Rahl is writing a paper she had eight full days to work on--and only began this afternoon.

I have become awful about doing my homework, and I am contrite but also absolutely unmotivated.

Run.

The weather is no longer freezing. And I finished my exams on Thursday, giving way to blissful, blissful sleep and recuperation from February's illness and exhaustion.

I'm not dying, so it's time to get back into shape. January was an excellent month for eating well and exercising. I discovered I've retained some of the fitness I built up over the course of the month (as well as about seven pounds of water weight, but that will go away in the next week or two). I was able to jump right into the Couch-to-5k running program in Week 3. It isn't too terribly difficult yet and I'm actually doing three repetitions instead of two.

Running interests me for several reasons:
1. It's difficult. I was never a good runner naturally and, as a result, I've never tried. In attempting something I am really quite bad at, I am forcing myself to: a) confront the fact that I am not good at everything, and b) "persevere," one of my father's favorite words.
2. It isn't expensive, and it doesn't take much of my time. I have a good pair of running shoes I won't need to replace for a while. To go to the gym and get a complete cardiac workout--no strength training--I have to walk twenty minutes from the house, and twenty minutes back. That's an additional forty minutes, plus the thirty it takes me to actually complete a satisfactory workout. And I like to exercise more than three times per week. It's a massive time commitment, and drains time from homework and socializing, the latter of which I don't always do enough as it is. Ideally, to cover my strength training and cardio, I'd like to run to the gym, complete 20mins of strength training, then run home.
3. It isn't boring. I used to bring a book to the gym to read while on the elliptical or bikes, and I quickly discovered I wasn't working nearly as hard as I was when I didn't read. So, I stopped reading. But when you run outside, there's a dude mowing his lawn with a mohawk and a dog that is actually quite fun to watch make figure eights around the trees in his fenced-in yard area and admiration from passing cars due to my ghetto booty and you understand.
4. There aren't any fat runners. I mean, maybe when they start out, but they quickly stop being fat runners.
5. I'd like to do some sort of competitive athletics and a triathlon is too damn expensive. I don't own a bike or a wetsuit, but 5ks happen frequently and I might be able to talk my sisters into participating with me. I don't see them nearly enough. Or my roommate, Chase, might be interested in carpooling to a 5k (he runs, too).

Rahl is reading

John Updike The Widows of Eastwick
William Faulkner The Sound and the Fury
Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire

Rahl has February Goals.

1. Finish a second draft of "Calamagordo" and write a first draft of another story.
2. Write three poems.
3. Go to the gym at least three times every week.
4. Cut back drinking to one or two nights a week.
5. Continue tracking on TDP after MacBook arrives.
6. Miss no classes.
7. Make submissions to the Coraddi as well as one other literary journal.
8. Find out about Tate St. Festival booth.

Rahl is watching.

Raising Arizona.
Pineapple Express.

Rahl is an idiot.

Destroyed my hard drive with beer. Destroyed other things with beer as well.

Ordered a new hard drive for less than $50 on NewEgg.com at work today. Too bad I can't buy a less flexible moral standard on the Internet, too.

(Poor ickle) Rahl has a cold.

I was going to go to the gym tonight and knock out the second of my twenty elliptical sessions, but my throat's still sore and now I'm sneezing and runny and exhausted so do you know what I believe I'll pass kthx. I'll just go Saturday instead. I'm to have my third and final tri training session tomorrow, and it'll be a long one--sixty minutes on the bike and weights. I don't know how I'll be feeling, but I have no class or work tomorrow which means--sleep! And wellness! Which lead to exercise!

When I get sick I have a hard time eating, so after dinner I ate some delicious calorie-and-nutrient-dense dark chocolate but I'm still almost 400 calories short of my daily calorie goal. I may eat some chicken soup later tonight if I feel hungry again before 10:00pm, but it doesn't seem all that likely. I've upped my calories a bit to lose 1lb (rather than 1.5lbs) per week, as I'm now 145.2lbs and I'm not actually due to weigh in again for another three or four days.

I'm trying to balance my social life (which, in the past, has involved a great deal of heavy drinking) with my commitment to exercise and losing weight. I've decided that, in order to allow myself the occasional evening of Bacchanalian debauchery, I can save up caloric deficits from previous days to spend on one or two weekend evenings. In the past week I've accumulated a caloric deficit of 802 calories to spend on drinking with the fine gentlemen of the College Libertarians and Guy's Pirate Birthday Party tomorrow. And that doesn't even count what I may add to that deficit today and tomorrow. I've been a good girl, and tomorrow, I will reap the ruddy-nosed rewards.

