7 Tips to Keep the "New You" Motivated

Keep climbing!

People will be all over the gym the first week of January - spinning, climbing stairs, lifting weights, checking their body fat percentage.  Those new year's resolutions are freshly polished, dusted off from last January - promises to eat better, exercise more, drink more water, eat less sugar, and lose that muffin top before swimsuit season.  But come the end of the month,  there will be a few more parking spaces and treadmills will be standing empty again.

If I ran the gym, I'd post some notes to help the "new you" fend off the "hungry and comfortable you" and stick with those resolutions until December.

- Don't feel intimidated.  When I first started swimming laps, I was swimming one length in about 2 minutes, flailing across the pool, ready to drown, and taking a 5 minute break at the end. I watched the other people swimming about 5 laps in the same time and felt like maybe I was getting in their way. It took some time and work, but now I have a good lap swim workout (and there are still people faster and doing more laps than me) and I love it. Don't worry that you aren't fast enough, strong enough, or have the right clothes.  Keep trying the things you really want to do.

- But at the same time - Know your limitations. Know when to quit, go slower or lighter, or not even attempt something. No matter what my Latin-blooded friend says, she's not getting me into zumba, despite her promise that I won't be the only rhythmically-challenged, uncoordinated person in the room (that's her sales pitch). The first time I went to my now almost-regular strength-training class, the instructor told me to put 10 lbs. on my barbell.  I was almost offended - what, I can lift more than 10 lbs! I thought.  But, could I do it 50 times in a row, I realized was the test.  Whew!  I should have dropped it down to 5 lbs.

- And don't get in the way. In any type of group exercise or when there's multiple people (like on a running track), figure out where the people at your pace or level are - running the same speed, going to pass out from strength-training at the same time, whatever.  Its safer, you'll be more comfortable, and it helps with the "don't be intimidated" thing.

- Give yourself 30 days. The experts on developing habits and such things like that say that it takes 21 to 30 days for your new habit to stick. Seeing as you probably won't be going to the gym every day, allow 30 for this one. Make your plan for January, and no matter what else comes along, stick with it. Go to the gym, meet with a personal trainer, go to zumba, walk to the Metro station - do it without fail.

- Plan and prepare for your exercise to reduce your excuses and possible distractions. Exercise rarely just happens, especially with the busy lives we lead these days. Figure out how exercise will work into your day - early in the morning, lunch-time, at the end of the day, whatever works for you - and write it into your schedule.  Yes, that means you may have to skip happy hour this week.  Sure, coordinate your workout schedule with your hair appointments and your pedicures.  Nope, you can't pass out cupcakes at school this morning.  Put yourself first.

- Pack your bags. Whether you will be heading to work or volunteer at your kids' school or get drinks with friends after your workout, make sure you have everything you need to shower and change clothes. Shower gel/soap, shampoo, hair styling stuff, deodorant, lotion - keep a set in your gym bag so you don't have to remember to grab it off the bathroom counter every time.  And undergarments!  Raise your hand if you've ever been standing in the locker room and realized you forgot to pack your bra.  Keep a spare set of undergarments in your bag.

- Set a goal and commit to it. Register for a race or competition or game or league or whatever - something that requires a commitment at a specific point in time. I registered for a triathlon before I was ready because it forced me to stick to a workout plan, because I knew I had exactly so many months, weeks, days before I would have to be ready.  If I didn't stick with my plan, I could drown and die.  (Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic, but that's what it takes to keep me on task).

Lastly, something that has nothing to do with fitness, just my own preference for modesty 

- Don't talk to me naked, don't talk on the phone, lotion, put on your make-up or brush your hair while butt-naked. Doesn't matter if you are a size 2 or 22, don't care to have a conversation with you in your birthday suit.  But if that's your thing and you just have to stay naked, at least, while you are moisturizing or whatever else, keep both feet on the ground.

See you at the gym!

Move Out of My Way - I'm Walking 10,000 Steps #FitBit

I've finally succumbed to the FitBit craze. I won't get off the couch without this criminal-tracking-device looking band around my wrist, counting every step I make. Actually, every swing of my arm, thus I feel cheated walking through Costco pushing that big heavy cart, because my arm is staying still, so I make my kids push the cart so I get my steps counted. And contrary to all my hopes in which I invested $120 - I haven't lost a pound since I got this thing two weeks ago.

