How can this be?

How is it even possible that my worst-ever case of seasonal affective disorder is occurring on these few glorious days when it is over 60 degrees in January?!? Right now, it is (according to my computer) 66 degrees outside, sunny, gorgeous. I seriously could not get out of bed this morning. I felt like the whole world was pressing down on me. WTF?

Same deal yesterday, when I was cracked out and laid down at 11 am to take a nap, after finishing up Big Winter Break Project #2 (which was due a week ago). I slept until 4 pm, did not go on my scheduled run (the one I didn't do on Monday because I slept too late). And then I sat around all day, waiting for The Biggest Loser to come on. I did go buy textbooks and some veggies at the store (plus some other less healthy stuff), so it wasn't a total wash, but I still felt like a loser.

So, things are progressing very slowly, or maybe not at all. But I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to deal with the old SAD, as this is certainly not the first time I've gone through this. An everyday checklist of vitamins, coffee (or ginseng tea is even better), at least a little bit of cardio, st. john's wort, and putting on mascara to remind myself that I'm not a horrid snowbeast. These things do work when I can muster up the energy to do them. And if they don't fully fix the problem, I find an evening bubble bath with a glass of red wine will also perk me up. So far I've got the vitamins, coffee and st. john's wort going, so I just need to throw on a sports bra and clothes so that I will follow through on the working out. I MUST get in at least one outdoor jog in this gorgeous weather.

Also, I must go buy some fruit and veggies, and probably also some of my favorite cereal, to keep up with my diet. As soon as I run out of one thing, everything else goes to hell. This happened with the hummus I use for sandwiches and also the pears I usually have as my meal 2. So, must buy some more pears. I've been living on Trader Joe's meatless meatballs, with tomato sauce and peas - an easy and delicious, protein-eriffic 250ish calories.

I'm doing the 3fatchicks.com Biggest Loser challenge that starts at the end of this week, so I've got this idea in my head that I will kick things into high gear when Winter Break Project #3 is done and that starts, but since I've already entered my starting weight, it has technically already started. So, must get on that. I haven't been doing any exercise except running, but in the next few days I need to get back on the weightlifting and the cardio intervals (I use a stationary bike for this - it is the sweatiest, most red-faced embarrassing workout to do at the gym but it works like a charm). I am SO going to kick ass in this challenge. It kind of makes me wish I had fat friends to do weight loss competitions/collaboration with, but maybe having skinny friends makes me more motivated. Like they say, fat is contagious among friend groups. I totally believe that, since I am constantly rationalizing how much food I put in my mouth on the basis of how much people around me eat. Bad!

Major things to work on this week and even more so in the next few weeks when school starts: time management/scheduling, keeping my pantry stocked with on-plan food at ALL TIMES, and keeping that pesky winter depression crap under control.