Gut check (almost literally) time, seeking a return of the magic

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Here's a simple equation that is true for me (and a lot of people I would suspect):

Stress + Instability = overeating + lack of exercise

This has been an unstable and stressful holiday season. Not in the ordinary sense. There has been no threat of work stoppages, no deaths or major illnesses (discounting the dogs Parvo). Instead it has been mainly self-induced stress (why can't the kids pick up better around the house, what are we getting people for Xmas?, minor colds, trying to establish exercise routine). Plus the instability of the daily/weekly routine: no school for the kids, my having time off/being around the house. All of that has resulted in some serious weight gain. In a large part it was avoidable if I could have just shown some will power and kept my appetite under control.

But in the long run all of the above doesn't matter, who or what is to blame really isn't the issue. The issue is what am I going to do about it? How will I get my appetite back under control? What will my exercise routine be? Those are the questions I have to address. Because I know the basic secret of weight loss and fitness: eat less, eat better, get more exercise.

I think the biggest thing is to stop focusing so much on making huge strides in running, or at least worrying about the marathon training. The reality is this: I can't run a marathon if I can't run more than 4 miles. So start with the little stuff. Also, I did learn an important lesson this week, I really overdid it for 2 days, and as a result my legs were just killing me.

Here is my plan:

Run 3 days a week (with 1 of those days being a long run, but not killing myself initially)
Do the full core workout the opposite 4 days of the week.
Stretch twice a day, with some core work outs in the evenings
Return to a regular, consistent calorie watch.

I know that the above will get me started, and then, after I follow that for a certain period of time that I can increase the work out intervals. And that doing allow of that will provide the underpinning I need for bigger things.

I know I can do all of the above because I did it before.