Happy New Year, Everyone!
In my 32 (spoiler alert!) years, I have not yet tired of the promise of January 1st. How, just mere hours from the height of the chaos and indulgence of the holiday season can such a crisp page be turned in my soul? In years past, the laundry list of my hopeful resolutions has been vast: I have resolved to eat better, swear off alcohol, get fit, spend more time with loved ones, write more, relax more, be more organized...
Some years, progress turned to regress. Other years, I enjoyed a long run of success. More often than not, I added just a few positive notches to my belt that have stayed with me ever since. And yet, here I am, ready anew to breathe fresh life into my routine and commit to the highest purpose of continual self improvement. Given my own propensity to desire renewal, as 2011 drew to a close and my inbox grew quiet, I knew that it was just a matter of time.
Come Tuesday (today is for brunch, tomorrow is for prep), I will be rocking and rolling, helping to cheer people on to a healthier path. In the interest of solidarity, I thought I would share some of my own wishes for the New Year with you.
1. Figure out how to get back into daily exercise. With a full time job, a writing habit and a family, exercise seems like a luxury but I know that it is not. My goal is to carve out 20 minutes every single day.
2. Get back to writing "the book". The one I thought I would finish on maternity leave (ha!); the one that is only 20% finished; the one I have gotta write.
3. Pick up the phone once a week and call someone I love. When I get into my work cave, I shut the outside world out. Time to reach out and touch someone (I already told you my age, so it doesn't matter if I show it with lines from ancient TV commercials!)
What will you aspire to this year?
Desiree
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Losing it...the post baby diaries...Sept 28
Losing the baby weight goes way beyond willpower. It requires the stubbornness to stick with it even though you are exhausted, interrupted multiple times by baby and facing a big pile of laundry in the bin. You also need to strike a fine balance between a dose of pragmatism and avoiding the justification trap.
Last week, I did it...I made it to my 5-workout-a-week goal. I felt pretty damn good. And here is a ringing endorsement of the Tracy Anderson Method: after doing the video 5 times in a week, there is a significant change in my body. Gravity be damned! Talk about motivation. Still 17 pounds to go, but I am bolstered by this apparent progress.
There was a large amount of stick-to-it-ive-ness required to achieve this goal. The first tenet was, workout no matter what. Typically, I workout after I wake up and have fed my little one and then I set him to lay down near me while I put the DVD on. Early after birth, I would do this and then put him in the stroller and wheel him into the gym while I worked out. And to my delight, he would sleep through my workout. Now, not so much. No matter what I have tried, he refuses to just hang out through the 45 minute DVD. So to get through the workout, I have to stop an average of 3-5 times to pick him up, rock him, change his diaper etc. The first couple of times this happened, it was enough to make me not want to work out...now, I just accept it as part of the routine and allot 1 hour to my 45 minute DVD.
I am already testing the strength of this first tenet this week: my little guy has taken to not sleeping well through the night and I have been so exhausted that I have gotten up "too late" to get my workout in before rushing to prior appointments. Two days in a row...but tomorrow it ends (and lucky for me, I will still have 5 days left to get my workouts in).
This weekend, I am even leaving for a week with family...and I am determined to keep going. I am bringing my laptop, yoga mat and weights so I can still get my workouts in. Actually, with both my mom and grandma around the house, I now have child care for a week straight and consequently, a lack of excuses.
As for my eating regime...I have eaten very well for the last week but there have been a few hiccups. Six, to be exact. Let me explain: Sunday was my birthday. And throughout the week, I have had multiple celebrations (and of course, leftovers) which has meant 6 servings of birthday cakes. So much for my "no junk food plan".
Now here is the balance between pragmatism and justification: the dietitian in me knows that I have eaten really well so I have had a "good" week in terms of nutrient density. And a birthday is once a year...it is easy to forgo treats made for others but pretty impossible to forgo treats made specially for you. However, this will not be a great weight loss week. This is one of the trade offs: if you approach a diet as a quick fix, any number of slip ups could be incredibly frustrating and lead you astray. A common diet mentality is "well, I am 'ruining' this week anyways....". Hold it right there! I did not give myself permission to eat loads of junk food because I knew each day wouldn't be "perfect". To be honest, I wasn't craving junk...but I still planned healthy meals to help "balance" the indulgences. And once we finally rid our fridge of the birthday treats (which my husband can thankfully help with), it is back to the original game plan. I am halfway through this 6 week "phase" of my eating plan...so 3 weeks from now, I am going to ramp up the diet efforts. My motivating deadline is that I would like to be close to my goal so I can wear something fun for New Year's Eve. A week with my grandmother's cooking should be interesting...stay tuned next week.
In good health,
Desiree
PS: do you have any diet disaster stories? Feel free to share them here!
Last week, I did it...I made it to my 5-workout-a-week goal. I felt pretty damn good. And here is a ringing endorsement of the Tracy Anderson Method: after doing the video 5 times in a week, there is a significant change in my body. Gravity be damned! Talk about motivation. Still 17 pounds to go, but I am bolstered by this apparent progress.
