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January 02, 2007
Dieting Naked
As titillating--or dare I say, sal(ly)acious--as the entry title sounds, I can't take credit for the concept. I don't even know for sure who actually said it first. I only know that I read about it while following the story of a woman who was finally tired enough of being out of shape that she decided to do something about it.
She realized, as many people have lately, that one of the best motivators for life changes is to tell other people about your plans. Then you're held accountable. It makes sense, in a twisted but very human sort of way. After all, it raises the stakes. Suddenly, the humiliation of failing will be far, far greater than if no one knew you were trying. And so I have decided to begin that process myself.
You see, in September, I will be forty. For. Ty. Apparently getting into shape after that is seven hundred times harder than it was before. No, I don't know why, I only know that's what people say. And because it's a big birthday, I'd like to do something good for myself. Really good for myself. So I vow, here and now, that by my fortieth birthday, I intend to lose two dress sizes and be capable of running two miles without barfing.
Plus, I want a last shot at actually working again before my industry decides I'm too old to hire anymore except in eccentric old lady parts.
To accomplish that goal, I'm doing three things:
1) I'm following David into the portion control/eating healthier lifestyle. It's going to be hard, really hard, when life gets so busy I don't have time for grocery shopping, but I'm going to do it anyway. (I actually started last semester, and have more or less kept it up, except for the almost inevitable holiday pig-fests and occasional descents into self-pitying binges. Next year, I'm not going to indulge. Or at least not so freely.)
2) I'm following Cool Running's Couch-to-5K training program beginning next week. (I have to get access to the gym again first.) I've already worked it into my class schedule, along with time to walk to school on non-running days. Once I get this stuff figured out, I'm also going to try to work in yoga again, but I'm taking baby steps.
Plus, I've always loved running. It's my very, very favorite physical activity. One I hated giving up with all of the knee and lower back problems, which have mostly been solved or at least figured out now. I'm champing at the bit to get back into it.
3) I'm dieting naked, which involves telling you-all how much I weigh, what my sizes are and (gulp) providing pictures of my progress. Not naked pictures (it's emotional nakedness we're after, not the gruesome, physical reality). Fully clothed pictures, but they'll provide virtual evidence of my fitness claims.
So every Friday, I'll be weighing myself and providing that number, clothing sizes and photographic evidence, plus updates on the whole running/fitness thing. Why not do that today, you ask? Because
a) I have way too much to do today already (including a visit to the dentist, ugh), and
b) Once classes start, Fridays will be the days I have time to do all this weighing and measuring stuff. So I'm choosing to begin as I mean to continue.
As a good faith effort, however, I will take the first step today. Currently, I wear a size 14 jean & dress and depending on the brand (i.e. whether they use true sizes or make shit smaller to drive women crazy) a Med or a Large. By mid-September, I fully intend to wear a size 10. That being the case, I probably shouldn't have just blown a couple hundred dollars on clothes, but many of those should still look okay on the healthier me.
That's the plan, anyway
Posted by sally at January 2, 2007 08:07 PM
Comments
How tall are you?
You should remember to include measurements because you could be a different size yet weigh not much less, the measurements make the difference.
I am with ya all the way, baby. I plan to unveil my master diet and excersize plan mid January so I will be with you in no time. I can email you over the misery of losing my dear friend Mr. Mozarella stick. But it is an abusive relationship (trans fats! damn you!) so I must move on. More than the weight loss thing the run two miles thing is where the super goodness will come from. Here is to a healthy Sally! And oh my gracious, a new, warmer template too. My you are all about the changes aren't you?
Happy 2007
Posted by: Desiree` at January 3, 2007 12:08 PM
I'm 5'8". So a 14 doesn't look as heavy on me as it would on, say, someone who's 5'4". I'm not planning to include measurements except for clothing sizes simply because it would be a pain in the ass to make Dave measure me weekly. But I do fully intend to include the clothing sizes.
And I am so looking forward to the running.
I've been meaning to change the template for a while. The cooler colors have never been "me." This is much, much closer to who I really am. (Though I have now discovered that the individual pages and archives are still Emotionally Distant Blue. I need to fix that.)
Posted by: Sallyacious at January 3, 2007 12:58 PM
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