Update

Weight - I was doing SO WELL until today. I didn't eat much of anything (due to having a house full of guests for a niece's birthday party) so when they left, I ate a whole pop-can of Pillsbury Crescent rolls...with cheese. I bet I put three pounds on with that stunt. And I had met my 10-pound weight loss for the month. Totally blew it. I will be back on the wagon tomorrow and maybe I'll get rid of that mistake by Wednesday or Thursday. I won't let it discourage me and I won't use it as an excuse to quit. Not this time.

Wednesday is the first of February and I plan on kicking things up a notch by adding a bit of exercise to my plan. I think I'll do 10 minutes on the treadmill/bike before starting my day. Not much, but I don't think jumping in with 30-minute work outs is realistic. 10-minute work outs for two weeks then I'll add another 10 (5 on the bike and 5 on the treadmill) on the 15th. That will give me a 20-minute work out before I start my day. Then in March I'll try adding a walk after work. And I've started accompanying Shawn to the gym every-other Sunday (he can sign me in as a guest twice a month). I thought about joining yoga but decided to hold off on that. I start working 10 hours on Thursdays which is the same day as beginner's yoga and I want to make sure I'm not overly exhausted from the long hours first. But I have a plan!

Financially, I'm not doing as well. I ended up charging about $300 this month - Dan's birthday dinner, a trip to Kohl's and a trip to Wal-Mart. I made just shy of $60,000 last year - the most I've ever made, and I am still struggling to make ends meet. I just don't understand it. I am not nearly as confident with my financial plan as I am with my weight-loss plan.

New Year, New me?

With the ringing in of 2012, I am again forced to reflect on myself. I had an epiphany last week - my issues with food and money are just manifestations of a chaos going on inside me. I've been identifying other manifestations such as the horrid condition of my once-stellar nails and the piles of statements in my office closet (and my office in general). I'm feeling good that as I can identify these manifestations, I can conquer them. I'm off to a good start with my diet and I am not blowing through this paycheck. My nails are primed for repair and I have 'tackle the office closet' as my To Do Action Item for next week (this week's Action Item is to put Christmas away).

I have a long ways to go but I feel good having a plan of action. Tracking my dietary intake and financial outgo, dedicating each week to a different Action Item, and keeping polish on my nails. All steps in the right direction.

I can do this.