Monday, December 29, 2008

Weekly update, 12/30/08 + New Year's Thoughts

We're back from our trip! Had a great time and enjoyed visiting with my mom and step-dad. It's always an adventure, balancing the need to keep the kids moving with quietly chatting with the parents, but I think we did fine this time. Brining new toys and getting some nice new ones helped, I think!

Side notes: If you ever find yourself visiting Lompoc, California with children, be sure to include a stop at the Lompoc Aquatic Center. Amazing facility, with a big water play structure for kids and 2 water slides for kids over 48" tall. (Sadly, the big slides were closed the day we went, but still much fun for Thing 1 and Thing 2.) Another nice place to visit, with or without kids, in the Solvang area is Nojoqui Falls. The Hitching Post restaurant in Buellton is tremendous, although Pea Soup Andersen's is pleasant but not a must-do unless you really love split pea soup...if you do go, it's easier to get seated in the coffee shop, the dining room can take forever on a busy day. (Hitching Post became even more popular from the movie Sideways, which was interesting to watch from a "places I know" standpoint but provoked the worst PMS reaction in me...that Jack character would have had a reeeeally long run back to the hotel in the buff, because the actual location of that girl's house is about 20 miles away!)

New Year's Thoughts, 2 Days Early (uh oh, my hypocrisy is showing!)
I was going to get all cranky about New Year's Resolutions, like I usually do this time of year. I've always felt like New Year's Day falls way too close to Christmas. I finally get the holiday "to-do" list done, and feel like kicking back to enjoy the twinkly lights a bit before charging ahead into the new year. I was going to say "but everyone's turned off their lights and packed up the tree," although that's not true. I saw lots of lights on my drive home last night, and our own tree (artificial) will be up probably into the weekend. So I need to breathe and repeat the mantra painted on Emily's Bakery in Santa Cruz (which we passed on the way downstate): "Relax. You have plenty of time."

What's different this year: I used to not be ready to stop the feasting...now that's not quite so much a part of it all. Only so much sugar-free treat feasting you can do without the dreaded maltitol master-cleanse....Of course, now that I'm following health & wellness blogs, there is a lot of talk about new year's resolutions and forming new habits and the like. It started December 26, and that made me feel rushed and a little cranky. But I know it's well meant and where it comes from (and that, for many, rushing past this time of year is a needed survival tactic).

So...resolutions. I feel like my whole past 6 months has been developing new habits, and I want to get them more firmly in place before moving on to new stuff. That said, I resolved back in October to do one race each quarter this year, so that was already on the list. If I set any others, it would be along the lines of Diabetes Mine blogger Amy Tenderlich's, who resolved to "enjoy life more--while staying calm and being kind." Or to do something really fun, like go horseback riding at that place with the Tennessee Walking Horses when they reopen in April. (I've always wanted to ride one, and now I'm not too heavy to do so!) "Go to Kauai" would be a nice one, too, but looks like "Go to Michigan" will be more doable, due to airline prices and where the frequent flier miles will take us.

What did I do last year? I resolved to form 10 new habits, one each month with a couple of months off. I achieved 7, which I think is pretty good, because I usually observed the time-honored tradition of either (1) resolving to not make resolutions, (2-this one goes back aways) doing something during Lent instead or (3) make-'n'-break. The 7 habits were pretty much the goal items I list here each week, plus learning origami and walking the dog regularly.

Progress last week:
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: 7-day average was 100; 7-day fasting average was 98, with 100% of numbers below 120. (met goals)
Weight goal: Maintained (met goal of maintain or lose)
Food goals: Didn't record, but "ate to the meter." (When not measuring, I do a combination of low-moderate carb/plate method.) Did a little too much sugar-free chocolate eating. (no goals tied specifically to food this week)
Exercise goals: Got in 4 days of activity: 2 trips to the pool and 2 runs. (Missed 5 days of activity goal by 1 day.) Did arm exercises 1 day but missed the abs part. (Met half of the goal of 1 arms+abs this week.)
Misc. goals: Was present with my family during the Christmas weekend. (met!)
Monthly measure: Since last month, I lost 1" in the bust, 0.5" in waist and hips, and 1.5" in the thighs! Woo hoo!

Goals for this week:
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or lose.
Food goals: 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals. Lighter eating if dinner is after 7 p.m.
Exercise goals: At least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days; 3 days of arms & abs strength training workouts; do at least 3 runs, weather permitting (Weather-permitting=not raining and temperature over 40 degrees).
Misc. goals: 7 or more hours sleep/night.

