√ Workout Wednesday - Getting Started!

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Ernestine Shepherd: 70+ years old

It's a new year and we all have things we've decided to do for the year. We usually call them "resolutions" but they tend to last about a month and then fall slowly by the wayside. I don't usually make resolutions. What I do is edit and re-write goals for the year. What's the difference? Well the difference is very slight. A Goal is an end or achievement whereas a resolution is a intent. In my world, intent does not always get you to the achievement of a task. So, after considering for a long time what goals I wanted to map out for the next few months (I don't do the year, it's too long and seems too overwhelming) I decided I needed to Get Fit!

In April of 2014 I had a baby girl who is a pure blessing to our family, but who also changed my body to one that is unrecognizable to me. Not drastically different, but I have no real clue what my actual size is or what will now look good on my person. In 2014 I also dedicated a lot of time to crochet. Not a very "active" craft, but one that has brought me tons of satisfaction. Knowing that crochet will continue to take up a lot of my time and that if I don't allow myself to get to know my body I will always be in the dark about my size, my goal in 2014 is to get "Tone, Fit and Healthy"! I am not focusing on losing weight although it may be a by-product of my activity, but on putting more movement into my days and allowing my body to stretch and tighten as needed so that I can feel good through my days and know that I'm doing some good for myself.

I've heard that the best way to stay accountable is to tell someone, so, I'm letting you know what I'm doing, asking you to join me and and let's keep each other accoutable! I have a board on Pinterest called "Get Moving" where I've pinned several websites that give pointers in different ways to target the parts of your body you'd like to work on. I'll be using quite a bit of that information and any more that I come across along the journey.

Now,  goal isn't really a goal unless there is an actual destination. Every Wednesday I will write about the journey, maybe include some images of me (before / after. . . still in negotiations) and anything that I'm doing to reach the goal. Today is an introduction, next week I will post my current numbers as well as the goals I want to attain for each area of "improvement".

I'd love for you to join me! Write a blog post about your goal and share it in the comments or simply leave a comment letting me know you'll be following along. If you'd rather send me an email, you can do that too. I would just love to know who is on this journey with me and cheer you on as I will also need some cheering.

2014 is a new year and a new opportunity to Get Moving! It's not about the weight you lose, but about the health and energy you gain. Food, exercise and activities are all a part of the healthy lifestyle that we should all choose to live. Let's GET MOVING together!!

√ Workout Wednesday - Goals

√ Last week I introduced you to the idea of getting healthy in 2014! Not focusing on weight, but on being a healthy and energetic body. This week it's all about goals! When I made the decision it wasn't a resolution but a goal, and in order to acheive I need to know where I am so that I can determine where I want to be aka my "goal"! As I mentioned last week, it's about gaining healthy habits and making changes that will get my body fit, strong and healthy. If that means losing weight, a little or a lot, for you, then make sure to include a weight goal in your plan. For me, it's about looking at myself in the mirror and recognizing the body I now have as mine. It's also about keeping up with my two young children!
My plan consists of a few areas:
- Fitness / Exercise
- Diet
- Energy / Strength

I want to change eating habits that will work in conjunction with an exercise routine and get my body fit, energetic and happy! That's it! Below are the numbers I'm starting with and the goals I want to attain. I am not giving myself a date for all these things to happen, because being healthy is an ongoing process. When I reach the goals, the next step will be to maintain them. I'm starting in 2014, but this should go far beyond that!

Early 2010 I read a book called "One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way" it was all about taking the smallest step in the direction you want to go, being consistent and watching how you reach your goal. I plan on re-reading that book in the next couple of weeks to remind myself that I hold the ability to make the needed changes in my life. I don't have to start everything all at once, I just need to start and be consistent.

My stats are:
- Bust: 34
- Waist: 30
- Hips: 37.5
- Weight: 122

My goals are:
- Bust: 34
- Waist: 25
- Hips: 35
- Weight: Between 115 & 120 lbs.

As you can see, for me it's more about losing inches than weight. In order to do that, I really need to focus my attention on those areas I want to change with targeted exercise. I've determined that since this is my program, I am free to add to it as I go. I'm also free to alter it (in the positive only) as needed when necessary, so don't be surprised when you see changes. There are no hard and fast rules, there is only moving forward, and as long as I am doing that, it's all good.

I'm starting with one small step. . . Next Week: Water

If you missed last week's post, here is a link back Workout Wednesday - Getting Started

√ Workout Wednesday - Loving Yourself

√ I know I said I'd be talking about snacking today, however, sometimes the plan changes because the needs change. I'll talk about snacking in about two weeks. Today I want to talk about loving yourself, after all you're not working out and developing good health habits for anyone but yourself right?

re-created Nike ad

Yesterday while briefly browsing Pinterest . . . ok, not briefly, but anyway, I came across this photo. I was so intrigued, I clicked through to see where it came from. As I dug a little deeper I found out that this ad is not the original one done by Nike, but a recreation. The words were from Nike, but the photo was not, so I dug deeper and found the actual ad, which was run in 2005.

