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.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone reading enjoys a wonderful holiday time, whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or nothing in particular. Mr. Handsome-and-Handy, Things 1&2, and I will be invading my mom & step-dad's place tomorrow. (Muuuuah-hah-hah! Figurines, you've been warned!) But so far, we're already enjoying some AMAZING (and minor) Christmas miracles:

My dad (who lives in Tucson) surprised us with a weekend visit this past weekend! Ironically, I had just read Christie O's blog about her appreciating Christmas time with family, and I was nodding in assent pretty much as Dad pulled up our street...(AMAZING!)

I snagged the last retractable extension cord at Home Depot. It was something Mr. H&H really wanted for Christmas and was not expecting. I had checked online, and the web site did not show any being available at our local store. I went in on Friday, following a strong hunch...(minor, but still pretty cool)

...and we're all together, healthier than this time last year, and able to give our kids and each other a really nice Christmas. (AMAZING!)

So I'm feeling pretty good-humble and more grateful than I can say.

Weekly update, 12/22/08

Busy-but-fun week ahoy: Worked yesterday, working today, off the rest of the week. We're having "virtual Christmas" on Christmas Eve, because we have a long drive on Christmas Day to go to my parents' for the long holiday weekend.

This past week, I *felt* like I slacked off, although I wasn't too far off from goal. (SeaBreeze, feel free to say "I told you so." :-) Probably too many video workouts; even the ones I like tend to make me feel like I slacked. The bike worked well, though...it has what I call "the noodge light," which lets you know when you need to work harder/less hard, and I feel like I get a good workout when I pay attention to it. Last week's run was disappointing in a way: I ran slower, and about 25 minutes in Nature called...and sometimes ya can't just let her leave a message, either. :-/ Good thing I was close to home. I've always worried about that on longer runs....On the other hand, I hadn't eaten breakfast. Today's run was right on target. (And it was nice to feel like I had the time to run "just a little longer," since I'm the only one on a schedule today.)

Oooo, and cool news! I won a prize in the "Diabetes Mine Holiday Survival Sweepstakes!" The topic last week was how to offset holiday stress. One big thing for me this year was that Mr. Handsome-and-Handy took it upon himself to do most of the gift wrapping and cookie baking. I was a little bummed to miss the baking--I was "the baker," you know? But he & the kids did a fantastic job, and it did keep stress levels a lot lower. I think he appreciated that I did most of the shopping tasks and the card assembly, which aren't exactly his favorite. (And we got our cards done before the seasonal craziness kicked in. For some reason, the prospect of doing the cards really stresses me out. And I don't know why! We have the process 95% automated, and we just do a photo card.)

Progress last week:
7-day blood glucose average: 109 (met goal of 120 or lower)
Fasting blood glucose: last 6 of 7 days were less than 120 (yesterday morning was 125; ouch!); average was 112
Weight: -1 (met goal of maintain or lose)...Wait, what's this??? I just updated my "Ticker Factory," and lo-and-behold, my BMI number just dropped into the "overweight" category! Yippeee!!!
Food: 5 meatless low-fat, 2 fish meals. (met fish goal...sort of. I read that the place we picked up our fried fish from uses rice oil, so I'm going ahead and counting last night's fried fish in the "fish meals" category...not exactly low fat, but "healthy oil," from what I've read. Next time we go, I'm asking to confirm.)
Exercise: 30+ minutes cardio 5 days, but only one run. 2 days of arms and abs strength training. (Missed running goal by two days, strength by one day. One of the days missed running was due to weather, the other was that I just felt like using the bike.)
Misc: Didn't track sleep, but I felt well-rested in general. Gym decision? Going to go for it!

Goals for this week:
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or lose.
Food goals: Taking the week off for the non-meat/fish goals; otherwise, sticking to the plan as close as possible.
Exercise goals: At least 30 minutes of activity (walking, running, swimming, biking, or video workout) 5 days. No specific running goals; will start training for the February event the following week. At least one day of upper body and abs strength training.
Misc. goals: Be present in all ways with my family during the Christmas weekend.