In other news: I have a new favorite salty junk food. Glenny's Low Fat Creamy Ranch Soy Crisps kick total ass at 70 calories per serving, 2 servings per bag. We watched the season premier of "Lost" last night and I had a bag, and I didn't miss our traditional chips 'n cheese. Nope. Not one little nostalgic bit.

My body's already working differently. More efficiently. I feel it.

Rahl is sick

again.

It's just a bit of a sore throat and gunk right now, which wouldn't be so bad except I WAS ALREADY SICK LAST WEEK YOU GUYS* SUCK.

*germs

Rahl does the Diet.com Weight Loss Challenge.

I'm always looking for new ways to motivate myself to exercise more and eat better. Therefore, my curiosity was piqued when I received an email today from Diet.com about their newest Weight Loss Challenge. I had to pick up to 12 "milestones" (goals) to strive to achieve over the next 10 weeks, and a reward to grant myself for each milestone I accomplish.

Milestone 1: Try 5 new vegan recipes.
Reward: New card file for my recipe cards.

Milestone 2: Complete month one of tri training.
Reward: Homespun yarn to crochet a new hat.

Milestone 3: Complete month two of tri training.
Reward: New pair of kick-ass booties (short boots).

Milestone 4: 20 sessions of 30 min of cardio in addition to tri training.
Reward: New pair of ballet flats.

Milestone 5: Stay under calories every day for three weeks.
Reward: New bottle of nail polish.

Milestone 6: Stay under calories every day for five weeks.
Reward: Two new scented candles.

Milestone 7: Stay under calories every day for seven weeks.
Reward: Blue Velvet on DVD.

Milestone 8: Stay under calories every day for ten weeks.
Reward: New piece of jewelry from Sisters'.

Milestone 9: Weigh in under 139.0lbs.
Reward: The New Rules of Lifting for Women.

Milestone 10: Weigh in under 135.0lbs.
Reward: New jeans!

Rahl trains: week 2, day 1.

Biked 35 minutes at level 7 (of 20), 5-minute cool-down. 8.84 mi in total.
Weights: back, biceps, legs.
Back extensions, 2x12, 60lbs.
Trunk twists, 2x12 per side, 25lbs.
Bicep curls, 2x12, 20lbs.
Overhead pulldowns, 2x12, 40lbs.
Hip abductors, 2x12, 80lbs.
Hip adductors, 2x12, 80lbs.
Leg extensions, 2x12, 35lbs.
Hamstring curls, 2x12, 35lbs.
Stretched legs and back pretty well, but I need to look up some more stretches for the upper body.

I look forward to receiving my final work schedules for the semester next week. I need to know exactly what times I'll be able to go to the gym, as I find I have difficulty fitting it in between class and my jobs and the Libertarians and all the other small things that are part and parcel of being a human who provides for herself.

Right now, Sunday mornings, Wednesdays after work and before my fiction writing workshop, and Fridays look like the most attractive and likely times to train with time for a nice hot de-gym-gunkifying shower afterward. And then, if I ask for Sunday afternoons at the Writing Center, I'll be able to fit everything in neatly.

"Neat" is one of my favorite concepts, really.

I'm a little sore from the gym and from lugging groceries around in the cold yesterday afternoon, but I feel really well for having made it to the gym. After last week's stomach virus and resultant low-calorie days, I wasn't sure I'd have the proper energy. But I am feeling just fine, yes, sir, just fine indeed. I followed up my workout with a Luna Chai Tea Bar, which was delicious and full of protein. I've read one should take in protein immediately after a strength-training workout. Luna bars are an efficient and tasty way.

Also: the garlic broccoli penne reheated well. Another definite keeper.

Rahl is watching

Vertigo

Rahl is reading

Lydia Millet Oh Pure and Radiant Heart

Rahl weighs in.

I began this effort officially last Sunday at 149.0lbs, which was thankfully down from my post-Thanksgiving high of 151.0lbs. Now, after three days of battling a tortuous stomach virus and faithfully staying under calories the remaining four days, I weighed in this morning at, drum roll please, 146.2lbs.

I got off easy on the weigh-in because I was sick, but unfortunately I only made it to the first of my three days' triathlon training. I plan to re-start that same week and do it this week instead, starting when the gym opens today at noon.

Made the most kick-ass garlic broccoli penne last night. It was spicier than I'd expected, but tasted completely delicious. I've been writing out my favorites of the new recipes I've tried on little notecards. Next time I'm on campus, I plan to buy a card file in which to keep my super-healthy, super-delicious recipe collection.

