Week 1 Day 2

Ugh.  Seriously...why does seem Day 2 was harder than Day 1.  Same routine, same amount of running, same amount of walking.  I did it...that's the important thing.  I have such a long way to go on my fitness level but that's alright.  I also did some weights while I was at the gym.  My running program is only 30 minutes so I have time to do some weight training these days too.  It feels really good to be working out again.  I'm hoping it gives me a little jump start to my weight loss too.  1 lb a week is a great pace but I really want to kick some butt this month.  My goal is to not want to kill myself when I have to try on swimsuits in June.  We'll see. 

So who wants to do an "Over/Under" on how many days before the fitness craze of the new year ends?  If I see one more Jenny Craig commercial, I'm going to stab myself in the eye with a pen!  OK...not really but I needed to make a dramatic point.  I read a blog over the holidays (sorry - can't remember which one) that ranted about how everything on TV during the holidays is tempting you to eat, showing you all these yummy, delectable goodies and telling you how it's the time of year to indulge.  They tell you it's OK to eat it because that's how you bond with your families at the holidays, it's how you create memories with your loved ones and how you deserve it because it's been "a rough year for everybody."  Even the shopping networks are willing the ship chocolates, cookies, hors d'voures, steaks, side dishes, etc. right to your door.  You don't even have to get off your couch to have high fat, high carb, not-so-nutritious food delivered and practically spoon fed to your drooling mouth.

Then New Year's comes and BAM!  Now all the shopping networks are selling Tupperware to take your lunch to work and home exercise equipment to collect dust in your bedroom.  Commercials are guilting you into joining gyms and buying healthy frozen entrees.  There's the one commercial where everyone's buttons are popping because they gorged themselves over the silly season.  Another one where a woman has reindeer following her because they think she's Santa Claus because of her big rear end and red coat.  It's demoralizing.  They spend 3 months telling you to eat, eat, eat and then they'll spend the new year chastising you for being weak and overindulgent during the holidays. 

Even the talk shows, morning shows, and news shows are out to get you.  It's been nothing but doctors and personal trainers on TV for the last 2 weeks telling you how unhealthy it is to do this and how much better it is to do that.  They're giving out all their normal advice - If you feel hungry, go clean your house.  We've talked about this before.  The advice for dieting is absurd. As if anyone would rather clean their house than eat ice cream.  Asinine.  I think what I find even funnier is they target people who have just "gained a few lbs over the holidays" but those aren't the people buying.  The people buying are people like you and me who start every year with the hope that this year will be different.  The people who just gained a few lbs will lose those lbs in the first month or so.  They'll just tighten it up a bit and go about their merry way.  But people like you and me will buy into all the hype, absorb all the professional advice, choose a plan and hope against hope that this is the plan that will do what all the other plans failed to do.

So let's take some guesses.  How many more days of being inundated with fitness and nutrition stuff do we have to endure?  We're already on day 13 so start counting from here.

So many years have started with me saying "This is the year I get healthy."  The difference this year?  I mean it.

And I'm already 30% successful.  Ah...the New Year.