Greetings readers, and welcome to Lent! This is a season in the Christian year that lasts 40 days from Ash Wednesday (yesterday) until Easter (April 8th). Lent is about many things, including contemplation and spiritual renewal. During Lent, many Christians choose to give something up (or take something on) as a spiritual discipline and an act of self-improvement. Its a popular time to try to break a bad habit (smoking, procrastinating, complaining, etc.) or start a good habit (exercising, prayer, eating healthy, etc.).
For the past two years, I've written for a Lenten devotional produced by the Young Adult Council of the United Methodist Church in Baltimore/Washington. This year, the theme of the devotional is Back to Basics. Its about getting back to the basics of the spiritual life: prayer, fasting, scripture, service, sacrament and community. I've been inspired by this theme to get back to some basics in my life: exercise and tracking.
As I've shared on this blog before, I lost 45 pounds in 2003 following the Weight Watchers program. (Click on the Weight Watchers tab at the bottom of my home page to read more.) Since then, I've been maintaining that loss with varying degrees of success. I've never returned to my pre-WW weight, but I have gone up and down several times during the years. Lately, the trend has been up.
When you hit a plateau or start to gain in WW, the leaders often advise you to go back to basics. They encourage you to figure out what actions helped you in the first place and focus on doing those things. For me, the most important "basics" are exercise and tracking. I do well when I exericise regularly and when I write down what I eat. I've been struggling with both those things since starting my new job, and (surprise, surprise) I can see the results on the scale. More importantly, I can feel the results. I have less energy and the physical activities I enjoy (like running) are harder than they were this time last year.
So, this Lent, its back to exercise and tracking. In fact, I am resolving to do both of those things every day for the next 40 days. I have assembled a variety of tools to make things easier (mobile WW apps, gym class schedules, DVDs, and a boyfriend who also wants to exercise more) and I feel ready to go. In fact, I started the exercise resolution a few days early and I already feel better!
39 days to go!
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