Fighting Fear

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In the last couple of weeks, I've started to realize just how much fear has been holding me back. In my weight loss, in my career, in my relationships...in my life in general. Last night I earned my orange belt in Muy Thai kickboxing. For two weeks I fretted about not being able to remember the … [Read more...]

Eat More to Lose More?

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Is there anything more infuriating than stepping on the scale after what you thought was a perfect week on your diet and exercise plan...only to see the number move in the wrong direction? On the other hand, how do you react when you end up dining out four nights in a row, weigh-in in the following … [Read more...]

Committing to New Habits

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We're less than three weeks into the new year. Raise your hand if you're already struggling to stick to your resolutions, and find yourself slipping back into some old habits. (Me me me)! The good news? I've already started accomplishing at least some of my goals for this year: I've found a new … [Read more...]

2011 Resolutions

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#1. To blog more. Okay, so beyond my genuine promises to spend more time writing on this blog (and to update that two-year-old banner photo of myself once and for all), I've assembled a list of ambitious -- yet, I think, still realistic -- health and fitness goals for this year. I recently posted … [Read more...]

Redefining Myself

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Over the weekend, I took the first of three trial classes of Muay Thai kickboxing at a local karate studio. I've been looking for ways to shake things up for quite some time -- not only in an effort to get the scale to budge, but also to ensure that I never get bored enough with my … [Read more...]

Fitness for Dummies

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Recently I took advantage of a free personal training session being offered by a popular gym chain.  Though I've been working out 5-6 times per week for more than two years now, I've always been a solo act.  I began my weight loss journey by participating in group classes like kickboxing, step … [Read more...]

Why This Time’s Different

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I have been on many, many diets in my life.  Whether in the form of Slim Fast shakes or "magic" fat-burning teas and pills, I've been dieting for as long as I can remember.  In all of my previous battles of the bulge, I'd somehow manage to drop enough weight to shrink a dress size or two, only to … [Read more...]

Throwing in the Towel

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Lately, my Weight Watchers leader has been pressuring me to declare myself at "goal." This wouldn't be such a bad thing - in fact, I might just take it as a compliment - if she weren't telling me this as though she has no faith in me and my ability to reach my initial weight loss goal. Allow me to … [Read more...]

WANTED: Running Songs

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"I wonder if this would be good for running..." Anyone who has ridden in a car with me in the past, say, 12 months has heard me say that at least three dozen times.  Any song I hear on the radio that has even a slight upbeat tempo catches my attention. I imagine my legs striding forward in sync to … [Read more...]

Too much exercise?

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Even though I eat well and work out at least 5 times a week, for the past several months I've seen nothing but small losses on the scale as reward for my hard work: .6 lbs here, .4 lbs there, with a full pound loss thrown in every now and then for good measure. When my body first began … [Read more...]