Somehow after asking my sister to "talk to me Goose", I became Maverick. Not sure the personalities of each of these characters will help you to correctly identify and understand us but we are going with it anyway.
Unlike Goose and Iceman I have a very different and more subtle approach to well...everything. I am not obsessive and driven. I am not in competition with myself or anyone else. I do like to improve, I like to learn new things, accomplish new tasks and in general feel successful with who I am and what I am accomplishing in life. Becoming an "adult onset athlete" has taught me that maybe pushing myself a little isn't a bad thing. Maybe I make more excuses than I realize for not accomplishing things or reaching goals. This has been a great realization in my life but still has not made me nearly as obsessive compulsive as Goose and Iceman. When we run together they leave me in their dust and I do not even try to keep up.
2 weeks ago as Goose was taking off on her flight to better health I must admit to a complete crash and burn followed by a holiday week of not even trying to pretend I was going to take off again and make good choices. All last week I read status updates of Goose and Iceman's daily runs and Shred workouts. Their sore muscles. Their good diet choices. I admit I was jealous. But somehow stuck in a failure loop.
I think my motivation to make these changes comes from several things. One, my daughter has horrible eating habits and I feel like if I am going to change how she eats I need to serve as an example. Two, I have some health issues I know I can control with diet. Three, after years without getting more than the occasional cold I have gotten 2 infections requiring antibiotics in the last month. I started November with Strep Throat and ended it with a bladder infection. I can't help but note that as my diet has taken a dive my bodies ability to stay healthy has gone with it. And finally, I am nearing 40. I noticed in my late 20's that my body started responding differently to my lifestyle and promptly gained about 5 pounds a year for several years before making some changes. Although I am not gaining weight at the end of my 30's I am noticing other changes. The weight I have is getting harder to get rid permanently. I am experiencing aches and pains I do not recall even a year ago. I want to make the changes necessary to enter my 40's feeling and looking great, ready to send my teenager off into the world while having the energy to help my pre-schooler navigate her childhood.
Yesterday I did my yoga video and made cookies, ate way too many of them. Today, fresh on the high energy week of my cycle (since goose shared similar information), I did a 30 minute run/walk (I have an injury but that is another post) and then did 30 minutes of strength exercises in my basement. I had oatmeal for breakfast, salad with salmon and half a can of veggie soup for lunch, a bowl of vanilla yogurt with frozen raspberries for a snack. I will admit that in the oven is a Chinese casserole because my husband mentioned craving it the other day and I realized I could use up some cream of soup that somehow ended up at my house from my MIL. So dinner is going to create a little turbulence in my otherwise smooth flight today. But that is my point, unlike my co-pilots I tend to be slightly more balanced (or less committed depending on which side of this conversation you are on.) I just want to be able to live my life in a way that creates a mainly healthy lifestyle but also allows for occasional deviations from the flight plan without getting me completely off course.
My diet plan consists of no dairy, this has been a lifestyle for about 10 years but somehow recently I have gotten lazy and cheese has slipped back into my fridge ever so subtly. Because of some health issues I have gone through extreme diets that included gluten free, sugar free, red meat free, caffeine and alcohol free. Not to mention processed foods free. It is amazing how easy those diets can be if you are committed and how quickly you forget about them when they are over. My feeling is that sugar is a major contributor to some of my health issues along with the dairy and caffeine I have been off for years. I also want to incorporate much more water and more whole foods into my diet.
My exercise plan consists of...??? Did I mention the injury and fact that it is getting colder here every day? My current plan is to do 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, my yoga video once a week and the strength exercises twice a week. I enjoyed my 30 degree and sunny run/walk outside today. I will also do a kickboxing video I have had since Iceman's wedding and I have a friend bringing me to the YMCA this month for weekly spinning classes. I am in search of a health club to join for the winter so I will be touring several clubs which all have one week free options and will update you on each of them. So far I am liking the casual and low pressure feel of the Y plus the excellent childcare they provide.
So there it is...How about you Iceman?
Go, Mav, Go!
ReplyDeleteI like the thought of looking at something and instead of thinking with my tastebuds, "yummy!", instead think with my tummy and say "pain!"