it's been 4 days since I've blogged here!??! Well, things have been happening on the exercise and diet front, for sure, and it's been taking some extra focus and energy. Most nights this week, I've been in bed by 9 or 9:15, with lights out soon after. I feel like it's going to pay off, so I'm excited about it all.

I'm still working with the running coach, who added something new to my plan earlier this week: adding incline to my treadmill runs. Wow, I felt THAT later! :)

Also this week, I had my second appointment with a bariatric physician, who has put me on a low carb diet. Yes, you read correctly, me, a runner wannabe, on a low carb diet! I was about to start the program afte Tuesday afternoon's appointment, cutting my carbs pretty drastically, staying away from sugar and flour, among other things. So far, I'm seeing encouraging progress on my home scales, partly because I'm peeing alot, I'm sure! (Sorry for the TMI!) I'm glad I have a mini-support system already, in Michelle from the gym, and Shauna, whom I met at the doctor's office on Tuesday (we were in the same group session and really hit it off!). I'm using Fitday.com to track my weight, and am happy to report that I'm already skinnier than I was on New Year's Day. (Time to dial back the years now!)

One of the things that will be checked each time I return to this doctor is my body mass--fat vs. muscle. That'll be one of the coolest things to follow, I expect, since I'm really working on my running and have added some strength training.

My running coach seems a bit skeptical about my doing a low carb diet, so I made sure to tell the doctor that I'm working on my running. Low carb is NOT the popular endurance athlete diet, but carrying around extra weight doesn't help with running either! Time and experience will tell how I'm able to merge the two.

Meanwhile, I'm the team captain of the Bookworms, a group of library employees I got together to take part in a 12-week health incentive program offered by my employer. There are 11 of us in all, covering two library buildings on two sides of campus. This is the second week, and so far, we're doing well. It's taking a little more time than I imagined, but it's been fun! We each work on one to three goals, with the choices of weight loss, pedometer steps and exercise minutes. I chose to work on all three, of course! This is my first time working with a pedometer, and it's been really interesting and enlightening tracking my daily steps.

Okay, I'm about to start snoring here at the computer. It's probably a combo of a challening week at work, the new diet, and workouts that have been kicking my butt. Back soon!