breakin' the rules and posting about my life. :)

So I came back to WA after being in SD for Christmas weighing a solid 5 pounds more than I did when I left for break.  No regrets - my mother's cooking is the best and I had resolved to enjoy life and "let myself go" for the three weeks I was home.  

It's nice to be back "on track" though.  In fact, I'm more on track than I think I've ever been.  My family is going on vacation next weekend, and I wanted to lose at least some of the weight I need to lose before the vacation.  My sister and I embarked on a challenge to see who could get to 135 first.  Unfortunately she had a huge advantage because I weighed 5 pounds more than her starting out.  She's already to her goal.  I'm still languishing at 143. 

I've discovered so much through this process of intentional weight loss, though.  I thought I'd share:

1) I may be more obsessive than most about weight...which might not be so healthy.  

2) It's so much more fun to lose weight when I'm doing it the right way.  I have been eating 3-4 HEALTHY meals a day (fruits and vegetables and whole grains and all that good stuff), trying to consume more water instead of calorie filled crap (although I haven't given up coffee or milk or my chai latte mix by any means).  I have also been running!  I ran four times this past week - 20 minute runs each time.  Nothing too crazy, but I'm pretty out of shape so it'll take me some time to regain my cardio fitness.  

Life is so good when I'm concentrating on living healthily.  Although it's about the scale at the moment because of my competitive nature, I have discovered that living a life characterized by self-control isn't so bad.  I even have been getting up before 10 am pretty much every day.  

I am considering where I want to take this running thing.  It's definitely something I want to maintain, although I refuse to commit to it, because if I do, I'll try to systematize it, and I'll fail, and then I'll stop running entirely.  So for now I just run when I want to.  Maybe it'll turn into something more official someday soon. :)

My long term goals for 2012?
Get under 130 pounds (this may be a stretch, and I'm not going to push it, but if it happens, it'd be wonderful. I would at least like to work in that direction and maintain a reasonably healthy diet).  After all, I'm getting old.  (it's funny how my priorities change as I enter my mid twenties...)  I'm no longer a kid, that's for sure. :)

Run.  make running a lifestyle.  Something I do for fun.  (Remember the feeling after you get back from a run when it gets hard, Marilee)

Get my masters degree in history. :D

Go to Germany (I hope I hope I hope)!

Get a job.

Live life. :)