Well I Lost All My Recent Photos So This is What You Get!

There are very few pictures of me on this blog, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  

If you read my last post, you know I had a computer crash.  I've pretty much restored everything, but I haven't gotten our recent photos from the Husband's computer yet.  I didn't want to disappoint you all by not including a picture with today's post, so I took one with my webcam.  Which I had to figure out how to do 'cause I rarely use the thing.  On the bright side, I learned something new today.  :-D

So, I finally decided what to do about my "Christmas Blubber" (extra fatness from the holidays) that I was pondering in an earlier post.  I joined a gym.  I know - I've always said I hated exercise.  Well, I guess I hate "dieting" even more.  I know, I know - you're not supposed to "diet" but every time I try to make "lifestyle changes", I can never seem to stick with them long term to maintain any weight loss.  I've already done Weight Watchers a bunch of times, and I've looked into other stuff like the South Beach Diet and HCG diet Austin but I guess the real problem is that I've tried the "eat less" and that's not working, so, let me try exercise.

There is a chain of gyms very near me that offer very inexpensive memberships, and so I asked the Husband if a gym membership could be my Valentine's/Birthday (which isn't 'til April, btw) gift.  He's usually happy to give me whatever I ask for if it saves him the trouble of figuring out what to get me, and then I get exactly what I want, so it's win-win.  :-)

I don't know why, but so far I really, really like going to the gym.  Maybe it's nice to be out of the house?  Or in the "zone" where no one can bother me?  Or in a place with no dog hair to be feeling guilty about cleaning up?  Or it just feels good to be exercising?  Or all of that?  Or something else?  I don't know.

One thing that is GREAT is that there is a digital scale in the locker room and unlike Weight Watchers, where you could go a whole week and then not lose anything at weigh in, it seems that every single time I weigh myself I weigh a little less.  Sometimes it's only by ounces.  But it's LESS.  EVERY TIME.  That makes me feel really encouraged.  I like that!

The only thing is that since I have never belonged to a gym, or seriously exercised before, I really don't know what exactly I should be doing.  I have some vague notions about target heart rates for a cardio workout or a fat-burning workout.  I think if you sweat that means you're working out at a good rate.

For the time being I like to alternate between the treadmill, the elliptical, the recumbent bike and some of the weight machines for my upper body.  I'm sure I should be stretching or breathing or something.

Any tips or advice appreciated!! :-)

The end.