I’m thinking a lot about a return to regular blogging, and a post on my plan for embracing 12 new practices for 2012 will be the start. Until then, I’m pinning inspiration on this Pinterest board and finding loads of inspiration for this goal-setting time of year. What are you dreaming up for the year to come?
I can’t believe another five weeks have already passed, and I’ve now completed a full 20 weeks and three days of active, healthy living. There have been moments of frustration and boredom, but I’ve also discovered the joy of sweat and that illusive exercise high I’d always heard about but never experienced. If it takes at least 3 weeks to develop a habit, does 20 weeks mean I’m successfully into a way of life? I hope so.
One of the lessons I’ve learned is that I work well in 6-8 week chunks. When I set a goal, work diligently toward the goal, visualize the results, and coach myself to succeed, then it happens. I’ve also thought a lot about the Sears’ Family’s parenting advice to “beware of baby trainers.” Ultimately, the Sears’ teach new parents “to be discerning of advice” and to trust their own instincts. In pregnancy, women are suddenly susceptible to horror stories of everything that can go wrong. In newborn months, mothers are grilled on pacifier or thumb or transition object; breast or bottle; crib or cosleeping; cry-it-out or comfort to sleep. The best advice really is to glean the pieces of advice that match your instincts and your family’s needs but to ignore the rest.
I didn’t post a 10 week update in my wellness journey for a couple of reasons. First, this is a hodge-podge kind of life blog and not a proper fitness blog. Even every 5 weeks feels like a lot. But the truer reason is probably that things started to slow down between weeks 5 and 10 and then feel like they’ve all but stalled in 10-15.
That’s not entirely accurate, though. As much as I don’t want these practices to be about weight-loss, I know that I’ve made them about weight loss. And I lost weight fast in those first several weeks. It doesn’t help that almost everyone felt the compulsion to say, “You’ll plateau,” just as soon as I started losing. But the loss has kind of puttered here at week 15, though I know in my mind that weight is just one indicator of fitness. But I’ll leave the thoughts on keeping perspective, staying motivated, and pushing through lulls to the fitness bloggers who do it so well and impress the socks off me.
So the stats at 15 weeks are:
- # of workouts: 72 (set a goal of only 3 per week, so this is a 4.8/wk avg; 5/wk cardio + 6/wk Pilates feels best)
- inches lost on arms/waist/hips/thighs: -15″ (the biggest reward came here in the first 5 wks, but I can feel how strong I’ve gotten, particularly in my legs)
- BMI reduced: -2.1 (Dang it. This number takes FOR. EVER. to get down to my goal. Stink.)
- total pounds lost: -12.8
You can hear how I’m qualifying these numbers, and I’m most frustrated about the pounds one. I’ve dipped lower than that and then popped up higher than that and have basically bounced at the same weight for a full four weeks. Yes, it’s not about the weight. Yes, my body is still changing and becoming stronger and healthier. Yes, I am still sticking with the Master Plan in both my short-term and long-term goals. But I’d like to push through the next two weeks and see a scale reward for it.
Other victories:
- I’m following a proper running plan now and am starting week 6 of that. I have tried running longer than the plan once (12 minutes) but couldn’t repeat it in the same run (meaning run 12, walk, run 12). I’ll be there in another two weeks or so.
- I did walk the 5k with friends back in March. We only ran a tiny bit of it, but that’s ok. I wasn’t doing the interval training plan back then, so I’m glad I’m taking this slow and learning things like how my feet strike before I try again.
- I have packed up my largest clothes and have dropped two sizes in jeans. That is a fun reward in itself.
Quite enough of all that. If you’re curious about who might inspire you in your own wellness journey, start with Sheryl or Jayme or Bill & Kristen. Click on their blog-rolls and just keep reading and clicking. Lots of inspiration to discover and embrace!
Today is gorgeous. GORGEOUS! The Boy and My Love are off to soccer, The Girl is about to take a nap, and there are so many ways I want to spend this day that I can’t decide where to start. Will I paint furniture on the front porch? Will I weed the walk? Will I start planting our pea seedlings? No matter what wins, I will soak up the sun and savor this amazing afternoon.
I am thankful for the luxury of choice and time. I am thankful for the luxury of an empty schedule. I am thankful for a gentle, kind, funny spouse. I am thankful for the delightful evening out we shared last night that “ended too soon,” he said. I am thankful for how much we enjoy each other after a dozen years in relationship and ten years in marriage. I am thankful for funny children, precocious as they may be, who keep life interesting and busy and full. Sure, there are plenty of things in life that are not perfect and are not as I wish for them to be. But there is so much more that is better than I could have ever asked or imagined. For all those things, I am thankful.