11 comments:

SeaBreeze said...

I don't do New Years Resolutions so it's nice to see that someone else isn't getting worked up over them either. The horseback riding would be fantastic. I used to ride when I was a kid and got in a session when I was in Texas in the summer. Also, I am certain you'll find your 4th race for 2009.

Anonymous said...

me!! me!!! Im joining in the resolving not to resolve group as well :)

sounds like your trip was fantastic.

Ive spent the past day or 3 planning a new huge tattoo.
all seuss.
so Ive had you on the brain as well :)

Miz.

Anonymous said...

I seem to always loose the inches in my bust first. That’s a huge difference in the thighs. Congrats!!!. I’m back on forth on the new years thing. I think that any day you can re-evaluate your life and set new goals, or if necessary change them. I like quarterly goals or goals around a particular event. For me it’s just more natural then a goal based on a calendar. A year is a long time, but flies by fast when I don’t have other goals in between.

Anonymous said...

great job on meeting so many of your goals. What a victory. Keep up the good work. I also met my goal for weight loss. I lost 3.8 last night at my weigh in. That put me back at my goal for maintenance. 122 lbs lost. I lost 133 but I want to stay in-between the two for life. Great job.
http://run4change.wordpress.com

Pubsgal said...

Glad to hear I'm in such great company for non-resolutions! :-)

SeaBreeze: I was a total horse freak as a kid, and my parents would take me to the rental places. I took riding lessons for a few months in college. Loved it!

I'm not too worried about the 4th race; sometimes opportunities come up. But I'm glad I got my first two planned. Last year, our Parks & Recreation department had run/swim race, but we were out of town for it. I'm hoping they do it again this year. I've become reeeeally curious about triathlons, too. I'm thinking of volunteering at one to see what they're like, because I do enjoy biking and swimming, too.

Miz: I'm going *crazy*!!! I can hardly WAIT to see that Seuss tatoo!!!

Fitness Surfer: I was shocked at the thigh measurements, because they'd been so unmoving for so long. And yes, I lose the most in the bust, too...My "10 habits" last year was an attempt to do some goal-setting throughout the year. The idea was to develop 1/month, with a couple of months off, with the idea that doing something every day for a month would make the habit stick. I had a couple of habits chosen for the first two months, but left the rest of the year open. It's kind of funny, because the first two months went okay, then I blanked out for a few months, then I had to develop a whole bunch all at once after my diagnosis.

Congrats on the loss, run4change! I just found your blog the other day, and I'm enjoying it quite a lot.

Juice said...

Happy New Year Pubsgal! "Meeting" you has been one of the nice things that happened to me in 2008. I so appreciate your encouragement! I'm not a big resolution girl, but my most successful one (several years ago) was to get more sleep. It gave me freedom to say no to less-than-desirable activities and I feel it really did improve my health. This year my resolution is to hike in 4 new locations (kind of like your one race per quarter). Aside from that I hope to hit my 10% loss goal with WW in 1Q 2009. Blessings to you in 2009!

Anonymous said...

I'm not big on the New Year's resolutions either. Never have been...

Thanks for the restaurant/visitor's advice. If I ever get down there, I'll look those places up!

But my big question is: WHERE IS THE PLACE WITH THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES?!? I also loved horses as a kid, and about a year ago I wrote a goal at w.w. to go horseback riding, but I haven't done it yet. And I feel the same as you--now I'm not too heavy to do it. The last time I rode, when I was heavy, was at my friend's ranch, and they assigned me to the biggest horse.

Pubsgal said...

Debby (and anyone else reading who's interested): The place is "Blue Sky Riding Experience." They operate out of the Coastanoa resort on Hwy 1 between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. They operate regularly between April and December; during winter months you can get a half or full day ride by request. Website is http://www.bluesky-riding.com/index.html

Anonymous said...

YEAH! Glad my soup inspired you!

Still very impressed with your glucose numbers - nice job!

I, happily can say that my 30 day average (during the holidays no less!) is 122!!

Gotta love insulin! Although, I was very "insulin worthy" over the holidays!

I'd look at something and say "is that insulin worthy?" 7 times out of 10 the answer was no!

Crabby McSlacker said...

I think goals are such a much better idea than resolutions--and yours sound like great ones!

Anonymous said...

I do feel kinda bad but YES
Im here to nag you back...ask for an update.