Loving tea lately

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Including Montana Gold loose tea (in my new ingenuiTEA!) and Good Earth original. SOOOOO Yummy! =D

Reflections on the aught years

From Christmas in Texas with Bitikofers

Well, looking back over the 2000's, I realized a few things. First, I am getting older. I am 30 now, and that means I'm just not as young and energetic as I used to be. I'm not old and crippled or anything, but my body does take longer to adjust to new things. Second, I realized that I put on the extra weight I've been carrying around 10 years ago. 10 years!!! That is way too long for this weight to be hanging around, so I am ready to be rid of it. Third, over the past 10 years, I have tried a few times to lose weight, and twice I have lost about 15 lbs. Both times it came as a result of watching my calories, and with regular exercise.

I don't think I can lose 30 lbs in the blink of an eye, but I would like to work toward it this year. I also know that it won't happen as quickly as it did 7 years ago, and it will take me a while to form good habits, meaning that I will slip up more than I used to! I have more distractions now (including a beautiful 3 year old!) but I also have a clearer sense of who I am and what my personal pitfalls are. Hopefully that knowledge will translate into wisdom and I will be able to conquer this weight this year!!

To that end, I have been trying to set up regular times to exercise, both at home and outside. I have also joined a gym now and gone a couple times. They have an hour each day that I can take Eliana, and she seems to like it. I am also continuing Aerial Dance, and auditioned on Sunday for a performance in June, and I was selected as one of the participants for an Aerial Dance trio! I am very excited about the opportunity to perform, and it means that I get to add another day of Aerial Dance to my week! At the gym I have started lifting weights, and I have been trying to walk on my treadmill as I make calls each week. I am hoping all of this will help me become a happier, healthier me!

I have not done as well with the eating, but that is coming along. I'm hoping to go back to tracking calories at some point, but right now I am overwhelmed by the idea, so I am starting by avoiding sugar and trying to make healthy choices for snacks, including veggies and fruits. I am trying to make better meals for my family, too, including using fewer processed foods. Fresh fruits and veggies, more natural ingredients. So far it's going well, but it definitely takes a little more work!

So... that's where I am these days. I am looking forward to what 2010 brings, and I'm hoping to end the year healthier, happier, and thinner!