How you doin'?

I had intended to post more quickly after my last post, but got swept up in things that didn't involve sitting in front of my computer.  Shocking, I know.  But here I am, back in front of my computer like the good nerd girl I sometimes pretend to be.

I've been feeling pretty good lately!  On Monday I got to work and had a student tell me I looked "springy," to which I quickly replied "I feel springy" with a big smile.  I have been a little bit tired when I stay up too late reading, yes.  A little sneezy now that my allergies are kicking in again, yes.  But overall, I've been feeling more capable, more accomplished, and more upbeat than I remember feeling so constantly in a very, very long time.  Yes, it could be partly attributed to the lovely spring weather Northern Colorado has enjoyed over the past week, but I think it's more due to my continued efforts to be healthier.

I've been walking for at least 20 minutes on the treadmill nearly every day.  I've started stretching and doing a small amount of yoga and meditation in the mornings, right after getting up. And I've been keeping track of my food intake more carefully using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone (that's not to say that I always stay below my target caloric intake) and keeping well hydrated.  And, about two weeks ago I hit a new (recent) low for my weight.  Since then I've bounced up a bit but I'm getting back into the groove of healthy habits and the scale is reflecting that.  Since I've gotten better about recording and tracking everything over the past 6 weeks, I've lost about 6 pounds.  Over the past year, since I started paying attention and recording, I've lost 20 pounds.  Probably closer to 25, though, from my all-time high weight.  I didn't have the heart to step on a scale till after I noticed that my clothes were getting -- not loose, exactly, but less tight.

I've started feeling not only healthier and more vibrant, but actually proud of myself and my hard work and my accomplishments.  This is something new for me -- I'm rarely proud of myself outside of the classroom.  But it's true!  I've gotten so confident that I've started to venture out of my well-worn rut by actually applying to the University of Northern Colorado to begin in the fall.  I've even nearly finished my taxes and FAFSA!  And, to top it all off, I've even been flirting a little bit with a couple of the attractive men I see at work on a regular basis.  So unlike me!

This has all gotten me wondering about everybody else -- about you!  Wondering what your New Year resolutions were and whether you're still working toward them or not.  Most of us in the Western world resolve to lose weight or work out or just get healthier.  However, according to this infographic (I have no idea how accurate it is, really) by this time of year nearly half have given up!  Usually, I'm one of them,  but last year was sort of the end of my road.  I could see the health effects already beginning and didn't have any confidence to go out and meet people -- dooming myself to the depressing cycle of loneliness and emotional eating.  No more of that for me, at least not in the long term!  Sure, I know that I'll have weak times because, frankly, sometimes life sucks and gets the better of you.  But I know that I can do better and that's always good motivation.

So let me know how you're doing!  I want to know about your resolutions and whether you're still working toward them.  Be honest, too -- I'm not here to judge you, I'm just curious.  Consider this an informal poll to  verify or debunk the statistics suggested by the creator of this infographic.  Please feel free to share your experiences, advice, and stories of success and/or failure.  It's all valuable!