I’ve been falling off the wagon again in terms of eating right. I’m not the healthiest eater to begin with, but usually I’m able to keep my junk food intake under control and take some multivitamins to make sure I get a proper amount of nutrients on a daily basis.

But recently I’ve been really frustrated with my lack of weight loss. Despite jogging every day, lifting weights three times a week, and reducing my fat intake, I haven’t lost any weight at all. So in the last couple of weeks, I’ve just given up and have been doing things like eating ice cream for breakfast, scarfing down half a bag of Doritos in one sitting, eating entire chocolate bars right before dinner, etc.

I need to get back on track and start eating healthy again. But how can I stay motivated to do that when I don’t lose weight even when doing everything else right??? This is so, so frustrating!

I got an early Valentine’s Day present from Jerry today: a gift card to the day spa in town!! This was simply perfect, because I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. It was nice to forget about everything else and be pampered for several hours!

I could use my gift card dollars any way I wanted, so this is what I chose: a 60-minute massage, facial with special blackhead treatment, mani, pedi, and hair cut & style. I feel absolutely wonderful — and I look better than I have in a long time. It’s funny how I forget to take care of myself when I’ve got all sorts of other stuff going on.

Anyway, this weekend is off to a fantastic start!

I’m still reading up on how I can lose weight more effectively. It seems that one thing I might consider is changing my diet to include foods that burn fat naturally. These are things like fatty fish (tuna and salmon), green tea (which I already drink occasionally), spices (jalapenos, chili), and citrus fruits. These natural fat burners help get your metabolism going, which of course helps burn calories and (eventually) fat.

I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking this weight loss thing. It’s not as though I’m dangerously obese and am putting my health at risk. I just need to lose 5 freakin’ pounds!!! Now… why can’t I do it?

Today I noticed that my face looks rather dry and unhealthy. I think it’s because of the regimen of acne products my dermatologist has had me on for the past four months. I’m using some really harsh prescription meds, and since I have to apply them morning and night, there’s never a chance to use moisturizer anymore — which is not a good thing.

So tonight I decided to give my face a break. I skipped the Differin and went for some facial moisturizer with a few drops of jojoba oil mixed in. My face already looks much better, and it feels great too. But I know I have to get back on my acne treatments soon or risk more breakouts. Sigh… I seriously wish I didn’t have such problematic skin!

I’m still looking for a supplement to add to my new diet and workout regimen. I’ve been reading testimonials, reviews, and recommendations, and have found that quite a few folks like conjugated linoleic acid cla. Apparently, cla does indeed have a positive effect on eliminating body fat — even an independent source like Wikipedia says so in its entry. This might be exactly what I’m looking for. I have a noticeable amount of body fat in my belly area, but I’m certainly not obese or anything. I need to lose 5-7 pounds max. So maybe cla can help get me over the hump…. Hell, it’s at least worth a try, right?

Ok, I need to start getting serious here. I have been on an exercise program for over a year now, but am simply not seeing the results I want. My program includes jogging every other day, as well as weight-training and other cardio like walking and cycling. And while my endurance is great and I can run for about 40 minutes with no problems, I am not seeing any weight loss!

I am also doing what I can to control calories and reduce my intake of junk food as well, and though I do slip up every now and then, I am getting much better. It’s very disheartening to try this hard and not have any results follow.

So now I’m going to go ahead and add some diet supplements to the mix to see if that will do the trick. I normally wouldn’t want to rely on pills in a situation like this, but I really feel as though I’ve done about as much as I can. I refuse to “starve” myself, so I’m not on any extreme 1200-calorie diet or something silly like that. But I’ve a lot within reason, so I don’t consider supplements cheating. Maybe my metabolism just needs an extra boost….

I thought I would be able to get far more work done now that I’m on break for school, but that hasn’t been the case at all. In fact, I think I’m getting less done now than when I had three grad school classes to attend to as well as my regular work and family commitments. What is up with that? I think I need some project management software to keep me on schedule during the daytime. Otherwise, I just while away the hours on Facebook, watching DVDs, or replaying highlights of the Blackhawks games.

Speaking of… how about those Hawks!! What an incredible game last night, coming behind from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to take a 4-2 lead on Nashville in the third period — only to give up that lead with 3 minutes left in the game, and then win it on Patrick Kane’s 15th goal of the season at 19:17. Wow! This team is for real, and is truly the only bright spot on the Chicago sports landscape.

Go HAWKS!

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)