500 a day

So, I'm in this class on multiple imputation in Stata today (yesterday was part I), and it's a little slow. I have a hard time with these computer-based classes because I'm always fast to catch on, but I still take them because I need that initial information on how to get started. So now I feel like I know how to use these commands, but I'm also more convinced than ever that they're more trouble than they're worth and that it's just better to do complete cases analysis.

Anyway...

Recently I had the humiliating experience of applying for life insurance. It wouldn't have been so bad, but it forced me to deal with the fact that I am TOO FAT, and it also maybe let someone else in on that secret, and I had managed for a while to keep that person in the dark much to his ongoing unfulfilled curiosity. So the current goal is to reverse the curse and lose a pound a week, which works out to a 500 calorie deficit a day, which is actually fairly decent.

Mapping out how long it will take me to reach certain goals is a little disheartening, but I'm just trying to think about it like I think about money. It's also a little disheartening to see how long it will take to get to our liquid savings goals, pay off students loans, be able to deck out the house the way we want while keeping up with maintenance, etc., but it's not like there is a realistically faster way to do it, and giving up because of that won't get you there any faster. Having some discipline makes a notable dent in these goals.

Likewise, the last week or so, having some discipline to get to 500 has made a measurable dent. 500 is a very manageable amount. It's pretty easy to get 250 calories worth of exercise in, and it's pretty trivial to cut 250 calories out of food intake. It's also small enough that considering temptations provide a very clear visual of a huge chunk of that 500 getting knocked out.

In terms of exercise, I generally manage to get up early 2-3 times per week to sleepwalk on the elliptical bike. I got a power adapter for it so that it can kick my ass in a variety of exciting ways, and now it also plays my iPod. I turn out the lights and drowse out to whatever music floats my boat that particular day, and as the resistance increases, I just go slower and pretend that I'm swimming through increasingly-dense goo. I probably look insane, which is why I need an elliptical in the safety of my home. Once the half hour is over, I'm relatively awake. It's light outside by the time I'm done, although that will be decreasingly the case. It's not a bad start to the day, but I don't think it provides me with a notable boost of energy throughout the day.

But I only get up early if I get to bed early enough (and don't have to leave early to go downtown, like I had to today and yesterday) because, let's face it, sleep is more important than exercise in the morning. There is a clear dose-response relationship between sleep and energy/happiness for me.

On the weekend, there is lots to do around the house. Two weekends ago I sawed a tree branch into firewood, clipped some bushes, and weeded a flower bed. Last weekend I scraped paint. I find this sort of physical activity to be very pleasing because there is obvious visual accomplishment.

I also like walking with Joey after dinner, although this only seems to happen in fits and starts when the weather is nice. There is the complication of dinner digestion that makes the timing less than optimal, but moving around in the evening is easiest because body temperature is highest that time of day.

Foodwise I'm just trying to 1) bring lunch and not be an idiot if I happen to get lunch from the cafeteria; 2) reduce alcohol consumption; 3) reduce nighttime chocolate milk consumption to not every night; 4) not eat things that don't excite me just because they're in front of me, especially lousy bread products.

We'll see how it goes.