Back in the Swing

The past two weeks have been a little bit hectic, and now I can finally sit down, take a breath and write a little.  We had our family Easter celebration here at the house last Sunday because of some scheduling issues.  It was a beautiful day, and only got tense, uncomfortable and hostile right at the end.  That's something of a victory for my family.  Although to be honest, when it finally fell apart, it was in fairly spectacular fashion.  I had spent the week and a half leading up to the event in a frenzy of finishing up yard work, cleaning, and cooking/baking.  I did not spend too much time on myself or my plan focus.  However, although most of my activity was in the form of outdoor and indoor housework rather than weights and cardio, I did manage to keep my eating fairly on track.  Until the weekend.  I went on a 3-day bender of sorts - not as bad as it once would have been, but definitely not good. 

  After the weekend was over, I got myself back on track food-wise.  I couldn't believe how much better I felt once I stopped eating crap. And even though I was disappointed in myself for letting myself lose control, I decided to own up to it, hold myself accountable and move on.  I broke my number one rule and lost sight of my bigger goals for the sake of temporary indulgence.  And I firmly believe that the occasional indulgence is a good thing, I was eating stuff I wasn't even enjoying that much.  I've been trying to spend the last few days really looking at my behavior and trying to understand its root causes, and while I haven't come up with anything rock solid yet, I do feel that I've learned some good lessons.

   Then on Tuesday I started my new Tai Chi class.  It was challenging, and a little tough on the knees.  But I think in a good way, as it focused on the kinds of movements that I feel will help get me stronger.  I really look forward to the time when the movements come more naturally, and I can achieve the kind of flow that the instructor has (or at least a reasonable proximity, as she has been studying for a long time).  It was very soothing, but still a good workout!  A nice woman that I met at that class told me about a Line Dancing class the next day, so I went home and signed up for that one too!  I caught on to most of the moves pretty quickly, and that class was definitely a workout!  Of course, I've had "Achey Breaky Heart" stuck in my head since Wednesday, but it's a small price to pay for such a fun time!

  So I'm feeling good - routine is pretty much back to normal, and the basic frenetic activity has settled down.  I have a plan to make this week very productive in terms of activity and food choice, and feel positive about my attitude.  My focus this week will be on activity - getting at least 30 minutes in every day, in varying forms - and achieving 60 minutes at least 3 times this week.  That should be easily achievable, since I have 50 minute classes twice a week, and preface each with 10 minutes on the bike to warm up my knees. 

  Sorry this has been a bit of a ramble - next time I won't wait so long between posts, so that my focus can be a little sharper!