So. I have a mixed bag o'blog today.

First of all, I want to trumpet to the heavens my success in working out this week. I actually made it to the gym at 5:00 a.m. for five consecutive days. Hooray! I will admit that yesterday and today were pretty rough, though. Both days there was tremendous temptation to shut off the alarm and go back to bed. But I made it, and I'm pleased with myself. Monday, Wednesday, and this morning I gerbiled on the elliptical machine for thirty minutes and then shut myself in one of the racquetball courts for the other thirty minutes. You wouldn't naturally assume that a game of racquetball against yourself could be much exercise, but when you have as little control over your shots as I do, it really is quite a workout, running all around the court, bouncing off walls and such. I'm sure anyone who walks by thinks it sad that I have no friends to play with (actually I do, but they don't want to get up that early), but heck, it's a pretty good workout, so I'll keep it up. Then Tuesday and Thursday I swam for the hour I was there. Pretty pathetic since I haven't been in the pool since the beginning of last fall, but I haven't drowned yet so that's a good thing. I am totally bushed, though, with all these early mornings. Coupled with my Lenten sacrifice of any and all caffienated beverages, I am one pooped puppy.

But here's the downside to today's entry. Somehow, I've gained weight. When I weighed in the other night, I actually hit 184, the heaviest I've been in about a year. I am beside myself with fury! My scale measures body fat and hydration, both of which have been excellent (as a matter of fact, I believe my body fat is at it's lowest point in this experiment). But although I know academically that the body fat percentage is more important than the actual poundage, it's the pounds that are pissing me off. I'm a solid ten pounds heavier than my lightest weight to date, and that makes me very unhappy. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I'm actually exercising seriously for the first time in probaby six months and am therefore building muscle back up, but it's so incredibly disheartening I could cry. And what makes me more worried is the possibility that it isn't just building muscle. Since I've been exercising at least once every day this week (and a couple times I even made it back to the gym at night), I've been hungrier. I've really had to fight the urge to snack all throughout the day, and I don't think I've been as successful at it as I could be. I think I've been exceeding my self-imposed caloric limit; by how much I can't say because I don't track my eating. It's just a little bit here, and a little bit there, and then a late dinner because we've gone to the gym and *POOF* I'm back in the mid-180's. I'm really going to try to cut back on my snacking at work. I need to find some low calorie snacks that really are very filling. So far microwave popcorn seems to be the best bet. Anybody out there have any suggestions?

Well, I'm going to give it another week. I plan to try and make it to the gym every morning next week as well, along with any evenings I can squeeze into my schedule. I will also really try to check my eating habits. But if the weight remains at the end of next week, well, I really don't know what I'm going to do.