I got my FitBit for the same reason we’ve been doing stuff since we were 6 years old: I didn't want to be left out any longer. Not knowing how many steps I'd taken in a day, not being able to confirm that I had been as lazy as I imagined. But the previous FitBit models, though in much cuter colors (like pink!) only had a row of lights and had to be synced to your phone. I'm not one of those people who always have, or can locate, their phone and I didn't want to be tethered to the phone to see all my stats, so I never got one.  Then I came across the FitBit Charge. A little research revealed that this was a re-issued design, perhaps for others like me who wanted everything on their wrist, not in the phone. The Charge has a regular and a heart-rate model. It has a digital screen that displays the time, number of steps, miles, number of stairs, and calories. You can also time and measure a particular activity, for instance, if you are going on a run.  You can get more details, track your food, track your sleep, designate whether you are wearing it on your dominant or non-dominant arm etc. online or on the app.

So what’s all the hoopla about? How has this band changed my life?  Here’s how it works.

10,000 steps is the magic number

The pre-determined goal is to walk 10,000 steps per day. You remember awhile back when some doctor person announced that that was the magic number of healthfulness? That’s the FitBit number. If you get to 9900, keep on moving, walk around the living room, run in place – you’re so close!  You also can adjust higher if you are that overachiever.

It’s all about the buzz and badges.

If you make 10,000 steps, the FitBit vibrates, buzzes and flashes. “You did it!” There’s some sense of accomplishment. When you hit certain milestones – the most steps you’ve walked, 20,000 steps, etc. – you get a badge (like in Girl Scouts) on your profile page. You can take pride in your virtual pat on the back. Unlike the current wave of every kid gets a trophy, if you do not get 10,000 steps, you get nothing. No buzz, no light, not even a “good try” light. Nothing but a sense of “I knew I should’ve parked in that farthest parking space.”

You don’t get credit for everything.

Swam across the lake? Biked up the mountain? Squated 500 times? Ran on the treadmill?  No credit. If your arm doesn’t move, you get nothing. And since it’s not water-proof, all those laps swam don’t give you any steps either. One lady told me she attaches it to her shoe when she’s doing non-arm-moving exercises.  But the worst - when you forget your FitBit! Ugh. I went out the other day (rushing, as usual) and forgot to grab it. I do not lie when I say I was ready to turn around, go home and not take another step 'til that thing was strapped to my arm.  Such is life though, right? Sometimes the good you do goes unnoticed. (A little #FitBitPhilosphy there.)

It makes you admit to your laziness.

I'm a busy mom and do move around a lot, or it seems like it. But other than housework, a lot of my busyness is driving. As a writer and blogger, well, that doesn't take much more movement than going to refill my coffee cup. So realistically, I could sit still all day long. And I often do. And then I rationalize my non-movement as still being productive as I get a scoop of ice cream.  This thing reminds me to get up every now and then, walk the dog, go check the (real) mail, walk upstairs to get that thing I need rather than doing without.  A 2-mile run in the morning has been my goal, this FitBit thing is a visual reminder.

It invites your family to remind you of your goal.

My kids and husband ask me “how far have you walked today?”  On the one hand, their interest is sweet and supportive. On the other, that interest can morph into “I’d go upstairs and get that book you want, but I want to you to get your steps in, so I’ll continue to watch TV while you go get it.” But every now and then it becomes “hey, Mommy, let’s go for a walk so you can finish your steps.”  And that right there is worth 10,000 steps and more.

FitBit or another brand of step-counter or nothing at all - the message is get up and move. And drag your family along.

Join the #JustPiddlin conversation on Facebook & Twitter

Currently... A Status Update on My 2015 Plans

Hello February!  It's the day we wait for the Groundhog to see or not see it's shadow; I've never been able to keep straight which means there will be more winter, but looking out of my own window, I'm going with "more winter."

It's also day after the SuperBowl. Oh, we're not talking about that? Okay. Agreed.

We've cleared the first month of the year and did well, or not so well, on those new year's resolutions/ goals/ hopes/ dreams/ targets/ visions - whatever we are calling them this year. How'd you do? 

I'm not much of a resolution kind of person, but I do have some plans and intentions and still have some work to do.  A few I'm currently working on?

Working out.  I admit it, I passed by the treadmill and my sneakers many of times in January. Although, I didn't eat as much cake and pie as in December.  I'm getting back to my marathon/month, plan.  Started today with 2 miles, only 24 more to go in 26 days.

