Thursday, January 17, 2013

Work it, girl, work it

Since my last post, I think I've added about 6000 words to my WIP.  I'm totally guessing, but I think that sounds about right. I'm very happy about that, and I'm very happy about how well I've been sticking to my new routine. 

If you recall my last post, I mentioned that I was going to try to get back to writing 2-3 days a week and working out the same amount of days.  I'm happy to report that in these first 3 weeks of the new year, I've been sticking to that.  I've been really good about squeezing in an hour of writing time a couple weeknights and then more time on the weekends.  It's paying off- I can feel the story starting to wrap itself up.  I'm over 46,000 words as of last night, so while I'm not exactly in the home stretch yet, I'm well over halfway done.

As far as exercising, well, I'm keeping up with that too.  Even when I don't feel like working out, like yesterday for example.  I'd gotten my allergy injections at lunch time (on month 6 of those, only 6 months more to go!), and my left arm had a bad reaction to the shot.  It blew up around the injection site and was incredibly itchy for hours.  Then I started to feel achy.  Sometimes that happens when they up my dosage, I think.  Anyway, the point is, even feeling like poo, I forced myself to hit the elliptical for 35 minutes after work anyway.  I ended up burning off my entire lunch and the granola bar I'd eaten as a snack. By the time I was done, I was a sweaty mess (as per usual- I sweat like no one's business), but I felt so much better!  Who woulda thought?

I'm also trying to watch what I eat during the week.  For someone who has a HUGE sweet tooth and loves junk food, this is not so easy.  But I'm doing it.  I'm eating low calorie lunches and my snacking usually consists of veggies & a little dip or some fruit, no chips or chocolate or random junk.  I'm trying not to get obsessive over it, though.  Because I can totally be obsessive about food these days.  It really is easy to do once you start learning the nutritional information of what you're putting in your body.  How many calories one tiny bag of Cheetos has or one miniscule piece of chocolate.  It adds up SO fast.  And then I start panicking, knowing I'm going way over my calorie goal and there's no way I can burn it all off, etc, etc. 

But I'm not trying to lose weight quickly or anything.  Just trying to be healthier.  And if I want a giant burrito from Qdoba once in a while, that's okay too.  It's good to reward yourself now and then for reaching your goals. Or so I tell myself...

Friday, January 4, 2013

S.A.D.

With the insanity of the holidays over, we now enter that time of year in which I tend to go in to Hibernation Mode.  If I could remain in pajamas and not have to leave my house- like, ever- I would be completely fine with that. 

Sometimes I think I have a hint of Seasonal Affective Disorder. You know, that depression that hits mainly in the winter months due to lack of sun.  Most of the symptoms ring true for me- less energy & ability to concentrate, loss of interest in work and other activities, social withdrawl, weight gain, feeling sluggish, etc. 

To combat it this year, I'm trying to force myself to stick to a strict routine that mainly involves working out at least 2-3 days a week.  I figure the more active I am, the better I'll feel, right?

Of course, today I woke up feeling achy with a sore throat, so I'm not sure I'll be up for the gym tonight.  Sigh.  Already with the excuses.

Anyway, along with taking care of myself physically, I'm also going to start my writing routine back up- at least two week nights and Sundays.  While I was on break from work last week, I wrote shockingly little.  Like, so little that I'm somewhat disgusted with myself.  I had no motivation whatsoever to do anything.  Not only had I planned on getting in some good writing time, I had a bunch of little projects I wanted to do around the house, like cleaning out my desk and the junk drawer in the kitchen, weeding through closets, etc.

I did none of that.

I pretty much stared at the TV watching nothing but garbage (literally, one day I watched a Hoarding: Buried Alive marathon).  I did at least manage to read a little, but even that seemed to take more brain power than I had available. 

Maybe I just needed some good down time, a break from EVERYTHING, but I'm not usually such a slug like that.  This is also why I think SAD may be playing a part.  There's always such a big build up to the holidays, and then it's just...over.  The presents are unwrapped, the cookies all eaten, the shiny decorations hidden away for another year. And there's nothing to look forward to but dark, cold days and nights for the next three months.

But it's important to me to finish writing this book, this third book that could be "the one".  And it's important to me to start querying again, to put myself out there and see what might come of it.  This is my dream.  And I'm not going to let winter's winds knock it out of my hands.