Why would I go through all that trouble? Because I can relate. Thankful that I've grown up in a milieu where the size of my butt has always been a big +. However, I have been in company where people were very self-conscious about it. Seeing this ad was refreshing. As I work out, I'm finding that many of my clothes are beginning to fit differently. A bit more snug around my butt and thighs. I'm ok with that and have adjusted my "hip target" accordingly. I'm not trying to be the skinny mini I was in college, but a rounder, healthier me. So I've embraced what's changing for the positive and continue to work on the areas I know can be better.

Nike actual 2005 ad found Here

The actual ad, to me, was even more compelling and beautiful. The website where I found this ad the first time was in an angry voice that Nike would "manipulate" us with ads that really speak to us so we could buy their products. . . I think it's great that curves are being celebrated. I'm not going out to buy Nike, but I must admit, just as I'm excited about Dove and may pick up their products before some others, I may pick up Nike before some others because their advertising talks to me.


Dove Real Women Ad Found Here

Say what you will. . . where I found all these ads were crying sexism and corporate blah blah blah . . . but it's about time we all took a look at our bodies and loved them for all the shapes and sizes they come in. I believe in being healthy, and your healthy may not look like my healthy, but as long as we're loving our bodies and feeling our best, what else is there?

Last week, for the first time since I've had my daughter (April 2014) I went to purchase a dress and felt it "lay" in a way that made me feel great! My journey continues even as I push myself and the workouts get harder. I have a goal. It's up to me to love my body at every stage.

What do you think of these ads or what they say? You can click through the ad captions to find the original posts. . . If you disagree with me, all the better...

If you're just joining the conversation, you can find all other Workout Wednesday posts Here

Next Week: Progress Update

√ Mystery - Wip (work In Progress)

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As you can see over there <----- on my bucket list is "publishing a book of crochet or knit patterns". as life would have it, i can't just wake up one day and say i'll publish that today, there to be steps in the process. thinking those began with plan create new pattern every 10-15 days for Etsy Shop and then submitting a book proposal in the Spring . . . however, as I was merrily rolling along creating a project, something triggered my brain toward the idea of submitting my patterns to crochet magazines . . . huh . . . As I pondered the thought, in the middle of working on this project

I did some research and found that a few deadlines were within my reach and the theme's were in line with my project.

Needless to say my excitement level moved up a few notches and I did what was necessary to complete the project and get my proposal out in plenty of time for the first deadline!

That means, the mystery project will have to remain a mystery until I hear back from the publication. It's exciting to have a pattern submitted to a magazine and although it can also be pretty nerve-wrecking I'm finding there are many options so if it's not accepted this time, I can submit to another publication or sell it myself. Nonetheless, the most important thing is to have a constant flow of new project happening in order to keep my creativity fresh and marketable.

Stay tuned, I'll certainly keep you updated on my publishing journey!

√ Workout Wednesday - Water

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Photo courtesy of Ids Water

In my ongoing effort to get healthier this year I decided to start with one small step and build from there.

Water.

Our bodies need water for all its processes and yet we don’t usually get enough. We’ve all heard it said that we need at least 8 8-ounce glasses of water each day but do we know what that means? I’d venture to say I thought it meant I’d never get enough water because 8 glasses of water a day seems overwhelming. Besides, why would we need that much? Turns out we lose water in so various ways, some we don’t really think of like breathing, so we need to replenish every day. So I did a bit of research to see what benefits I’d get and if this 8 8-ounce glass thing was true!

What I found
In doing research on the subject there was so much to absorb I decided to focus on what it would mean for me personally (I will provide links to relevant websites at the end of this post). Since I am an average woman, it seemed logical to go with the suggestions for that demographic. Now, keep in mind our needs vary depending on our activity, where we live and what we eat, so we all have different needs. In assessing my situation I found that if I drank 2 – 3 bottles of water a day, coupled with eating more fruits and vegetables, I could get my daily requirement. What’s that, well “average” women actually need about 9 8-ounce glasses of “fluid” a day and men need closer to 13! However, all fluids count! Some more than others, so if you drink two bottles of water and have two glasses of juice you’re ¾ of the way there for your day. If you’ve eaten fruits and vegetables you’ve probably gotten enough fluids for the day.

courtesy of Sustainable Footprint

What I’m doing
After doing the research I took my first step and started drinking at least 2 16-ounce bottles of water a day (equal to 4 glasses). Before this I wasn’t drinking much water and as I look back I can see some days when I didn’t get many fluids at all. Because the goal is to be healthier, those two bottles of water are going to make a difference. As I develop a new habit of getting enough fluids I’m more aware of what those fluids contain. So I drink more water and tea and less soda and juice only because I also want to reduce my excess sugar intake. . . more on that later.

Here are some useful links to articles that can help you develop a water/fluid plan that works for your lifestyle.

Mayo Clinic: Water-How much should you drink every day?
Freedrinkingwater.com: The Importance of Water and Your Health
Water Cure: You're not sick, you're thirsty
 
How much fluid intake do you get each day? Have your habits changed? Tell me what you think in a comment or email.
 
If you missed the previous posts in this Workout Wednesday series you can catch up here:
- Getting Started
- Goals
 
Next week: Walking