So get off the computer, friends. Go, soak up the sun. And if it’s not sunny where you are today, then sit and make a good, sunny, long list of all the things in your life for which you give thanks. Notice the abundance that surrounds you!
Grateful for this quiet moment while my sweet two are sleeping/resting. It’s rare, these moments alone at home. Grateful for warmer weather and the signs of Spring. Grateful for the simple joy of a fresh magazine. Grateful for sweet porch furniture, almost 12-years-old now, that my beloved bought for his first post-college apartment. Grateful for this life we have built together. (Not grateful for the gnats flying around my face, but they come with those signs of Spring.) Grateful to work with a fun friend and fine pastor who dropped of good books to enjoy. Birds and windchimes and soft breeze, oh my. Grateful for pink toes and flip flops. Grateful for crazy neighbors emerging to greet one another. Grateful for fabulous Nikole and her Mondays of gratitude. Grateful.
For accountability and posterity, here are the stats after 5 full weeks of enacting the Master Plan.
On a morning excursion to pick up some yummy items for our weekend menu, this lovely reminder from area artist, Happy, was waiting for us at Farm to Family as invocation and reminder and blessing.
If you live in Richmond, you really should make stopping by Farm to Family part of your weekly routine. I spoke with Suzi briefly this morning and learned of their big plans for summer activities for families. It’s an exciting thing to support local business and local, sustainable farming practices with my time and with my dollar. In these winter months, I’ve slipped into quick and easy shopping habits at the large supermarket where folks carry groceries to the car for me. (When I’m out with two kids, that kind of help matters.)
But I can make different choices and better choices each week. As the season of soups, stews, and chilis winds down, I am welcoming a fresh season with return to daily and weekly practices that support wellness; that includes what we physically consume and how we consume as shoppers. I need this reminder often. Each moment counts. Each moment is precious. Each moment can be redemptive, if we choose it and claim it. Glad and thankful for that blessing from Happy and friends today.
In addition to the current life changes of the past two weeks, I started a new home workout for the in-between days and unexpected home days. Like when, for example, 75% of the family has had the flu for a week. While the youngest sick person napped, I attempted to Shred. The Boy really loved watching me and cheered, “GO MOM! GO MOM! GO MOM!” That was a more powerful motivator than any of the challenges from Jillian. And he even drew a picture of me. Awesome.
I am joining the Y this week.
I am going to work out a minimum of 3 times per week.
I am going to reach both a weight and BMI appropriate for my height.
I am going to embrace physical practices that move me closer to the whole and healthy and balanced person I aspire to become.
I am going to turn 35 and say, “This is the best I have ever felt in my life.”
I am going to make memories with my children that involve us moving together and not just sitting together.
I am doing this.
I was doing really well. I was walking regularly and had even added pilates on the days I didn’t walk. Then the first colds of Autumn hit, then the weather changed, then we got another round of colds, then an unexpected family illness pulled me out-of-town for a week, and I have completely lost my balance. This morning I feel clear-headed and am noting sources of inspiration to regain footing. One tweak will be the Christmas gift of a gym membership, but the other tweak is making nice with my kitchen again.
I’ve been really inspired by this blog since she first started writing, particularly her comments this week about wisdom and wholeness. And I mentioned yesterday watching the film How To Cook Your Life about the Zen chef Edward Espe Brown who teaches people to embrace their daily movements in the kitchen as spiritual practice. “Treat your food as though it was your eyesight,” goes the kitchen chant. His thoughts are not new to me, but the film was kind of like shining a light on the parts of my life that need a little tune-up. Rather than throwing my arms up and waiting for Spring’s warm weather to get things back on track, I’ll refresh it right now…snow on the ground and all.
Then I was reminded of this photographer’s work documenting refrigerators. I wonder sometimes what a snapshot of my fridge says about my week. On weeks that I am too hurried in one part of my life, my fridge reflects that. I haven’t baked bread in over a month. I haven’t bought a fresh vegetable (other than onions and peppers) in weeks, though we’ve used frozen veggies. We are eating lots of pasta, soup, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Though there are plenty of entirely legitimate excuses for faster cooking and less time in the kitchen, it’s simply not a life I want to sustain day-in-and-day-out. So I see that I’m out of balance (perhaps our constant low-level illness is speaking to that imbalance) and I’m cleaning out and starting over. Maybe I’ll even brave some before and after pics!
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can add How To Cook Your Life to your queue. To get a taste of things, however, watch this: