I went Rollerblading this afternoon. Okay, so I was only gone for 17 minutes and I was sitting on a park bench for 5 of those letting my aching back rest, but it was the most exercise I've had standing up all year! :-)

Dragging around my huge gut sure makes my back hurt while I'm skating. And my knee brace reduces the mobility and agility of my right leg, making it hard for my right leg to keep up with my left. Sometimes I find my right leg isn't swinging forward far enough after a stride to get itself where it needs to go to keep the effort symmetrical. I also find crossovers hard. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the loss of muscle in my leg after more than 7 months of inactivity.

This area is so flat, it's perfect for biking and rollerblading. I'm living in a nice lake-community in Irvine, so I can skate around their lake and parks on some pretty nice paved paths. I just wish there were more benches along the way! ;-)

I also went grocery shopping at Albertsons, and almost everything I bought was healthy. I can't continue to eat take-out food every night. When I first arrived in Orange County I bought a 32oz hot-pot and a small kettle. So I'll be able to heat up soups, noodles, and other healthier-than-cheap-chinese-takeout meals.

I don't know if I'll manage to lose weight between now and when I permanently move back to Canada, but I'll at least improve my cardiovascular and muscle conditioning.