Time to Start Running

The diet I chose for myself was a simple two part one.  Step one, note all of my food and exercise everyday.  Step two, try to run as big of a calorie deficit as I can, up to 1,000 a day.  I have been eating very reasonably, and I'm sure I'm running a calorie deficit, but I've been failing at step one.  The fact is, I'm sure I would be running a higher deficit if I was noting it.  I'm not ready to pull myself out of that rut, but I have been trying to at least get into some healthy habits.

For starters, I bought a new branded coffee tumbler.  A popular local coffee chain just switched from vanilla flavored syrup to syrup made with vanilla extract.  Turns out the calories don't change, but the flavor very much does.  That and using it to make tea is a habit I should get into.  Both are relatively cheap, and very low in calories.

So far it's been working out.  The problem with my last tumbler was that it was easy to keep clean if you rinsed it everyday, but that was never going to happen.  The internal workings of the spout were impossible to clean if you let them get dirty.

Then I found the Little Tokyo on my way to work serves grilled chicken with rice and vegetables for $5.50, if you are a frequent customer.  Needless to say, I am now.  I love their chili garlic sauce.

Then there is exercise.  Now I have started doing twenty push-ups when I wake up most days, and I am working on making that everyday.  But I do know that even if I make that everyday, it will not have a big affect on my weight.  Maybe someday I'll make it to 100 everyday.  The funny thing is, I bought myself a pair of three pound ankle weights that I can barely notice, and they should have a huge affect.  It looks like I shouldn't wear them everyday, because the slight added stress to my ankle joins could add up.

My current commute takes three buses.  I can, and often do when the weather is nice, replace two of them with walking.  It's a lovely two and a half mile walk from my home to downtown Saint Paul, across the river.  It' has been a while since the weather was nice  though.  Then taking a bus the last mile of my commute is just a hassle.  Might as well spend an extra fifteen minutes walking it, which I continued to do all winter.

The other day I told my friend Walter (you may know him) that I intend to start jogging the way home when the weather improves.  He gave me a skeptical glance, probably because people jog at all times of the year.  It's true though.  I can't very well leave home in the winter without a winter coat, and I don't want to lug a winter coat in a backpack while jogging.  Maybe once I become an old hand at jogging, I will know my limits, and figure out how I can jog in the winter, but I'm still getting started.

Then disaster struck.  It was so nice today that I gladly walked that three and a half mile journey, and with no winter coat.  It was lovely.  But now I'll have to start putting my money where my mouth is.