Kick it up a notch

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I read a lot of fitness-related magazines on a monthly basis. And I am always reading that cardio becomes less effective when you do the same routine over and over again, but I'm basically lazy and really like my slow-and-steady 65 minute rolling hills elliptical routine. But if I honestly want to lose weight, I should probably cut that down to like once a week and mix in some new stuff right?

So today, I had to fit in lifting and cardio during my extended lunch break at the gym, so I usually do 50 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes of lifting (it helps that my gym is a 10 minute walk from the office and that I come in an hour early and eat lunch while working to make up for the daily 2-hour lunch extravaganza). Today, I had a lot to do, so I decided I would let myself off the hook with 35 minutes of cardio if some of it involved actual running on the treadmill. So that is what I did. Now, I simply did 5 minute intervals (2 minute run with 3 minute brisk walk) but I'm thinking that if I could do this relatively easily, I should be able to slowly up the running quotient and eventually be able to actually run for like 30 minutes without having to stop and walk. This is my new goal. I'm going to work the running/walking situation in at least twice a week. At least that's what I'm going to say now; once my entire body hurts tomorrow I might feel differently.

Also contributing to the variety are the new fancy ellipticals that the gym got a few weeks ago. They adjust to your stride length and can function as a stepper or a jogger or a hardcore runner. And they are extremely difficult. It's in the rotation, but the gym hasn't gotten in the TV's for them yet, so I get bored after 30 minutes or so. I'm also going to get on the stair mill more often I think. Gotta mix it up.

An aside: I love it when the gym gets new things. I am like a kid in a candy store. I've been dominating the new lifting circuit they have set up as well as the new ellipticals. I didn't go to the gym for two weeks because I was out of town, and then I go back and there's all this new, shiny stuff. It was awesome. I may need more excitement in my life because I shouldn't be as excited as I am about this stuff.

In other news, I made myself a completely delicious salad for lunch today. I don't see any way that I wouldn't immediately drop 10 pounds, considering I've gone from eating out 3 meals a day for a month to eating homemade salads for lunch. Maybe I should stop making cookies every weekend? That may help.