When my foot was broken last summer and I was trying to keep from gaining/lose a little bit of weight, I ate the same thing every dinner: two reheated frozen vegetables, a chicken breast, and a serving of pasta with sauce. No wonder I couldn't keep it up into the school year. That meal, repeated, is the palatial equivalent of watching C-Span for an hour every night. How boring. I've since read on the Internet that variety is the key to weight loss and overall good health. If one has new foods to try, one is less likely to binge; likewise, if one is constantly eating different things, one is pulling from a whole range of available nutrients.

I plan to try at least one new dinner recipe every week until I have a good twenty or thirty that I can pull from. I prefer to make vegan recipes, many of which I've found at VegWeb.com: they're generally less expensive than meals which include meat or dairy, and most of them are chock-full of delectable veggies in unusual and tasty combinations. And if there's anything I need to learn this semester, it is undoubtedly how to eat more vegetables. Default mode for me is simple carbs, pasta, bread, refined sugars. Now is my Barack Obama dietary semester. I am making the effort to change.

Rahl is behaving like a crackhead at work.

So far today I have eaten:
A few bites of chicken and rice soup.
15oz. Gatorade.
One apple.
1/2 Cherry Pie Larabar.

It is 4:22pm. I have been awake since 10:00am.

I wanted to go to the gym this afternoon but my tummy's still feeling a little wonky and I'm leery of pushing it too far. I bet I haven't eaten enough today to give me sufficient energy to work out. Still no real hunger to speak of. I'm usually starving by now.

If I'm hungry by the College Libertarians Executive Board meeting this evening, I'll grab something since I'll already be on Tate Street. I need to go grocery shopping but I'd hate to let fresh food go to waste. I'm not hungry enough to eat it.

On the (slightly) bright(er) side, brain ketosis has tricked me into believing everything is uproariously funny. The guy who only ever checks out David Lynch films? Hilarious. Projector returns? Hilarious. Dropping my gloves? Hilarious. My co-workers must think I'm a loony.

Rahl Shares Textbook Zen: Why Easier Isn't Always Better.

I'm feeling a bit better, so this afternoon I devoted some time to textbook pricing and shopping. Here's a few simple tips I've amassed over the past seven semesters that would have made textbook buying a great deal cheaper (though perhaps not easier) had I known.

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Start early so you don't have to pay extra because you don't have time to shop around or order online. If you want the best deal on textbooks, you must research and you must do the math. Textbook deal shopping is a time-consuming and sometimes irritating endeavor, but think of all the lovely money you'll save! Think of it in terms of six-packs. I've saved $150 on textbooks this semester, so that's 16.68 six-packs of Stella or Spaten--or 25.04 six-packs of Yuengling.

2. Use the bookstore--for research, if not for purchasing outright. Many schools have a link directly to the university bookstore from their home pages. The bookstore site should allow you to see the book lists for each of your classes several weeks in advance so you can begin comparison shopping as early as possible. You can also wander the shelves of the bookstore, taking down ISBNs and costs for comparison but that's so 1875.

3. Ask your friends. If you know others in your department who may have taken the same classes before you, be sure to ask them before they complete the course if they'd be willing to sell you their textbook directly. That way, you can buy a used book cheaply without middle-man charges and shipping costs, and they'll receive more money than they would have received from the university bookstore's textbook buyback.

4. Use the Internet. Many of the best deals are available on various textbook websites which allow dealers to sell to students or students to sell directly to each other. You can also use Facebook or Myspace to post your next semester's class list as soon as you've settled it, and ask if anyone has textbooks for any of the classes you plan to take.

5. Watch your shipping costs. One of the hazards of buying the cheapest possible textbook over the Internet is the cost of shipping. Often, you won't be able to buy all your textbooks for the least possible cost from the same retailer. Keep an eye on your shipping costs. You may be able to purchase the same textbook from the school bookstore for as much or less when you factor in shipping costs. Look for great deals from retailers such as Amazon.com, which offers free shipping on all orders over $25.

Rahl barf-dials!

Sunday morning and afternoon were not particularly remarkable. I went to the gym, showered, packed and went home to Raleigh, made dinner, drove my sister back to her dorm at N.C. State, and drove home again.

I had this little painful feeling in my stomach most of the day, but I chalked it up to gas pains and went on my merry way.

And then I barfed.

Massive surprise. I haven't thrown up (sober, at least) in over four years.

Anyway, went to bed immediately afterward. I'm pretty sure I was running a slight fever. Woke up the next morning and realized I'd exchanged several text messages with friends who must have thought I was drunk due to my incoherent babblediness.

Moral of the story: have friends and loved ones take your cell phone away when you are drunk as well as when you are barfing and feverish, as both situations plus cell phone can lead to similar and potentially undesirable outcomes.

