Week Two: I have a problem.

So, with Week One's relatively successful conclusion, I am moving on to Week Two. I had expected to start with the challenge of exercising every day, because of all the things that bother me, it's the lack of exercise that I think hurts the most. I could chug Coke with less guilt if I exercised regularly, because it would both lower my triglyceride level and work off some of the calories, and um...the resulting saliva overload would decrease tooth decay, so fewer tooth worries! Yeah! And, I could curb my clothing purchases if I didn't think all the clothes I have and love make me look like the Michelin Man, but browner and less energetic. Theoretically, that is. Most importantly, though, I know that regular exercise makes me feel better -- less tired, more alert, and slightly, but measurably, less homicidal. This can only be a good thing for the welfare of my co-workers. And working out on my lunch hour means I have to bring my lunch, which is nearly always better for me and cheaper than going out to eat. There are more reasons to exercise, I suppose -- piddly things like living a longer and healthier life so I can stick around for AJ and Hannah and Peter -- but you get the gist.

Last night, Peter and I went out for a steak dinner (Ruth's Chris. Butter. BUUUTTER. Oh man.) and you know, any weight concerns I have didn't stop me from eating two thirds of a delectably bloody ribeye, mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat, and chugging most of a bottle of Shiraz. But as I was cramming it all in my steakhole, it did cross my mind that it probably never will, unless I am forced to change my eating habits for serious and immediate health reasons, like diabetes. I mean, I know there's heart disease and cancer to worry about, but they're so...not present right now. There's not a big dude wearing a shirt that says "heart disease" coming over and punching me in the face twice a week. But the steak? Totally present. And delicious. More delicious than thinking about the grabber I might have in ten years.

So the easier step for me to take for now is working exercise into the routine. So, what do I know about myself as far as exercise is concerned? I already know I hate going to the gym, but I feel great coming out. I know that I really enjoyed the weekly yoga class I took with my mom a while back, but that I have a spotty record of practicing yoga on my own at home. For a while I was running with a partner at a nearby park, but that sort of petered out after she hurt her ankle, and I never got into going it alone. What this adds up to, I think, is that I do much better with external accountability. A running partner, a class environment, something that makes me think "I'm expected to be in X place doing X right now" motivates me much more than a nagging, "Oh, I should go do the elliptical over my lunch break...but I don't have fresh nutmeg for the soup I wanted to make...so maybe I should just go to the store and I'll absolutely go to the gym tomorrow...yeah..." I guess I could use this blog as accountability, but I have no shame about admitting failure here. The pain would be too brief. Still, I am trying to find a way to make this work. It's important, and I would like it to stick.

As is my wont, though, I have been putting off taking a tour of the NEIU gym, which is five seconds from my office and features a variety of appealing fitness classes. But I WILL call...tomorrow. I swear. In the meantime, I have a problem, and that is that I had alllll childless morning to go running, do yoga, whatever, but instead I nursed a red-wine headache and didn't hang up all the new curtains in the front room like I had intended. And now I have the girl, Peter's gone for the day, and I have a variety of chores that are in my face, plus my mom wants to go to the movies later, and who am I to say no to that? My point is, I blew it already, and I don't know if I can recover the day. If I were considering cheating, and I am, I could just switch challenges to something easier, like the Eat Breakfast Everyday (although it occurs to me now that the two pieces of bacon I had at Mom's probably shouldn't constitute breakfast, and it's 1 in the afternoon...). But I won't. Like I said, this is important. And every day is going to have things that I should do instead. Make it a priority, is the deal. I will find a way to make it happen today, even if it's at 11 at night.