August Resolutions & Blog Update

So, I'm sorry for my absence--I've been traveling and my family has had a few bumps (that are turning out fine), but I'm back. Bad News: LisaD is going to stop being a regular contributor here, but good news, she's starting her own blog soon! She may still post here now and again, but for now she needs to concentrate on finishing her graduate work & launching her own site.

For now, I've decided to return to the earlier format that tracked my fitness progress, mixed with some public policy commentating, etc. So, it'll be a bit more personal & life-style oriented, but they'll still be smart-pants critiques regarding feminism, women's health, pop-culture, etc. Speaking of sound public policy, YAY! The HHS announced today that birth-control and other reproductive health care for women will be classified as preventative which means no co-pays! This is seriously great news!!! Also, breast-feeding aides, such as pumps, will also be covered. So this is a victory for women all around!!!

Now, onto my August Resolutions:

1. Get under 200 lbs (I'm very close); I know that this is a more straight-forward weight-loss goal and less a health-goal, but its my damn goal and I can seriously realize it in a very healthy manner because I'm only pounds away!
2. Concentrate on weight-training & study the possibility of hiring a personal trainer for a specific period of time.
3. Eat more super-foods and anti-oxidants.

10 tips for Setting Successful Weight-loss Goals

MayoClinic.com provide the following list

1. Personalize your goals. Set goals that are within your capabilities and take into account your limitations.
2. Aim for realistic weight-loss goals. Healthy weight loss occurs slowly and steadily. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.
3. Focus on the process. Make your goals "process goals,"
4. Think short term and long term. Short-term goals keep you engaged on a daily basis, but long-term goals motivate you over the long haul.
5. Write it down. When planning your goals, write everything down and go through all the details.
6. Start small. It's helpful to plan a series of small goals that build on each other instead of one big, all-encompassing goal.
7. Pick a date. Timing is crucial, often making the difference between success and failure. Choose a definite start date and don't put that date off for anything. Be sure to account for life circumstances that might hamper your efforts, such as work or school demands or relationship problems. You may need to resolve some issues before starting.
8. Plan for setbacks. Setbacks are a natural part of behavior change. Everyone who successfully makes changes in his or her life has experienced setbacks. Identifying potential roadblocks and brainstorming specific strategies to overcome them can help you stay on course.
9. Evaluate your progress. Review your goals each week.
10. Reassess and adjust your goals as needed. Be willing to change your goals as you progress in your weight-loss plan. I used many of the suggestions for my 7 Week Jump start
    

Example:

• I set my weight loss goal at 10 lbs in 7 weeks. I only have 8.8 lbs and 6 weeks left to accomplishment.
• I chose these time frame to start because I will not have grad school to interfere with my cooking and exercise.
• I didn't chose to lose 14 lbs in 7 weeks because rarely do I lose 2 lbs in a week.
• I write my weekly point averages and set weekly goals.
• This jump start is a mini goal on my journey to lose a 100 lbs. I started this journey on 9/3/08 with WW. I am 19.2 lbs down with 80.8 lbs go

5 Resolutions Not to Make This Year

Here is the list Cosmopolitan.com put out

1. Quit your job and wait for a dream career opportunity to present itself.
Reality check: Suck it up and hang on to your gig for now. Appease yourself by taking a class or picking up a hobby that will make your résumé stand out, like learning a foreign language or starting a blog.

2. Change your man.
Reality check: While some relationship tweaking is to be expected (hey, few guys are natural-born good kissers), if the words "fixer-upper" and "project" could describe your boyfriend, it's time to get real.

3. Triple the number of friends you have on Facebook.
Reality check: Less time stalking your friends' friends' friends. More time catching up with buddies you actually care about.

4. Don't eat any junk food.
Reality check: Cutting out all unhealthy food from your diet will most likely lead to binge eating, followed by intense guilt, by mid-January.

5. Save more money.
Reality check: Let's be honest. In this economy, we're just happy to be able to pay our rent, gas, and credit card bill.

Did You Know Muscle Mass Prevents Diabetes?

Well, now we have another reason to pick up the handweights--muscle mass helps prevent diabetes and the more you exercise those muscles, the better they get at processing blood sugar.

Doing arm weights and some squats is really good for you and even into old age, these simple weight-baring exercises reap some serious benefits.

So, why do I have a problem getting my toning regime in gear? Seriously, I do cardio really well, but the toning bit I always seem to do half-assed or I skip it. According to the Jillian Michaels book "Winning By Losing" one should warm up for five minutes doing cardio, then do the toning exercises and then do your cardio routine. Maybe that will help me. But here's part of my problem: getting an elliptical at the gym. I LOVE the elliptical and when I do go to the gym, getting one can be quite competitive. So giving it up after five minutes seems crazy-town. Especially at the beginning of the semester when everybody has new resolutions. Maybe walking to the gym from my office can be the warm-up, do the toning, then I'll try to get an elliptical machine. Regardless of how I accomplish this feat, I have to do toning because I'm a serious weakling. I hurt myself mowing the lawn a couple weeks ago because I didn't have the upper-body strength to push it at an angle up the hill. So regardless of appearance or looks or all that, I do need to work on my upper-body strength. I think that I am not particularly prone to gaining muscle easily and I need to work on it.

So, resolved for the 15th time: muscle good, me get muscles.