Rahl is Reading

Jose Saramago Blindness

Rahl is HONGRY AT WORK.

Hear that? My stomach just let out a mean little growl, the kind those small fat Japanese cats with the short fat limbs make. Or I imagine they make.

I'm at work. I've been here since 8:00am, and I'll be here until 5:00pm. It's an exhausting nine-hour day. I'm eating normally: I had a bowl of cereal before I left home, and an apple about an hour ago. Lunch shouldn't be for another hour, but I'm hungry, and I mean serious freaking hungry. And it's my own damn fault.

After my surprise deficit Wednesday night, I decided to add another few hundred calories in deficit so I can enjoy myself at a friend's boozy soiree this evening. I also put in a really good workout--day 3 of the first week of month one of my beginner tri training. Unfortunately, I seem to have gone a little too far under calories. My deficit yesterday was 650 under the 500+ I'm cutting out just for weight loss. Definitely under my BMR, which is a no-no, and I'm just praying that I can make up the deficit this weekend without totally screwing anything up (i.e. getting sick at the gym).

I think I need to create myself a pseudo-calorie cycle so that I can have extra calories for drinks on weekends without getting too crazy cutting back during the week. Or just map out weeks when I know I have a dinner or a family event so I have a little wiggle room. I can't stop life for my diet. I've tried, and maybe that's one of the reasons I kept failing.

Reading

Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra The Last Man

Listening

New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom

Track 1.

I didn't want to track the calories on the foods I'd eaten yesterday. I assumed I'd eaten far too many, considering what I'd eaten and my ingrained tendency to binge relentlessly when I'm on my period. Now, I'm thankful that I did track this morning. Not only did I not go over calories, I stayed about 112 calories under, and I was all set not to eat anything but dinner today for the slip-up I'd assumed I had, which could have led to an actual binge.

My friends Jennie, Mike, and Corbett, who all live about a half-hour away during semester breaks, arrived in town yesterday evening for the Carousel showing of Labyrinth. I hadn't eaten much that day, just a small bowl of cereal (160 calories) and a sandwich (about 270 calories). I spent most of the day following my workout out with our friend Kate and her boyfriend. They arrived as I was just stepping out of the shower, loitered outside my door as I toweled off and dressed, and after having made them wait I didn't want to ask them to stop so I could throw together a snack.

We bought tickets for "Labyrinth" and went to a local used record store, and we didn't stop to eat anything. By the time the Winstonians arrived, I was quite hungry. We decided on Moe's for dinner, and I made the apparently wise choice to order a Unanimous Decision soft taco (213 calories without sour cream). The complimentary chips (214 calories) helped to sate my hunger.

Later in the evening, we decided to stop at the Harris Teeter to grab some snacks for the film. I opted to purchase a Toblerone (260 calories) to help out with my lady-time chocolate craving, and a Diet Snapple Peach Iced Tea, which is probably one of my favorite "diet" drinks. At the theater, we all bought dollar beers (PBR, 150 calories for one can) and settled in for two excellent hours of David Bowie's crotch.

After everyone went home, I watched a few episodes of Heroes and made an Amy's Southwestern Burrito (300 calories) before bed. I awoke this morning with the fear of food--I just knew I had overeaten the day before, and I prepared myself to make all sorts of ridiculous sacrifices in the name of damage control--only a piece of fruit and a glass of juice until dinner, thirty minutes' extra work on the upright bike. I began to wonder: exactly how many additional calories should I try to restrict myself today in order to make yesterday's mistakes even? I decided to track everything to figure out how much I "owed," and lo and behold--I was actually under calories. I've just saved myself a miserable day of being hungry and guilty and a possible binge as a result of the two, and I did it by tracking my calories.

Moral of the story: track, track, track. If that's what you've decided to do, do it. If you're like me, and you like to have everything add up, don't assume--make sure you know.

January Goals.

I'm a typical Westerner in that I have a very hard time looking at anything in the long term. You know the arguments: thirty-second commercials, thirty-minute television programs, less reading, more bright lights, et cetera. To cope with this apparent inability to commit to the long-term, while still setting goals just like Dad taught me, I've decided to set monthly goals. And lo and behold, here they are for your viewing pleasure:

1. Complete the first month of beginner sprint tri training from Beginner Triathlete.
2. Log foods consumed at The Daily Plate daily.
3. Drink 64oz. of water daily.
4. Take multivitamins daily.
5. Complete a draft of one short story.
6. Miss no classes.
7. Post on blog 5 times weekly about topics that aren't what I'm reading, watching, or hearing.

Watching

Dog Day Afternoon

Reading

William Gibson Neuromancer

B.A. stands for "badass," not "big ass."