Just posting to remind myself--and maybe I'll do it again.

Yesterday wasn't looking super for exercise-but I pushed myself, and ended up getting it in.  After a drive out and about with Jeff, lunch, and during a play date (much simpler now that the kids are so independent!), I hit the treadmill.  Remembering the insightful trainer's tips on protecting and 'unlocking' the pain I sometimes feel in my knees, I used the proper awareness, and a few minutes into the treadmilling, the pain started to subside.  (Enzo, in Santiago-who fixes knees, messed up necks, wonky headaches, backbone alignment related balance issues, etc...) So, yay.  Carried on...got tired, had a great sleep.  In this case, I wiped myself out with it...still a victory, because I wasn't buzzing loudly enough to keep myself awake.

I've been energy-focused lately, because of being anemic again.  No more compensating with caffeine...no matter how much I wilt in the afternoon-I'm NOT reaching for any beverage.  Confession time: I was getting by on Coke Zero, which didn't feel healthy, so I decided to stop that.  Cold turkey didn't appeal, so I went behaviour mod-style instead, reaching for a caffeine-free diet Coke, which although not good, at least removes the extra zip from the caffeine that I was getting by on...So the plan is that without the actual buzz from the caffeine, the beverage would become boring (getting there), and I could remove it in a week or so.  I am replacing it with water, and think it's actually working.  I am still having a cola of some kind more often than I'd like, but I'm ok with baby steps.  If my head isn't screaming for caffeine, the odds of make better choices improve quite a bit for me...

I'm going on the theory that improving is good...removing caffeine is best, but too fast is the worst and I don't feel like feeling bad, so I'm trying to feel good instead.  Exercise frequency is improving, I'm not having to remind myself so often, I'm more excited about it, and I think that the energy increase is real...and even when it isn't, actually being tired at night, so I can fall asleep, and rise with some energy the next day--that's likely a better way to kick out the caffeine.  I don't know if Colombia even has decaf...I might be heading toward slippery slopes.  I hope I don't fall and have to be helped up by Juan Valdez himself.

Cheers and chao.