Comments for charity on MizFit Online

Okay, I'm preaching to the choir with this one. But maybe, just maybe, there's some benighted soul out there that will stumble across my blog in the next day or so who has not discovered MizFitOnline, online home to the amazing MizFit and the Bumbling Band. Which means the other 99.999% of you all knew about today's item: MizFit is donating 10 cents for every comment between now and the 24th in the morning to Safeplace, a domestic violence shelter in her area.

I was happy to read that someone contacted her about anonymously matching donations. What is totally NOT surprising is that she's getting a lot of comments and is inspiring lots of local acts of goodness.

But don't wait until Christmas Eve! Get on over and leave a comment on this post: MizFit's Halfassed Friday Rhyme. (subtitle I'm emptying the wallet, People, & need your help)

Happy holidays!

Weekly update, 12/16/08

Whew! Busy week, and it's only Tuesday night! I'm sorry I haven't responded to everyone's comments yet, but I read them and sure do appreciate the support. Thanks!!!

Today alone: we've been watching the weather, and we found out this morning that there was snow up in the Santa Cruz mountains, not too far from where we live! So we pulled Thing 1 out of the first two hours of school this morning and took a "snow detour." It was great! Thank goodness Mr. Handsome-and-Handy is originally from snow country in the midwest, I'm a total wuss when it comes to winter driving. About 4 miles up Hwy 35, the snow was falling and the towering pines and redwood trees were thickly frosted with snow.
Me: "Wow! This is like being in a snow globe!"
Thing 1 (yes he actually says stuff like this): "It's a Winter Wonderland!"
Thing 2: "We didn't bring carrots for the snowman's nose!"
Mr. Handsome-and-Handy, ever the realist: "Well, I'm not sure there will be enough to build that big of a snowman..."
But there was about 3 inches on the ground, so plenty for a little snow fun: snowball fights, eating snow, making snowmen.

Last week was kind of weird...I completed my last 2 days of the gym trial. I've been kind of on the fence about joining, frankly...would it be a good investment? Would I use it enough? Would I use it a lot at first, then let it languish? On the other hand, monthly membership is only $29.95, which is less than we pay for Thing 1 and Thing 2's monthly dance lesson bill. We could save on our water bill if I use the gym first thing in the morning before work, too. I resolve to definitely decide one way or another this week. Plus we just got an indoor exercise bicycle--I love it, since we live in a flat area and it simulates hills in the preprogrammed workouts. Generally, I've had a mental block about spending money on fitness stuff; hence working out at home and garage sale hand weights. I worried that doing so would somehow "jinx" me fitness-wise. Then I realized that sheesh, that kind of thinking after 6 months of consistency is a bit ridiculous.

I was also fighting the tail end of my cold last week, which is why I think I just didn't do any exercise on Wednesday morning...the previous day's spin class kicked my posterior more soundly than I thought! I did run on Friday, which felt good. I hadn't run outdoors for over a week.

I learned something interesting on Monday: rice, even brown rice, really bumps up my blood glucose levels. I ate a 7-ounce box of brown rice+salmon+avocado sushi yesterday for lunch, and a bunch of grilled veggies--healthy, right? And had a level of 150 2 hours later, which is a post-meal level I haven't seen in quite awhile. Rice goes back on the "handle with care" list, along with corn. Haven't had that problem with either oatmeal or with wheat items (such as my flax bread), or with potatoes.

Oh, and last night? Thing 2 suggested that we do an exercise video. Yeay! I could redeem myself after all. We got about halfway through segment 1 of the 10 Minute Solutions Kickboxing Bootcamp (aka, "The One with the Blonde Lady Who Boxes"). Thing 2 admired the instructor's well-defined arm muscles, did a few moves, then got bored and wandered off. Baby steps, friends, baby steps...

