Image by Tom Olliver via Flickr

These days I’m not just looking better, I’m *feeling* better.  And vice versa.

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on my couch on a Sunday night feeling gross and useless and ashamed of myself.

Gained 4 lbs over the holidays that I really truly did not need.  Broken out from PMS.  Dove stopped making my facial cleanser so I bought Olay and had an eczema flare-up.

Since that day I found two things that have helped me tremendously:

1.  Cetaphil Antibacterial Gentle Cleansing Bar.  I’ve always trusted Cetaphil when things got ugly, but I’ve never used the bar.  This bar took care of the breakout AND the flare up, and while my skin is not completely perfect again, it feels softer and smoother than it has felt in a really long time.

2.  SparkPeople.  I’ve been a member of this website in the past, but I really didn’t GET IT.  It’s completely free.  You can track food, you can track exercise, there are tons of helpful tips, a very active community, but I just wasn’t using it the way I should have.

I started tracking on Monday, January 25, and I’ve lost 5 lbs since then.  The community is awesome, the tips and information are top-notch, and I feel so much better about myself since I joined.

I also picked up a copy of The Spark: The 28-Day Breakthrough Plan for Losing Weight, Getting Fit, and Transforming Your Life by SparkPeople founder Chris Downie. I downloaded the e-book to my Blackberry and have been reading it in my downtime. Very inspirational.

Nowadays I am keeping track of everything I eat, taking the stairs as much as I can, and being an inspiration to the people I work with.  Me!  A fitness inspiration.  Who would have thought?

These are the things that are working for me these days.  What’s working for you?