Reading.  According to my Goodreads list, I did not read that much last year! Maybe I've been bad at recording my books, I'm not sure, but I'll do better this year. Right now, I'm reading The Girl Your Left Behind.  Totally picked this up because JoJo Moyes' Me Before You was so popular last year and it was not on the shelf at the library.  I had no idea what it was about, and I do like opening the pages of a book without any idea where its going - this one is in WW1 France, a small town that has been taken over by the German Army.

Book I'm Carrying Around right now

Crocheting.  This is always on my to-do list, but particularly I'm working on baby blankets! I seemed to have gone through a lull of no new friend babies, and then all of a sudden, I've got a bunch of friends with brand new babies!  I've working on blanket number 1 (pink!) during this weekend's swim meet and SuperBowl, and, at current count, I've got three more to go (1 pink, 2 blue.)

Baby blanket in PINK!

Volunteering.  I'm pretty active in PTA and my sorority, and gearing up for the year ahead in both of them.  I hold a leadership role in both, which I enjoy, however I often have to remind myself to make time for the actual hands-on work of the organization, not get weighed down by the administration aspects. That's one thing that I do want to work on this year.

Piddlin'. Of course!

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Currently... Establishing Priorities & Slowing Down

It’s the second week of January.  And while we're usually thinking about how to do more and more, I've started thinking about how to focus on my priorities and maybe slow down while doing so.  Just a little bit.  For now, I’m getting the week started on this rainy, freezing rain, school two-hour delay (again) being a little more mindful.

Drinking coffee from a bowl instead of a mug. Last week, the kids and I treated ourselves to Max Brenner’s Chocolate Bar. They had s’mores and the 80’s chocolate milkshakes, I had a Mexican Hot Chocolate. It’s spiced up with chili, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper - plus the obvious fact that it’s also hot, it amps up the spiciness. I like spicy, but I felt like I needed some cake or something to go along with it to balance the spiciness.

Chocolate treats from Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar

Anyway – it was served in a funky little tear-drop shaped bowl, their Hug Mug.  To imagine it – cup your hands together like you’re holding water – that’s the shape of the mug.  It felt so cozy. Since then, I’ve been drinking my coffee at home in a bowl, too. In addition to being warm, another thing I discovered – it makes you slow down. I usually scroll through emails, Twitter and Facebook with coffee mug in one hand. Can’t do that with a bowl. It makes you slow down and not multi-task everything.

My coffee bowl and cranberry cornbread from a recipe I found while decluttering.

Still decluttering.  I’ve made a good dent in my cooking magazines and found some good recipes along the way. Last week I made a delicious cranberry cornbread on the snow day.  And the empty organizing containers are piling up in my office. Empty because I was holding onto so much stuff, when I finally went through it, I realized I didn’t really need all that stuff.  It’s a process, but I'm definitely starting to feel a little lighter.

Planning our menu for the week – starting with the freezer.  Somehow my freezer is packed but each day I’m wondering what we’re going to have for dinner. When I can see some more light in there again, I’ll go shopping again.  Until then, I’ll be defrosting and cooking.  And probably throwing out some food that has been in there way too long.  Cleaning out the freezer is a good way to start out the year. Planning meals is a good way to stick to a a healthy eating plan.

Making time for my workout.  My husband is good with his schedule – everyday he works out. Me? I get the kids off to school then decide – workout or check email and Facebook?  The fit of my jeans is a tattletale on which I generally choose. So, I’m trying to get better at putting my workout – and me – first as a priority. As a sniggling reminder, I get dressed in my workout clothes so that eventually I either will go run and exercise or admit that I did not.  I’ve got my sneakers sitting right next to me as I write.

Making time to read.  I’m squeezing it into my waiting time, as well as allowing myself the downtime to read, rather than completing other stuff or flipping through social media doing nothing. I make sure I’ve got my book in my purse when I leave the house, read a page here and there while waiting. Right now, I’m trying to finish Americanah which I’ve been carrying around for an embarrassing long time, even if it is a long book.

1st book of the new year - finishing up "Americanah"

And of course, I’m still just piddlin’.

Have a good week!

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Currently… Catching up, Planning, and Tech-Challenged

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?  Where did the year go?  What are you doing this week as we get ready to roll into the holiday season?  Here’s what I’m up to this week.

Currently….

