Trimming The Tush

My insane job and long work days have been wreaking havoc on my diet plans. It's all too easy to drive through a fast-food joint or skip exercise in favor of watching the latest episode of 24.

Depressed by my way too tight pants (I'm horribly afraid I'm going to end up with camel toe one of these days), I've been focusing on slowly adding healthy habits one at a time so they're easier to accomplish. This week, I'm focusing on staying within my weekly Weight Watcher Points target, exercising three times a week and eating three fruits and vegetables a day.

I've been doing really well for the past week. Last night, I wanted ice cream more than anything on earth. I was all set to drive through Dairy Queen for a blizzard when I thought about my second-skin pants. Instead, I went to the grocery store and picked up a carton of sugar-free vanilla ice cream and frozen berries. Got a healthier ice cream fix ... and a fruit serving too! I'm also changing my snacking habits - instead of hitting the vending machine at work, I've been eating oranges or salads for snacks. And tonight, instead of doubling my dessert, I did a half hour of yoga.

I'm definitely not perfect...I ended up working late the past two nights and completely skipping the gym. But, who wants to be perfect anyway? I'm still managing my healthy habits for the week. I think next week I'm either exercising one more day or increasing fruits and vegetables. I can't remember. I've created a thorough week-by-week plan complete with rewards.

I found a great website - SparkPeople.com. It's free and has a lot of diet/exercise related articles, a ton of recipes and workout ideas. I've been using it to track what I eat so I can better understand what I'm putting in my body. It shows how much of certain nutrients I'm getting, so I can see if I'm falling short on calcium or fiber. It also shows me what my diet consists of - for example, my diet is actually way too heavy on carbs. I don't get enough fat or protein. So I'm looking for more opportunities to squeeze in some healthy fat and lean meats.

Hopefully, I can get this last 20 lbs off FOREVER. (And for those who say I don't have 20 lbs to lose, you don't have to look at me naked. Since I see myself every morning in the shower, I know exactly what I can lose!)