Forever Young

I didn't mean for 10 days to go by before posting this entry, but I'm in the vortex of a chaotic time of year. End of the semester at work is always hopping with activities, plus the end of a school year in general sends everyone into "get a bunch of meetings booked before people go on vacations" mode. It's also the end of another Junior League year, which means I'm balancing at least 2 leadership jobs. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to spare but I expected it.

And in the middle of this bustle of activity, I spent 24 hours (literally almost to the minute) traveling to Dallas for a reunion. And not just any reunion...my 8th grade reunion. Yes friends, it's been 20 years since I was a geeky Catholic schoolgirl and no, I don't still have the plaid skirt or cardigan sweater hanging around.

Six months ago, I wouldn't have dreamed I'd be hanging out with people I hadn't seen since the pre-teen years. But now, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

There's something very healing to both the mind and heart to pick back up with people who knew you way back when. For the 50 in our class, we had a special bond. We traveled to retreats and on class trips together. We were reprimanded by the priest after church for some reason we don't really remember why. We played sports together, choreographed dance routines for PE class and got all decked out for our graduation. We had crushes on our classmates, and they had crushes on us...and some of us didn't discover who crushed on who until decades later.

Some of us were at the school all 9 years...some only middle school and others like me, just 8th grade. But on reunion night, we were all the same. We shared the memories that had come flooding back over months of emails and Facebook posts preparing for the gathering. We made new memories getting to know the adult versions of each other. No matter if someone was your best friend or you barely spoke to them back then, now we welcomed each other with open arms.

While many people I know were surprised I'd go to all this trouble for an 8th grade reunion, several of my classmates remarked that for them, these were the people they'd developed the real bonds with, even if they hadn't kept in touch since. Think about it: we all split and went to different high schools. We split even further for college. We now live all over the country. Even if we'd developed close friends in HS, those nasty hormones that hadn't taken full effect yet in our early teens tended to get in the way in the later years. Colleges may have reunions, but you rarely get the chance to get the friends you spent time with together again. This is the one cohort that is small enough for us to pull a gathering like this off and for it to have meaning.

So for one night, we relived "The Promise" we made 20 years ago: "When you need a friend...I'll always be there." And we got to feel "Forever Young" again ... and I've been jamming out to the 80s new wave almost non-stop since, just to hang on to that feeling a little longer.

Maybe that's how I've made it through the 10 days since. It's like I found a small fountain of youth to re-energize me, and I can't wait to visit it again in 5 years. Go Mustangs!

Sharpening focus

Now that we are into Month 4 of the year, I thought it was a good time to review my fitness progress. While I'd logged 2400+ minutes of activity by 3/31, I was surprised to see that January was my best month yet (1046 and only 4 days off) with an average of almost 34 mins/day. February and March showed steady decline... averages of 24 and 23 min/day, respectively. This was the AHA! moment for me.

AHA! So that's why I haven't lost much weight yet.

Not to mention, AHA! If I'm going to lose more, I have to step it back up. I've mentioned before I eat out a lot due to my busy schedule of work and volunteer meetings. Even if I follow my Food Revolution to the letter, restaurant food will always have more calories/fats/sodium than home cooked foods. So I have to work out. And dang it, Jillian Michaels ended up being right. While walking is better than zero activity, that alone is not enough for my fitness level.

Since I'm not back to running, this means more trips to the gym to use the elliptical, cycles, rowers, whatever will not stress my foot. I have mentioned a bit on Facebook about trying morning workouts again. I have been adding a day a week so this week, I am up to 4 mornings. I got my butt out of bed yesterday to the gym, and I plan to do so the remaining weekdays.

Already, I'm feeling a difference. I had a lot more spring in my neighborhood walk tonight and was faster than I'd been in months. Is it the exercise, the food changes, or both? Not sure, but I'm hopeful that I'm moving in a good direction.

I've thought more about the beverages part of my revolution too (as I drink my first Sprite Zero in about 10 days, yeah!!). There are a lot of days I like a second dose of coffee after lunch. And I like wine with dinner. But maybe, I should limit myself to one or the other. So far, I've kept to that since Sunday. They do say the little changes add up...and that could be a good 500 calories if I was indulging every weekday.

