Are you with me?

Hold on. Here we go. Caution: this ride could get bumpy!!

I started riding my bike last week. I've been leaving the house by 5:45 am to ride for at least 35 minutes. I need to be back in time for my husband to leave for work. Not sure what kind of schedule you like to keep, but I'm not a huge fan of waking up at 5:30 am in order to exercise. I can tolerate it in the summer when the birds start chirping at 4:30 am, and it's impossible to sleep anyway. But I can tell you that in the fall, this schedule is not going to fly. At. All. Motivation, if you're reading, don't desert me in the fall and winter months.

I loved the bike ride today. It is so quiet at that time of day. So peaceful. I also like exploring the neighborhoods and checking out the houses. If I have to bike, I may as well use it as an opportunity to scope out the landscaping of my neighbors.

After the ride yesterday, I lifted some light weights. I have two 5 lb., two 8 lb. and one 10 lb. dumbbell. I do a combination of lifts to build various muscles. I have to say, I enjoy the weight lifting so much more than the cardio.

As for my diet, I cheated a bit yesterday, I had a diet coke and a midget tootsie roll for my afternoon snack. I know, carrots and celery would have served me better, but, hey, it wasn't like I ate the whole bag of tootsie rolls. Sweet Tooth is sure to be my arch enemy during this whole process. I wish he'd just go away.

I've been wearing a pedometer to record my steps, and I take my blood pressure several times a day and average it at the end of the day. I know, it sounds so obsessive to an outsider, but I've got to do it. Doctor's orders. I'll be posting my stats so we can see my progress.

Another step closer to my goal...