Android v Mac Tech-challenged. Trying to figure out how to get the 2000 pictures off of my Android phone onto my Mac computer.  My husband said “all you gotta do…”  Always be careful with any instructions that begin with this phrase.  It’s a signal that the things is not going to be simple, at all.

Catching up from last week.  You know how it is when you take a few days out of your normal routine – whether it’s for vacation, or you get sick, or you have to travel for work.  When you get back to your normal, there’s all the stuff you’ve got to do that should’ve been done while you were out of your normal spot.  I spent Monday through Friday at the school bookfair last week, so now I’m catching up at home. Laundry, groceries, housekeeping.  Writing.  Are there things that we can just say, “forget it, it’s not getting done”?  (By the way - I've listed a few diverse picks from the bookshelves in this post from last week - Diverse Books form the Bookfair.)

Getting ready for this week.  And despite trying to catch up from yesterday, today is still here and tomorrow is still coming.  I’m working on my menu plan (which helps a little bit with that daily panic of what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner), related grocery list, and everything else to do list.

Thinking about Sunday’s message at church, or at least the line that I lifted out of it: To be a bridge for the hopeless, you must be ready to be trampled upon.  Still thinking on it, let’s talk about it more tomorrow.

Exercising again.  I don’t really have to go into the got off track, gained a few pounds, blah blah blah explanation, right?  So now, especially before the dessert-rich holiday season really kicks in, I’m trying to do better.  On my shopping list is one of those holders for the treadmill so I can read read on my iPad while I’m doing my walking warm-up.  I can scan email, Facebook and Twitter, flip through a few articles in those ten minutes.  I’m not much for exercise multi-tasking (why I love swimming) but this little bit makes me feel productive until I turn up the speed and start running.  Do you go into any kind of pre-holiday diet or exercise routine?

And I’m writing.  Working on novel number two and a few blog posts.  Coming up soon are posts about #GivingTuesday and service and a review of Watching Seeds Grow for kid entrepreneurs in observance of National Entrepreneurship Week.

Have a great week!

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances

Currently... Welcoming November!

While we're preparing to be thankful for all that we have, aren't we also panicking a little bit realizing that we only have 61 (well, 59 now) days to finish our list of stuff to do in 2014?  Or is that just me?  In the meantime, I am welcoming November, this month that is definitely fall, not summer and rarely trying to pretend to be like September and October.

This month I can say, with confidence to my kids, "Put on a coat!"   As I look forward to November, I'm also currently...

Excited about waking to sunlight.  We get up at usually some-dark-thirty in the morning because of the crazy bus time for my high schooler.  This morning, I woke in a panic thinking we were all late because it was so bright out.  It's so much more pleasant to wake up to sunlight than the last twinklings of stars.

Still adjusting to standard time.  As welcoming as I am about sunlight in the morning, I'm still confused as to when I'm supposed to go to bed and/or be tired.  Each season we switch from daylight to standard time, it takes me about a week for my body to figure it out.  In the meantime, there's always coffee.

Struggling with my school system's high school plan.  In my neighborhood, the students are assigned to one of five high schools in the area.  My oldest daughter is at one and my second is preparing her selection form for next year, possibly selecting another school.  Part of me says, there's no option, she goes to the same school as her sister.  Another, smaller part of me says, maybe she should get the same opportunity to choose as her sister.  All of me says, I'm really upset that my school system is putting me in this situation.

Changing up my workout plan.  Although I did the Miracle Marathon and am still coaching for Girls on the Run, I think I need something other than running in the mix.  I think I'm adding swimming back into the routine.  They say that after a while, you've got to change up your exercise routine to challenge your body differently.

Picking out yarn for myself and for charity.  I need want a new scarf and hat for myself.  I'm also stitching for charity. A few years ago, I wrangled my friends into making a pile of scarves for women at a homeless shelter and that has become our annual stitching charity.  It's that time of year again and so we begin our holiday stitching.  I am going to try to pull something from my stash, but you crocheters/knitters know how that goes, right?

And of course, I'm looking forward to baking a table full of cakes and pies for Thanksgiving.

Welcome to November!

Join the conversation on Facebook & Twitter

How to Run a Marathon in A Mile/Day

We’re on Day 9 of the Children’s Miracle Network #MiracleMarathon to raise money for children’s hospitals across the country - a third of the way done!

Keep track of your work - great motivation & reminder of what you can do!