I realize the number on the scale is not the only measurement, but it would be nice to see a drop this weekend rather than a gain. I do take my monthly tape measure later this week, which I'm looking forward to since I've upped my weightlifting intensity also.

The adventure continues!

You say you want a revolution...

So we are about 3 months past Christmas. I'm down 5.8 pounds. I'm happy with that -- if I keep up the pace, I'd be down almost 24 pounds by next Christmas, and I'd be well within the healthy range for my height. Considering I am limited in physical activity as I continue to slowly recover my injury, this is pretty darn good.

But I've been feeling lately I could be doing better on the nutritional side of the equation. Between re-reading Fit to Lead and watching the first episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I was inspired to think about what other changes I could make.

I went to a reception at lunch Saturday and was hit with nothing but fried foods...and literally, felt horrible later in the day for eating them. It wasn't just my conscience...my tummy actually ached. At first, I was flustered at the lack of fruits and veggies on the menu, but the more I thought about it, it was MY choice to eat them. I could have skipped the fare and grabbed a sandwich or something else healthier after the event.

On my long walk later that day, I decided it's time for me to take control, and start my OWN revolution. No, I don't have a fryer I need to bury in the backyard, but I could make some efforts to eat more healthfully. So, here is my pledge:

Lisa's Food Revolution

• Beverages: Drink a glass of water with each meal. I don't drink enough, and I can feel that some days. Plus it is said that water helps rev the metabolism. With meals that I drink coffee or alcohol, I will drink an extra glass. And I will work to cut out soda to where it will be an occasional treat. I am on the "zero" brands now, but those have sweeteners and that's just more chemicals.
• Breakfast: I eat it everyday, which is a big plus. I will only allow myself 2 "processed" breakfasts a week (e.g. Eggos, microwave sandwiches). On days I eat a carb-based breakfast (TLC bars, toast), I will take a piece of fruit for a mid-morning snack.
• Lunch: I eat a lot of meals out due to my job and volunteer work. Fish will be my first choice of protein, followed by chicken and then veggie options. I will not eat beef unless I know it's grass-fed. I will consider other lean proteins such as bison or pork. I will have at least one green with the meal and limit bread as much as possible.
• Dinner: Same rules from lunch apply if eating out. We cook a lot at home so this is easier, but we do need to cut back on frozen pizzas...one option is to switch to more Amy's brand organic.
• Evening Snack: Same as breakfast, only 2 processed treats a week. That means it will take even longer to finish the frozen Girl Scout Tagalongs in the freezer, but hey...I'm proud that nearly 2 months later, and I've only eaten half the box so far! Freezing them really does work ;) Again, I will work to get more fruit in here as at breakfast.
• Eating Out: In addition to what I already said about my meals away from home, I would like to get to fast food & fried foods = zero. It's just not worth how yucky I feel afterwards.
• Indulgences: Any plan that does not allow for breaks will fail. I will allow myself to break these rules for special occasions. If I have a meal where I do not follow my new rules, I will get back on track the next meal, not the next day. This is a lifestyle, and life is not always perfect. I will not beat myself up for being human.

I'm also going to work to get back on track with the 200 minutes/week exercise plan in April. I was still active in March but didn't hit that mark any week (ranges were 146-178 minutes, so still not a total slouch!).

So, what changes are you making to be healthier this spring??

Wii bronze

We Burnses have had the Wii almost 3 months now. Apparently, on the Fit Plus, when you hit 10 hours of activity, the little clock turns bronze and gets all jumpy and excited. It was impressive and made me proud ... what I failed to mention in my last blog is I'm improving, but still battling, my plantar fasciitis. I've decided to take one more month off running to continue healing.

The good news is I only hurt badly a few days a week versus every day. The bad news is most people heal in 4-6 weeks. But they probably rest completely, while I have stayed mildly active for my weight loss, to keep my sanity and relieve stress. Most people don't have to dress in suits so much for work either, even if I do have one really well cushioned pair of shoes I can wear with most of them.

So I guess I could have been healed already. But I probably wouldn't be as happy. So I will learn a little patience, and set my sights on a 5k in May.

2 months down...

2010 seems to be flying by! Thought it would be a good time to update the blog on my health and fitness adventures so far this year.

