However, I don’t have as much energy as I would like and I’m beginning to realize I’m going to get old someday! So I’m rededicating myself to a healthy diet and more exercise. My right shoulder has been acting up the same way my left shoulder did way back in 1998. It took years for my left shoulder to heal. So, I’m incorporating some special shoulder-strengthening exercises into my routine to try to avoid problems. We still go to TKD every week. I can only go on Tuesdays until the end of the semester, and then I can go twice a week. I love TKD and I want to get better at it, so my daily exercise will be practicing all of my patterns, punches, and kicks. I also want to get back into running once I get over the latest cold that burned through my family.

I miss my Middle Eastern dance class, but the schedule conflicts with my Scout meetings. Sad.

The key part of my healthy diet right now is working on making my lunches again. I’ve gotten into the VERY bad habit of eating nothing all day except soy lattes and a Chipotle vegetarian bol with guacamole. It’s not that those foods are inherently bad, but I’m not fueling my body appropriately. My eating out choices are very limited… Chipotle is pretty much it for me, unless I want to eat french fries all the time (and at a lot of places, those are not vegan– I’m looking at you, McDonald’s!)

I’ve ordered some new bento accessories and will start planning a week’s worth of bento meals at a time. Last time I did that, I kept packing foods that needed to be heated to be tasty, but this time, I’m going to pack more foods that can be eaten at room temperature. I’ll incorporate my raging love for avocados into onigiri and veggie rolls, for one thing. If I have the time and energy, I will try to photograph these works of art and post them here.

We’re hoping to do more biking and hiking now that it’s nicer as well.

The other thing I’m trying to do is come up with lightweight dried backpacking meals (vegan) that I can just add water to.

So I generally ignore those messages any more. I try to ignore society’s messages about how I should feel bad about myself. I know now that even if I had lost 20 pounds when I was 140, I still would have been too fat for someone. And frankly, I don’t long to weigh any less than 120, ever. At this point, the low end of my goal range is 125. (The high end is 145. The ultimate goal… I’ll know when I get there.)

I’m not trying to be mean, and I debated about even posting this, but I watched that Posh Spice “reality show” the other day and found it a little painful. I just don’t think it’s hott to have to carefully lower yourself into a seat because your bones will hurt if you drop down too quickly. My beloved dog is that thin and I worry about her constantly (she’s 14.) Yet Posh thinks she’s the hottest thing ever. I resist allowing disordered eaters and body dysmorphics to decide what I should look like.

I’ve definitely gotten to where it’s about health and performance, not looks.

My weight is around 173 and my size is pretty much 14. I can fit into clothes that are sized 12-14. My t-shirts are now easily men’s medium.

Now that I’ve done a week of summer camp, I know better what parts I need to work on to keep up with the boys. I’m working up a regimen of hiking, swimming, biking, and lifting weights. I have to order new hiking boots, since my old Sketchers nearly killed my feet. I’m ordering Garmont Vegan Hikers. I really hope they’re durable enough. If my son wants to earn the hiking badge, he’ll have to go on a 20-mile hike, and I will want to go with him. (He’ll have to do five 5-mile hikes and I think a 10-mile hike first.)

My plan is to do three Cathe weight DVDs a week (alternating Pure Strength and Gym Style), swim twice a week, hike at least twice a week, and bike once a week. I used to be very committed to working out daily, so I hope to get that commitment back. If I don’t plant myself in front of the TV all evening, I actually do have time to exercise.

We went for a hike this weekend. Only about three miles, but I could feel the effects of the uneven terrain in my left hip flexor. Have to make sure I fit in the step workouts. Still, I’m pleasantly surprised at the amount of stamina and energy I have gained just from losing weight and eating better. I can’t wait to see what happens when I fit back in my regular workout schedule!

I have to stop fooling around and start working out again. Losing weight without weight-training leads to saggy skin and a weirdly-shaped body. Plus, I also have to train for Boy Scout camp, which is about two months away. I will embark on a training regimen that includes 2 swims a week, 3 jogs, 4 days of weight-training, and one cross-training day. The weight-training will be Cathe Pure Strength or Gym Styles. I’m also going to fill a backpack full of books and leave it by the door to wear whenever I walk the dogs. I live on a hill, so there’s some hiking training right there. Once my camping backpack gets here, I’ll use that.

The only problem with being at this level of fitness will be that I can already out-hike some of the boys. Sad commentary on kids’ physical fitness any more. What are they supposed to do, though? They aren’t allowed to run and play any more! No running at recess. So, DS11 will be training with me, plus on nice days, I’m going to force him to play outside, even if I have to lock him out. He worries at his weight, which is slightly higher than it should be, but I worry about his fitness. It would be nice if he felt more comfortable in a swimsuit by camp.

Oh, I forgot to say, I ordered a pair of 5.11 pants and a pair of 5.11 shorts for scouts and I deliberately ordered them small, because of the rate at which I’ve been losing weight. Guess what? They fit. The shorts are women’s 12. The good news is, they have elastic waists, so I’ll be able to wear them for a while, probably even when I get into size 10.

The other weird thing is that only one person has spontaneously mentioned my weight loss! I’ve lost 30 pounds, but no one has noticed. I went from size 18 to size 14, and no one has noticed. That’s a bit weird.

More additions. A few entries ago, I talked about the size L t-shirt for Scout Class Bs. I now have a medium which fits fine. The large is… a bit large. Something weird, though, is that I’m afraid to measure myself because I have this fear that the tape will STILL say I have a 35-inch waist. Don’t know when I’ll be ready to measure again.