Resolution Review

Resolved: to weight myself in February, for the first time in 2005
Results: 153 lbs. on 2/15/05

Commentary: My previous weigh-in was in mid-December for Weight Watchers at 157 lbs. The current weight was taken on a Tanita scale at the gym. I am a bit suspicious of this scale and am tempted to pay $11 to get myself weighed on the WW scale. The reason: my clothes feel exactly the same as they did two months ago. Next weigh-in: 3/15/05.

Resolved: to complete a January 5K race
Results: 5k planned this weekend

Commentary: a bit behind schedule, but a lot of the 5k's in my city take place in the northern exburbs which do not have frequent bus service. This weekend's 5k at a local park will involve 2 buses and one bike ride to reach. Am hoping to improve on my previous time of 35:04.

Resolved: join local running club
Results: completed, sort-of

Commentary: by hiring my coach (see previous entry) I am now technically a member of the running club, even though coach has said I am not fast enough yet to actually run with the club. On our second meeting last Friday, however, I did run 4 miles without too much trouble, which just goes to prove the point Richard and a few others made in their comments, that I've been in a running rut and am probably capable of more that I realize. Thanks guys!

Resolved: continue weekly weight training, but change up routine to maintain interest.
Results: ongoing

Commentary: I've been sticking to the same full-body routine though I have upped the weights from anywhere between 3 - 15 lbs depending on the exercise. I have a sneaking suspicion I am actually lifting too light. I also am almost positive that my squat form is crap. Am waiting on an Interlibrary loan book Margaret recommended to start some new exercises and improve my form. However, I am apparently committed to this weight training shtick. Case in point: I was supposed to go the gym last night but opted instead for a bike ride to enjoy some rare blue skies. And then -- in a startling bit of out of character behavior -- I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning to bus to the gym to make up the workout. (As a side note, I observed two interesting, if practical, forms of behavior this morning: a woman spraying the soles of her feet with deodorant and the same woman using two blow dryers simultaneously to dry her hair.)

Resolved: take Salsa class
Results: completed, final class on 2/14

Commentary: the next step, of course, is to actually get up the gumption to dance socially. This will be quite a step because -- have I mentioned this before? -- I have lots of social insecurities, what I think of as a form of performance anxiety. If I go out salsa dancing to a club I fear I will drink too much in order to calm the f*ck down or hide in the bathroom all night. At least now I know some people who might actually be interested in practicing their salsa.

Resolved: eat smaller portions, pay attention to satiety, eat slower, stop when full
Results: meh

Commentary: certainly the most neglected of my goals. I am a mindless eater, and eat what's put in front of me. I want to be careful with this one, though, because those three months of WW showed me how easily obsessed and cranky I can get about food, so I'm not going to beat myself up too much about the progress of this goal even as I will strive to pay better attention.

Resolved: moratorium on diet books
Results: done!

Commentary: doing this really helped my mental health, truly. The information overload was making me hyperventilate.

Resolved: perform one charitable activity per month
Results: easier said than done

Commentary: I did the Amnesty International campaign for December and that was all. I did recently however pack a big box of used VHS tapes and audiocassettes I've been hoarding since high school and will be sending them off to GreenDisk for recycling.

Resolved: Cancel television service for 30 days.
Results: ohmygodohmygod

Commentary: as soon as Project Runway finishes its season on 2/23 I'm calling the television company and cutting myself off. In a pre-emptive strike this week, I literally put about 20 DVDs on hold at the library, as if turning off my TV were akin to some kind of nuclear winter requiring the stockpiling of resources. Am very curious to see how this experiment turns out.