Day 1

I love the TV show "The Biggest Loser." Yes, it can be frustrating (I still get angry when I think of them running marathons with only two months of training). But I watch it because I can relate to the struggles many of the contestants have faced. I get inspired by the workouts. I cry at almost every episode.

But I don't watch the show when I'm feeling bad about my weight. If I'm overeating and not exercising, the shows remain taped but unwatched. It makes me feel too guilty if I watch people drop pounds as I sit on the couch and stuff my face.

So I didn't watch last season's finale until today. Sad, huh? That means I pretty much never even tried to lose weight or eat right all of December and for most of November.

That's my embarrassing admission for the day.

I went running today, and it was pretty much a disaster. I was still coughing from being sick, and my shin started hurting at mile 2 so I had to walk a lot. The shin problem is a good sign I am #1 too big and #2 out of shape. I "ran" 6 miles on Sunday, so it could also be that I'm doing too much too soon.

After my run, I went home and watched the finale of "The Biggest Loser" and did some weights and crunches as I watched. There's nothing more inspiring than watching people turn into twigs right before your eyes.

On the food front, the eating has gone fine today, and I've been sure to drink plenty of water. I'm looking forward to a trip to Target tomorrow where the Weight Watchers frozen meals are on sale for less than $2 a piece.

Now for a little good news that I hope will inspire me in 2010:

According to my calculations on logyourrun.com, I ran (and by "ran" I mean "ran/walked") 632 miles last year. There were months (June, September), when the tally was more than 70 miles. And then there was sad December, when I only ran 10. But it was pretty cool to see that and realize how much I accomplished. While I tend to focus on my failures, I can't deny that there were some successes as well.

Thanks to you all for caring enough to read this and for picking me up when I fall. I'm blessed beyond measure.