Progress last week:
7-day blood glucose average: 107 (met goal of 120 or lower, but had the one post-meal reading of 150)
Fasting blood glucose: last 7 days were less than 120; average was 107.
Weight: -1 pounds (met goal of maintain or lose)
Food: 4 meatless low-fat, 2 fish meals. (met goal)
Exercise: 30+ minutes cardio 4/5 days, only one run. 2 days of arms and abs strength training. (Missed cardio goal by one day, strength by one day.)
Misc: Accomplished about half the week on the sleep goal (4/7 days with 7+ hrs. sleep). Signed up for my Q1 and Q2 2009 races, have selected my Q4 race but not my Q3. I think I've got some time. :-)

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 2 runs, weather permitting (decreased amount because weather did not permit for the first 2/5 days and we're supposed to have more rain. Weather-permitting=not raining and temperature over 40 degrees).
Misc. goals: 7 or more hours sleep/night. Make final decision about whether or not to join the gym.

"Quest for"...if not "Greatness" then "Motivation"

As I've blathered on about before, training for an event makes a huge difference in my motivation. So I'm really excited about Christie O.'s latest challenge on her Baby Tea Leaves web site: The Baby Tea Leaves Quest for Greatness! Her last challenge was a weight-loss challenge called "Hot for the Holidays"...which was fun and popular, but I was really amped by the new challenge's focus on fitness. However, the newly-converted fitness zealot in me is wondering: where the heck did all the HFH participants go? Christie left it very open-ended: choose an athletic event (or fitness goal) to train for, then do the training and enjoy the byproduct of better health and fitness. Not like people had to commit to running marathons or doing an Ironman...although, admittedly, it's easier to find events and to train in places like her Florida and my Northern California than in the more winter-bound places. But the "no rules" rider certainly leaves it open to looking for something in the spring....

Anyway, I've committed: I just registered for a 5K run on President's Day (2/16/09). I had decided, after running the Pumpkin Run, that I wanted to race at least once per quarter. This challenge was a nice kick in the posterior for getting me to find a race and to register. And I found one really close to home! I also registered for a race I'd found awhile ago, the "See Jane Run Half-Marathon and 5K". (Just the 5K...not quite at half-marathon level yet.) I'll freely admit that I chose it only for the slogan: "I run for chocolate and champagne." I can't wait to get that t-shirt! It's a bit of a drive away, so it sure wasn't for the location. Not sure what I'm doing for the July/August/September time frame, but definitely rounding out Q4 with the Pumpkin Run again. Maybe I'll be up for a 10K by then...we'll see!

That said, speaking of "fitness" and "motivation," I have to confess something shameful. Thing 2 wanted to do an exercise video with me on Sunday, and I flaked. My reason? Oh, this is so lame, I'm cringing as I type it: I'd showered late, and I didn't want to get all sweaty again. Yes, I told you it was lame. Not simply lame, but a horrible example for Thing 2, who proceeded to geek out playing multiplayer "Midtown Madness" with Thing 1 while I graded papers for Thing 1's teacher. I resolve to NOT flake on offspring-initiated fitness again!

Day 5: You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round...

Tuesday was Day 5, my final day of the trial offer at the gym. Analysis and decision to be posted later....

Oh. My. Aching. Quads! Here's another instance where the class name was a misnomer. Doesn't "spinning" sound so carefree and playful? Don't let the title fool you: it was intense. It was 45 minutes. My thighs may never be the same....

Random observations:
- There is no coasting in the Spin class, figuratively or literally. When you stop pedaling, you don't coast; you risk snapping off your foot.
- I liked the music. The tempo is really fast, too. Was that Alvin & the Chipmunks singing "The Freaks Come Out at Night?"
- As SeaBreeze predicted, spinning made me reeeeally sweaty. Glad I brought my towel!
- It also made my thighs burn until I realized I probably ought to slow it down just a touch if I was going to last the whole class. (I'd say that if the instructor was at 100%, I was performing at about 60%.)
- I liked how the instructor made sure everyone's machine was adjusted properly.
- Dang, those bike seats are HARD! That must be part of why there's so much standing and pedaling.
- Would I do it again? Definitely! What a workout!