It’s been three weeks since I had surgery on my right knee to remove a cyst lurking in the meniscus behind my patella. Things are still stiff and my range of motion is not what it was, but already I’ve been able to mow the lawn, spend two days wandering around Berlin and return to my daily half-hour walks around the farm. I’m far from 100% – it will still be several weeks before I can even think about running, cycling or swimming again – but it feels good to be moving at least a little bit again.

I say it feels good, but at the same time, I’ve been feeling a little lousy. As much as I’ve enjoyed a bit of forced relaxation, I find myself letting my eating habits slip – desserts, snacks and alcohol have creeped into my life at a higher than moderate rate. As a result, I’ve gained weight, I feel lethargic and overall not very pretty.

In the past, keeping a journal has been hugely valuable (I was reminded about this when I was asked to edit my About Me page for BlogHer, and re-read the 2005 bit about how “journaling changed everything”). In 2005, I used a notebook, but this time, I’m using posterous, and a few days ago I quietly started SmarterFitter Daily to rekindle my diary habits (and do SOMETHING with the myriad of food photos I take of my daily meals).

I’m doing it a bit different than I did back then: more photos, and I’m not counting calories. I’m just writing down what I eat and do and some simple goals to keep myself accountable and in control.

Thanks to Vanessa Kimbell for inspiring me.

Here’s a pic of my knee a day after the operation. X marks the spot (er, spots?).