Who am I??

For the first time in a couple of years, I got out before daylight and did a brisk walk for 40 minutes.  Back in the (leaner) day, I got up and was out running  (jogging), about 5 days out of 7 by 5:30 am.  I was a dialed down version of Helen!  That was when the kids were little, and it was such a great time to get out.  I've always found it intoxicating to be out before the sun comes up, the traffic hasn't started, and it's possible to walk or run in the very middle of even fairly busy roads where the pavement is most level!

I'm not sure what happened, but over time I started gradually moving up the scale, and despite always staying pretty active - the early morning up and out stopped in favor of after work exercise, which was never as earnest or satisfying.  Busyness with kids played a role, though when determined, I managed to find time.  Sporadically.  Some years back, I joined a gym (just before starting this blog) and got into going straight there immediately after I got off work at 2:30.  Lost a chunk of weight that obviously I've found again a couple of times.  Then my work hours were extended to 3:30 about 18 months ago, and when I'd get to the gym, it was a whole different crowd of folks - young, uber fit...and I lost my gym mojo.

Since then I've stayed pretty steady with walking and some exercise dvds, and would consider trying to get back into an early morning schedule of some exercise.  It hasn't happened...partly because I got very involved at a 7 a.m. AA mtg that meets every morning, and more than needing it desperately to stay sober, it's been a great way to start the day with a gathering of friends meeting for a common purpose - laughing our asses off (too bad not literally!) or sharing each others' pain, peace...whatever.

However, I've stepped back from going every day because it makes my mornings kind of crazy, between getting myself ready for work so I could go straight from the meeting, which necessitated having breakfast and lunch ready to go before 6:30.  Not going to the mtg. makes my mornings so much calmer and simple, so I usually only go 2 or 3 days a week.  Enter this morning - a no meeting day.

I didn't plan to do a long aerobic walk last night, but I woke up at 4:30 - threw some veggies in the oven to roast, and got ready to take the dog out.  When we set out down the driveway, I felt extra energetic, awake, and perky(!), and thought to myself that I could actually do a longer walk than the usual.  It just unfolded that I kept making direction choices that led me away from home rather than closer, about 45 minutes later, I was quite sweaty and invigorated, and delighted with myself!

It would be awesome to think I will do this all the time now, but at least I did it today, and I feel so great that I might do it another day.  And I know it wouldn't occur to me to do this if I wasn't inching my way back to a healthier and more purposeful and focused effort at weight loss with logging my food and exercise. 

By the way - I had another totally tracked day yesterday with 200+ calories left in the bag!  I'm working at it for sure, and it feels good.