The concept is simple: complete a mile/day over 27 days for a full marathon, plus one extra mile for the kids. It’s perfect for people like me who can’t ever imagine running a full marathon all at once. I’ve posted before about my marathon/month goal, but this is slightly different in that it’s a commitment for everyday. Everyday you are reminded of the blessings of either never having a child in an emergency room or intensive care or with a terminal illness, or the blessing of the availability of such medical resources for a child who needs them.

But, as the people that we are, the physical, logistical questions arise. You know, the ones that keep us off an exercise routine anyway.  The number one being: I’m busy, when am I going to have time to run/walk/skip a mile per day?

Let’s start with the time element. On a good day, in relatively good health, at an almost brisk pace, it takes about 15-20 minutes to walk a mile.  Give or take a few minutes due to one’s health, affinity for and habit of exercise.  But let’s say, for sake of discussion, 30 minutes. That may or may not include putting on your shoes and drinking a bottle of water when you’re done. Now, where do we find 30 minutes a day?  Here’s nine ideas.

• Before, between, after the school buses – If you are a parent, school buses, carpools, or walking brigades probably dominate your mornings; and depending on the age of your children, your involvement in the morning madness of getting ready for school is little or very much needed.  Look at your morning schedule. Can you go out and walk around the neighborhood before they wake up, in between one school departure and the next? Or after the last school bus pulls off – you keep on running and get your mile in before coming back to start your day. 

• Find 30 minutes before your day starts.  No kids or they don’t need you to get ready for school?  Wake up 30 minutes earlier or skip the morning email read and get it in in the morning.

• While waiting. Parents do a lot of waiting. Kids’ practices, early warm-up before a game, tutoring, music lessons. I imagine non-parents wait around, too. Maybe for a spouse, a friend, your mom at her doctor’s appointment.  What are you doing while waiting?  Instead of fidgeting with that new phone app, lace up and go for a walk. Especially now that its getting into fall, you could go for a good paced walk and not really even break a sweat if you’ve got somewhere else to go.  I even noticed at an airport this summer, mileage and direction signs for a walking path around the airport (I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do with your bags, though.)

• While running errands.  How often do you get into your car and drive across the street or down the block to pick up lunch or a prescription or for a cup of coffee? I’m guilty, too.  Walk.

• The old park far from the building trick. You’ve heard it a million times before and I’m going to repeat it. The other day I had three separate meetings and I parked far in the lot each time.  Counting the six lengths to and from the building, plus two more for when I realized as I got to my car that I had to go to the bathroom, so I walked back to the building, then back to my car, that has to be at least a good half-mile right there. 

• Plan for it. Like you do a dentist or gyn appointment (though you don’t want to do either everyday), write it in your planner. Block off 30 minutes to get in your exercise.

• Commit to other people.  During my kids’ swim practice this summer, I would go running.  I also noticed a few other mothers who were also using this time for walking or running around the neighborhood. Next thing you know, we were heading out together while the kids were in the pool, and saying to each other “yes, I am running tomorrow.”  There are many days I may have sat poolside drinking coffee if I hadn’t made that commitment.

• Participate in children’s athletic events. If you know the sport – get in there and coach or help out with workouts. I coach my daughter’s Girls on The Run team – perfect for making sure I get in my run.  Don’t worry if you know nothing about your kid’s sport.  Many organizations offer training for adults who want to help out, and, if you don’t want to do that, there’s always something you can do even if you don’t have clue about the actually sport. For my kids’ swim meets, parent volunteers serve as timers. You stand at the edge of the pool and push the stopwatch when the kid starts and stops. Then you walk to the other side of the pool for a different length race. I usually volunteer as the person who wrangles all the swimmers for their race.  Exercise? Consider walking back and forth across a pool for three hours.

• No kids or no desire to help out with the local ice hockey team? Find your own sport. Whether zuumba, tennis, a running club, swimming lessons. Find something that you enjoy for yourself. Not only will you get in your exercise, but you will require yourself to separate from work, housework, email, and texts and concentrate on you.  And go ahead – count it for your mile. Last week, I clocked in almost a mile during tennis lessons.

Share other ideas in the comments below.  Enjoy your mile!

Always be ready to squeeze in a mile.

My hospital of choice for the #MiracleMarathon is Children’s Hospital in DC. You can make a donation on my fundraising page.  Thank you in advance!

Join the conversation on Facebook: Just Piddlin' with Frances