Belated introduction

A little about me
Hi everyone! I have posted a few times on this blog already, but haven't really written about my own health/diet/exercise/weight situation. I have commented on a couple of blogs about this, but thought I should introduce myself more 'formally'. I am about to start my 5th year on the tenure-track (nope- no stress here! ha!) I have had weight/body issues since junior high. I was never actually overweight until college, but worried about it and dieted and everything else up to that time anyway. I am a little under 5"6" and weighed 120 lbs when I graduated from high school. By the end of of college I was up over 40 lbs from there. While I'd rather not specifically reveal my current weight (as other brave souls have)- I will tell you that based on BMI, I am in the overweight range. Lately, I've been creeping toward that dreaded obese category, and over the last several years I've even strayed into plus size clothes (although, I can currently wear XL from most places, depending on the style).

Diet
While I would love to be thinner, I am not actually on a diet right now. I've been a vegetarian for almost 15 years and have been trying to eat healthier lately. By this, I mean eating MORE fruits, vegetables, whole grains and less sugar, fat, processed foods. I have a post on my own blog about why I'm not vegan, although I strive to eat that way on a daily basis. Some days I'm more successful than others. My biggest weakness, when it comes to eating healthy is SWEETS- and there are plenty of vegan treats out there, too!

Exercise
I was really good about exercising the last couple of years- walking a lot over the past 18 months- until last spring when I was traveling a lot. The past couple of weeks, I've been back on track exercising- thanks in part to this blog for motivating me! I have one advantage in that I don't dislike exercise. When I started grad school, I used to jog 3.5 miles 3-4 times a week. I was slow, but I enjoyed it. I swam when I was pregnant. I have walked pretty consistently over the last couple of years. I enjoy it, beacause it is a chance to clear my head. I feel better when I exercise- I have more energy, I am happier, and feel better about myself when I do it. My obstacle is a change in schedule- a trip, an extra deadline, uncooperative weather, etc. can get me out of my routine. I've been using the treadmill lately, so I have no excuses as far as weather!

My goals
Right now, I just want to be exercising regularly (4 times a week, at least 50 minutes walking) and eating as healthy as I can manage. I would really like to lose some weight, but am not prepared to modify my diet in a drastic way at this point. I'm planning to use this blog to help motivate me- it's great to hear from others struggling with the same issues- especially others with the same kind of career stresses. Good luck, everyone- we're in this together!

tags: goal-setting, obstacles, healthy habits, (introductions- maybe a new tag?)