Resolved!

This break has been great for getting me back in my running shoes and out on the street. I am feeling the burn, I tell ya. I usually do not walk at all on my runs, but over this week, I’ll admit that I have walked a little. And by a little, I mean less than 1/8 a mile for any given run. While I continued to run during December, it was so little and so irregular that I’m feeling some of those beginner pains- a little burn in my lungs, my hips twinge just a tad, my calves are way tight and I’m sloooow. Today I ran in the 11’s, before that I’ve been in the 10’s per mile. Oh well. What is most important is that I am doing the work. No matter how slow or uncomfortable, I’m still out there slogging through the miles and burning the calories.

My goal was to run 10 miles per week and I did that for week one. I actually beat it- 12 miles. Mwa ha ha!
Today I went to the spa and got a full body exfoliating scrub down. After that, it was a body butter rub down/massage and my skin actually feels like butter. So, so soft. I will have to do this again. But, as I was leaving with my body feeling amazing, I got that overwhelming ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ feeling and just became super determined to get cruising on my weightloss. I would venture to say I’ve not been the greatest at telling myself no this break. I have not eaten enough to have gained 10 pounds in two days (even if that tenner seems ultra determined to stick around… Whatever.), but I have eaten enough to have gained an honest 2-3 pounds. The fudge was delish, the chocolate covered strawberries were the perfect thing for midnight munchies (since I kept them ‘safe’ in my room), and I have eaten my fair share of tofurkey dinner. It’s been a plump holiday, but no more. I’m getting my rear in gear to kill it on the diet bet and get my momentum going in earnest starting today. While I was no angel today (damn you, chocolate covered cashews- I’d better finish them off so they stop tempting me! Sheesh!), each day I have gotten better at curbing my impulses. Tomorrow should be good. Phew. It feels good to be back in control again.
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I’ve decided that my New Years resolution will be working my muscles more consistently and eating with the intent to build lean muscle mass. It sounds weird, I know, but gaining three pounds of muscle means much better ability to control calories for me. Muscle consumes way more calories than fat and having three more pounds of muscle will burn a bajillion more calories every day, which will mean I can eat more and exercise less! Right? I know, I’m so scientific, but the equation is something like that with way more accurate numbers and words.*
To me, that makes for something to shoot for. Plus? I like the way really muscular thighs look on women so I’m gonna chase those. And I would love to plum up my arms to fill the skin in. We will see…
*Scientists speculate that for every three pounds of muscle you build, you increase your resting metabolic rate by about five percent. So if your body burns 1,200 calories per day through your resting metabolism (this doesn’t take into account any exercise or other movement you do during the day), you’d burn an extra 10 to 30 calories per day per extra pound.