There was a large amount of stick-to-it-ive-ness required to achieve this goal. The first tenet was, workout no matter what. Typically, I workout after I wake up and have fed my little one and then I set him to lay down near me while I put the DVD on. Early after birth, I would do this and then put him in the stroller and wheel him into the gym while I worked out. And to my delight, he would sleep through my workout. Now, not so much. No matter what I have tried, he refuses to just hang out through the 45 minute DVD. So to get through the workout, I have to stop an average of 3-5 times to pick him up, rock him, change his diaper etc. The first couple of times this happened, it was enough to make me not want to work out...now, I just accept it as part of the routine and allot 1 hour to my 45 minute DVD.
I am already testing the strength of this first tenet this week: my little guy has taken to not sleeping well through the night and I have been so exhausted that I have gotten up "too late" to get my workout in before rushing to prior appointments. Two days in a row...but tomorrow it ends (and lucky for me, I will still have 5 days left to get my workouts in).
This weekend, I am even leaving for a week with family...and I am determined to keep going. I am bringing my laptop, yoga mat and weights so I can still get my workouts in. Actually, with both my mom and grandma around the house, I now have child care for a week straight and consequently, a lack of excuses.
As for my eating regime...I have eaten very well for the last week but there have been a few hiccups. Six, to be exact. Let me explain: Sunday was my birthday. And throughout the week, I have had multiple celebrations (and of course, leftovers) which has meant 6 servings of birthday cakes. So much for my "no junk food plan".
Now here is the balance between pragmatism and justification: the dietitian in me knows that I have eaten really well so I have had a "good" week in terms of nutrient density. And a birthday is once a year...it is easy to forgo treats made for others but pretty impossible to forgo treats made specially for you. However, this will not be a great weight loss week. This is one of the trade offs: if you approach a diet as a quick fix, any number of slip ups could be incredibly frustrating and lead you astray. A common diet mentality is "well, I am 'ruining' this week anyways....". Hold it right there! I did not give myself permission to eat loads of junk food because I knew each day wouldn't be "perfect". To be honest, I wasn't craving junk...but I still planned healthy meals to help "balance" the indulgences. And once we finally rid our fridge of the birthday treats (which my husband can thankfully help with), it is back to the original game plan. I am halfway through this 6 week "phase" of my eating plan...so 3 weeks from now, I am going to ramp up the diet efforts. My motivating deadline is that I would like to be close to my goal so I can wear something fun for New Year's Eve. A week with my grandmother's cooking should be interesting...stay tuned next week.
In good health,
Desiree
PS: do you have any diet disaster stories? Feel free to share them here!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Losing it...the post baby diaries...Sept 21
This weekend was a disaster. Total. Disaster. Progress wise, at least.
It started Saturday morning, as I was lying in bed. As I laid there in a dreamy waking state, I thought to myself, "Ah...I can work out without having to worry about my little one fussing because my husband will watch him. Hmm...it could be fun to have a Solly's cinnamon bun instead. But I need to get my 4th workout in and I am totally capable of doing it. But I haven't had a cinnamon bun in like 4 months..."
What is strange is that in diet attempts past, I have always had such strong cravings that I routinely cave from the pressure. In the last couple weeks, I have not had cravings at all. I have felt kind of liberated from junk food and relieved not to be eating it anymore. So why my bedhead drove me to stay in my pajamas and send my husband to Solly's, I do not know. But one meal in two weeks would have been a forgivable non-issue. Then lunch with friends was a reasonable (if not ultra health conscious) mushroom omelet (the only veggie option with significant protein) and rye toast and dinner was a "we're running late" portion of leftover thin crust veggie pizza (whole grain crust and lots of veggies, but still pizza) and you now have a total write off day.
Sunday I managed to claw back a little with a Jamba Juice protein smoothie and a gorgeous Kung Pao tofu and Kale salad dinner....but there was a significant amount of chips consumed in the car mid-road trip. Damn.
So a new week begins and I plan on skipping over the 4 workout week to the 5 workout week that this week should be. And as evidence as my return to the "no junk food plan", here is what I ate today:
Breakfast 2 slices Silver Hills sprouted grain toast with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter and 2 tsp honey. 2 kiwis. 1 cup tea with milk and honey.
Snack decaf Americano with 2 tbsp cream and 2 tsp sugar
Lunch leftover roasted veggies and chickpeas with some mozzarella broiled on top (yum!!). 1 apple
Snack tea with milk and sugar
Dinner Whole wheat macaroni with sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, lemon and feta
Snack Liberte apple pie yogurt with a sprinkle of trail mix and All Bran buds
In good health,
Desiree
It started Saturday morning, as I was lying in bed. As I laid there in a dreamy waking state, I thought to myself, "Ah...I can work out without having to worry about my little one fussing because my husband will watch him. Hmm...it could be fun to have a Solly's cinnamon bun instead. But I need to get my 4th workout in and I am totally capable of doing it. But I haven't had a cinnamon bun in like 4 months..."