I'm happy to report I am roughly 5 pounds lighter than I was at Christmas. If I keep up this pace, I would be 20 pounds lighter for the year by my birthday, which would be wonderful. I would be at a healthy weight for my height with some cushion for those times of year that just get crazy and I fluctuate 2-5 pounds. I should also be able to fit back into the skinniest of my suits then :) For me it's not about the numbers, but how I feel. And I feel better already, but would feel even more so another 10-15 down the road.

I've also lost about a half inch off most measurements on my body, which means I'm toning up. I am even starting to see outlines of muscles. Yay for weightlifting!

I have worked out 1694 minutes in the past 2 months, with 12 days off (I still have to workout today). I'm pretty much on target for my "only 65 off a year" plan, but I can't let March be as crazy as February (8 were in Feb!). That's an average of about 29 minutes a day, so even with having 2 weeks where I didn't hit the 200 minutes (but several where I went over), it's all working out.

Most importantly, I am feeling better overall. I feel I have an even better attitude towards life, much more balanced. I have had some very hectic months between work and volunteer gigs, and am looking forward to a slight break that mid-March will offer. I have to think the increased focus on what I'm doing to my body makes a big difference.

So how is your year going?

Off the road again...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...and I'm having to take the one of rest and cross-training. I'm not "heeling" like I thought I was...turns out my run last Sunday made what seems to be plantar fasciitis worse this week.

I'm lucky that my massage therapist is also a runner. That way, he could tell me stories of his running buddies who refused to rest, needed surgery, and had to sit out SIX MONTHS. When you put it that way, his advice not to run for at least 4 weeks is not so bad.

I've gotten some Doc Scholl's inserts specifically for heel pain and PF that are helping a lot in my dress shoes and in my cross training. I was encouraged to keep up my walking, Wii, elliptical and weight lifting (especially since my weak calves are likely the root of all this), so that's promising.

I will admit, I was a little bummed I won't be running the Rodeo 10k (though, I might be able to walk it if I keep "heeling"). Instead, I took it as opportunity to focus on the Bayou City Classic in March. I was waffling between which race to do anyway. I know I can do a 10k with little training as I did in November, but I'd like to train for at least a week or two if I can.

If not, there are plenty more races this spring, and the goal of the 10 miler this fall. It's hard, but I have to keep the big picture in mind. In the meantime, I'm going to take this as a challenge to be active in different ways and build my muscles. It reminds me of my toe injury last summer...which forced me to appreciate being active at all.

After all, perception is reality, right?

The best laid plans...

...are usually foiled by a return to reality. Today was my first day back to work after 2 weeks off. I was a little ready to get back to some routines and interactions with the outside world, but a little nervous about my newfound resolve to improve myself. So I made a plan.

And broke it. Adam is always telling me I like to make plans "so then I can break them."

I never intend to of course...life just gets in the way. I planned to leave at 5 today to have enough time to eat and catch an 8p yoga class. I left at 6. I was winding down about 5:15 (not far off my plan for those who know me well) then got tied up on something for one of my projects this weekend, and there went the time. I then resolved to do a yoga or pilates video at home instead. About 2 hours later after decompressing from a long day, I settled on a walk. Did a little more than 1.5 miles in 25 minutes, which for me, is a really good clip. Add some ab work into that and I proud that I didn't slip completely (I decided walking is OK if it is at a level of exertion. I was puffing, plus had to ditch gloves and earmuffs due to getting warm. Yay!).

I planned to go to the gym tomorrow morning and go into work later since I am working nearly all day Saturday. I came back to an email for a 9a meeting tomorrow. My plan at this point is an exercise video at home instead since I have volunteer work tomorrow night. I may settle for a walk again. As long as I do SOMETHING, I think the plan is not a total failure. At least the thought of planning is moving me in the right direction.

What I need to plan better is road nutrition. With two mornings in a row of not going straight to the office, I haven't been able to take my lunch. I did good to avoid french fries etc. today. I'll have to try again tomorrow, perhaps for a salad instead of just a sandwich. This is probably going to be the hardest part of the 2010 Plan. I eat out a lot for work and with the volunteer schedule I have for the short-term. I have to make the best choices I can, even if they aren't always fun. 'Cause I want to be fun for a lot more years to come.

Off to redo tomorrow's to-do list and reconfigure what didn't happen today...at least today tipped towards success (albeit altered) than failure on my plan.