It was a quiet day indeed. I was being all productive and stuff. I decorated the Christmas tree, did laundry, and other house stuff.

AND I embarked on a new exercise plan. My energy levels are at a new all time low, and my weight at near an all time high. I've gained 11 pounds since Mom died. All I have wanted to do was eat or lay around. Just exhausted. I have a park immediately across the street with a 1/4 mile track. Every single hour on the hour I am walking my fat ass over to the park and walking one loop with the dog. 5 minutes. No excuses. Always have 5 minutes. I did this 11 times yesterday for 2-3/4 miles. And I had more energy and got a bunch of stuff done in between. Zoe also endorses this plan.

Good for you, Laura! Getting that routine going is so difficult and so important.

Zen, glad you had a nice, restful weekend.

I have completely fallen out of my fairly new walking routine. With going to PT across town twice a week and then just being plain busy the rest of the time, going for a walk or heading to the rec center just hasn't happened for a couple of weeks. That CAN"T continue. The only good walk I've gotten in lately was when I was in SLC and I hit the hotel gym.

The distance from my house to the corner is 1/4 mile (so, roundtrip to the corner and back is 1/2 mile). There's no reason I can't zip outside and walk that at least a few times a day. But I don't. I really should get motivated.

I really should get motivated.

Might need a reward system. Can you place a taco at the end of the block? No, that's counter productive...

I was struggling for motivation (and put on a bunch of weight after I stopped playing soccer). I got a fitbit and started a new diet. I've dropped a bit of weight and I'm competing against friends via fitbit to do the 10,000 steps per day thing. I hear you about motivation, it was a bear to actually get going again. It has been easier to keep going once I got started.

It has been easier to keep going once I got started.

What's the rule of thumb? It takes three weeks to establish a new habit?

The best I can do on a daily basis is park at the opposite end of the lot from the elevators, and schedule my meetings in the farthest conference rooms. But it's not really enough.

Once the office takes away our delivery vouchers and puts us on cafeteria food, it'll be easier to stick to a diet because the unhealthy options won't be as tempting.

It takes three weeks to establish a new habit?

I wish. Or at least for me that didn't "take". I did great for a couple of months, then my back started hurting when I walked so I've been going to PT. PT made me discover how completely out of shape I am as the wrong muscle groups have been supporting me and now that I'm asking the right muscle groups to do their job, they aren't strong enough and, boom, pain. So, in working on building those muscles back up, I just haven't had the time or motivation to do the initial work that started this mess.

tl;dr - I let pain and PT knock me off my routine. I'm doing better so I need to start over.

Suzi is me. I can go far beyond the three weeks and then suddenly lose a good habit. I can't stand how out of shape I am, but I also don't have the energy or motivation to do anything about it.