renewed determination

Today was The Monkey's first day of training with Verizon. I have to admit I missed him a lot. I have really enjoyed the past seven month 'vacation' together. I can't say I ever really felt like I needed a break from him. I just enjoy spending so much time together. Time apart like this is weird. The only long days we've ever spent apart we were both working. Now I find myself with this large chunk of time to occupy. I'll admit it's a little strange and part of me almost wants to go back to work. Almost. So I'll have to settle for spending more time with my sister and Madison. And, of course, I'll be walking every day from 11:00 to 12:00 with my friend, B. We walked today and it not only felt good, it was nice to just talk to somebody for an hour that I'm not related to. :-P B and I used to be very close when we were both working for Unicel. Then I got fired. We stayed very close for about the first six-ish months after and then it seems like we just sort of drifted apart. It's not really surprising to me. We have very little in common with one another. She's lost a LOT of weight in the past year and I've pretty much just gained it. So she's helping me to get motivated. I'm going to start with the afternoon walks with her and then, once I'm a little more 'conditioned' to exercise, I'm going to start walking in the evenings, too. My sister also said she is going to buy Wii Fit! So that'll be another thing to do.

I'm really determined to get this weight off. Even if I can't get down to 140 like I'd love to be, I'll settle for getting back into some of my old 14s for now. I am happy to report that I am able to get back into some jeans that I'd grown out of this summer during my [seemingly] endless depression. I took my measurements yesterday (thighs, biceps, chest, waist, and hips). I was (and wasn't) shocked that I've gained TEN whole inches since March 2003. Talk about a bitter dose of reality. In light of this news I have resolved to eat better. I can't exactly 'diet' while living with my sister. It's hard to tell the people that are letting you live with them for free that they can't eat something you bought. It seems kind of, well, rude. So I just bought stuff that I like that I know won't get eaten. Like Activia Yogurt and V8 juice and whole wheat bread. Tonight we're having chicken salad sandwiches for supper. I also tried that Special K Protein Water and found it to be quite good, actually. So I think I'll buy some of the packets so I can have a protein water when I'm feeling hungry or have the urge to snack.

Hopefully I will notice a difference in my clothes and weight in about a month. We shall see.