I know, It's been a while.

Yes, it's been a while. No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Actually, a lot has been going on in my life since I last wrote.

I still can't run or do any high impact aerobic stuff where I'm jumping up and down or anything. But instead of focusing on what I can't do (and feeling sorry for myself in the process), I am focusing on what I can do. I started going back to the gym a few months ago. I started on the bike (not the recombent bike because it's not good for my foot) and would use the bike for 30 minutes. I would do a variety of tensions, so that I would really sweat and get my heart rate up pretty high. It wasn't the high impact of running, but I did get a really good aerobic workout. Then I would do a combination of exercises that would strengthen my back shoulders, arms, and core. Then I started on the (h)elliptical. I still don't love it, but it offers variety at the gym so I don't get bored with the bike or the treadmill.

I also realized that I could take some of the classes. While I can't jump up and down, the point is to just be moving, so I would modify the moves to suit me. For example, if the instructor said to do jumping jacks, I would move my arms up and down and just walk in place.

Lately it has just been too nice to be be inside in the gym (this is my favorite time of year to be outside), so I've been walking before I go to work in the morning. I walk between 30-45 minutes before heading to the office and it just puts me in such a good mood (and it makes my skin glow too). I know I will soon get back to the gym, but it's nice to change things up occasionally so you don't get bored.

I've also had a few life-changing events in the last several months. I moved (in with a boy!!) and moving is just so stressful. I earned A LOT of activity points those few weeks when I was packing, moving and unpacking. My new neighborhood is also more conducive for walking, so I am naturally more active throughout the day (going up and down the subway stairs).

I also started a new job a few months ago, which brings with it another set of stressful situations. For example, the office has free bagels for the office every Friday. EVERY FRIDAY. This may seem like a great treat, but I live in New York where you can get a good bagel on almost every block. Unless a free bagel is really good (which the ones in the office are not), why should I waste points eating something I don't even enjoy. I happen to have a place in my new neighborhood that had absolutely amazing bagels, so if I'm going to use a bunch of points on a bagel, it's not going to be one of the ones in the office.

One thing that hasn't changed? I keep going to my meetings every week. I still bring my lunch to work almost every day. And I am still doing lots of activity. My head may not have been 100% focused on Weight Watchers, but I've made many positive and healthy changes in my life. Enough so that I really have maintained about a 35-pound weight loss during these last several months. That alone is something to be proud of, because it would be so easy for me to regain all of what I've lost and then some.

Mel says, "You already have all of the tools you need to do this [get to goal, become a lifetime member, etc.]." I know I do; I'm just not using them right now. It's like I misplaced them somewhere in the last several months. However, I think I'm slowly finding them and rediscovering them. I've starting writing my goals and NSVs in my journal again. I started tracking again. And I started blogging again.

Yep, I'm still here.