What is strange is that in diet attempts past, I have always had such strong cravings that I routinely cave from the pressure. In the last couple weeks, I have not had cravings at all. I have felt kind of liberated from junk food and relieved not to be eating it anymore. So why my bedhead drove me to stay in my pajamas and send my husband to Solly's, I do not know. But one meal in two weeks would have been a forgivable non-issue. Then lunch with friends was a reasonable (if not ultra health conscious) mushroom omelet (the only veggie option with significant protein) and rye toast and dinner was a "we're running late" portion of leftover thin crust veggie pizza (whole grain crust and lots of veggies, but still pizza) and you now have a total write off day.
Sunday I managed to claw back a little with a Jamba Juice protein smoothie and a gorgeous Kung Pao tofu and Kale salad dinner....but there was a significant amount of chips consumed in the car mid-road trip. Damn.
So a new week begins and I plan on skipping over the 4 workout week to the 5 workout week that this week should be. And as evidence as my return to the "no junk food plan", here is what I ate today:
Breakfast 2 slices Silver Hills sprouted grain toast with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter and 2 tsp honey. 2 kiwis. 1 cup tea with milk and honey.
Snack decaf Americano with 2 tbsp cream and 2 tsp sugar
Lunch leftover roasted veggies and chickpeas with some mozzarella broiled on top (yum!!). 1 apple
Snack tea with milk and sugar
Dinner Whole wheat macaroni with sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, lemon and feta
Snack Liberte apple pie yogurt with a sprinkle of trail mix and All Bran buds
In good health,
Desiree
Monday, September 6, 2010
Losing it...the post baby diaries...Sept 6
"Ouch...welcome to the new you," I thought to myself this morning as I struggled through my workout. I gave birth to my son 6 weeks ago and today is the first day of my post-baby weight loss life. My wrists are sore, I feel like like my body is broken and I will never, ever have abs again. All of this awakening comes courtesy of the woman staring at me, gorgeous and strong, from my television screen: Tracy Anderson.
I purchased the Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD online and just got it this weekend. Tracy Anderson is the ubertrainer to the long, lean and gorgeous set that I am hoping to rejoin (well, long and lean anyways...). She whipped Gwyneth Paltrow back into shape post-baby and Tracy herself gained 60lbs with her own son and look at her now. Seriously...look at her! She is proof that a mother in her 30s can look amazing and I found her totally inspiring. Tracy has created a unique workout program which she calls her "method". What I love is that the exercises are unlike anything you have ever seen before and they are tough. Super tough. My first experience with the "method" was a 10 minute leg workout webisode I purchased that literally kicked my ass. I was hooked.
Now that I am six weeks past giving birth, I have the all clear from my midwives to start working out seriously. I am devoting myself to the "method": she recommends doing the DVD 4-6 times a weeks so I am going to go ahead and make the full 6 day commitment. The workout contains a full 25 minutes of ab work, which I am considering more of a goal than anything :) A few crunches here...pause...stare at TV...try the next exercise...collapse in heap...wait for the next exercise. I bought her Dance Cardio DVD too but after going cross-eyed trying to figure it out, I decided to just focus on mastering one DVD at a time. Tracy also has a new book out this month...which I have in my Amazon shop here or on the side bar.
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| Image from www.amazon.com |
Am I ready for this? I think so...I am physically a bit weak but recovered. I was lucky enough to have a very positive birth experience and healed quickly (which I attribute to my lovely Hypnomammas class). I actually got into the gym, very gingerly, at 2 weeks postpartum. I did 15 minutes of no-impact cardio and some basic leg and arm exercises just to wake things up a bit. But now....it is time to get going again. The biggest challenge will be mental. I have a hard time really pushing myself when it comes to exercise and giving it the ol' "110%" instead of my typical 65% will take some willpower.
Given that I already have a blog, I thought I might share this experience with all of you. There are a couple of reasons for this: first, it will keep me honest. Nothing like making your goals and commitments public to keep you accountable. Second, because I am a dietitian. I counsel people on healthy eating and (sometimes) weight loss for a living. And being slim, no one believes that I know how hard it is to lose weight (Believe me, I do). So I am also doing this to earn a little "street cred" :)
Even though I gave birth a full month early, I had already gained 36 pounds...the dietitian in me "knows" that a healthy pregnancy weight gain is 25-35 pounds. (This photo is me only a couple weeks before birth.) But the pregnant lady in me was hungry...really hungry. Since the weight loss was slow and steady, I assumed that my body needed the weight...so I didn't fight it. Six weeks postpartum, birth and breast feeding has helped me lose 18 pounds. Since my weight had crept up a bit before I got pregnant, my weight loss goal is another 23 pounds. So you are all my witness...I will eat and workout my way to a 23 pound weight loss and I am hoping to do so in about 6 months (which is a safe ~1lb a week weight loss).
I will talk about food next time... until then I will be nursing my aching muscles.
Desiree
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