My focuses...foci?

I mentioned some time ago that I made a choice to focus on good health and fitness for this year. I have not spent much time blogging about it, mainly because I thought to keep my efforts in that area separate from this blog, and only writing about it on my Spark blog, but that leaves me with very little else to write about. Other than the usual family/work stuff, I've been pretty hyper focused on two things - job search and health/fitness. The job search is going pretty well - I was offered a job at a small elevator company, which I turned down, hoping for something with a little more mobility (and a few less drug dealers in the park across the street.) I have interviewed for three other positions in the past two weeks, and had a second interview at one. Not the one I really wanted, which was (mistakenly, of course) offered to someone else, but I am optimistic.

The health/fitness stuff...that is going well.

This is me, in November. I hate sharing, but hey, I'm all about honesty here. I had a great time at my sister's wedding, and I really did love that dress, but I'm a fat girl. And I'm tired of it.

I've made this sort of commitment before, trying to lose weight, get healthy, etc., but it feels different this time. I've been working out consistently for 2 months. I'm making progress weight-wise - slowly, but surely, but more importantly, I am feeling so so so much better. I have energy, and I can carry things further, move faster, and work harder than I have in years. And this is affecting my life so much, I really should share it here. So here are some of the things that are working for me right now:

1. Zumba! I started doing it once a week last year, and it really sparked a renewed interest in exercize for me. I started working out harder the rest of the week so as to have more fun during my classes. Lovin' my Zumba!

2. SparkPeople.com - free trackers, access to advice from personal trainers and nutritionists, and my favorite part - teams and challenges. I am part of two separate team challenges which are totally motivating. And it is all free! I just passed my first weight-loss goal - time to order my incentive - my Sparkpeople t-shirt.

3. Diet Dr. Pepper. Not exactly health food, but I have a real problem with drinking pop, and I'm not a fan of most diet pops. I like the tingly carbonation, ok?

4. Kashi Go Lean Crunch. Really good for you, I eat it for breakfast most days of the week with a banana. Completely fills me up for hours so I'm not noshing all morning.

5. Fit Bottomed Girls and The Great Fitness Experiment: Motivation and fun, the first is a website written by women who are really into fitness, the second is a blog by a woman who likes to try anything - exercize-wise. I'm particularly fond of FBG's DVD reviews - I read them and check them out from our library to try.

6. Speaking of DVD's, my favorites right now are the Element yoga dvd's (FBG Jenn says they have a high "hippity-dippity" factor, very new agey, and I've found I'm very drawn to that sort of thing. Big surprise, right?) and Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds Mile a day DVD, which I do all 5 miles in one day. But I'm finding the WATP dvd's are starting to only work for my easy days, and I need some tougher ones, which is great. I want to find a good kickboxing workout, but I'm not loving Tae Bo as much anymore - maybe someone knows a good one?

The weather is getting better, which does mean more outside workouts - loving that. I'll share more great things as I find them, and I'll share my progress, if you all don't mind, since it gives me someone else to be accountable to.

And now I'm going outside. It's too freaking nice to be in this basement anymore.