Resolve Now

So many people wait until January 1st to start a new diet, start a new exercise program, start doing this, stop doing that... blah blah blah.  I say, DON'T wait.  Don't wait for a new day of the week, month, or year.  Don't wait for your schedule to clear.  Don't wait for the holidays to be over.  Start now, before Thanksgiving, before all of the treats of Christmas, before the celebrations of New Years.  Start now.

True story:  I used to HATE Thanksgiving because it meant feeling full and sick all day.  It wasn't until college one year that I discovered Thanksgiving didn't have to mean eating and eating and eating and eating and eating.  I had a nice meal and that. was. it.  I actually felt like I could enjoy Thanksgiving a little more because I wasn't feeling the crazy urge to take a nap and sleep away the fulness, only to wake up and stuff myself some more.  I really used to do that.  (And also on other holidays or for random Sunday dinners).

What prompted this post is an article I read by the National Calorie Control Council (seriously, that's a real council) about Thanksgiving Day totaling more than 4500 calories for the average American!  Are your freaking kidding me?!  That's nuts!  Read the article here, if interested.  So yeah, let's resolve NOW to practice moderation, keep up with our workouts, and better enjoy the holiday season :)

Obsessing much?

I never weigh myself.  I just don't believe in obsessing over a stinkin' number, when in reality that number may not mean much at all, because, let's face it: we're all built so different from one another.  Not to mention lifestyle differences that contribute to weight, or mass, I should say.  A couple weeks ago I was at a friend's house and there was a scale sitting out so I thought, what the heck, why not.  I hopped right on, fully expecting a far lesser number than what popped up.  This really chapped me--all day, in fact--because I feel like I've been especially consistent lately with my running goals... yet, here was this darned number telling me otherwise.

Or WAS it?!?

I think we can all agree that it's a foolish idea to obsess over a number, right?  But we need something to mark our progress, which is the convenient thing about a scale because it provides a pretty solid idea of where we're at.  I would offer a new idea: weigh in twice monthly.  That whole saying "a watch pot never boils"?  Yeah, well here ya go: weigh yourself daily and it's much harder to see the benefits of your hard work because you're trying to track subtle changes. 

Here's an even better idea: use how you feel each day as a marker of where you're at with your goals.  Do you feel better about yourself?  Were you able to run a little farther today without stopping?  Have you completely forgotten about your kids' Halloween candy hidden in the closet?  Do your pants seem to fit a little looser? 

I love to use MapMyFitness because it allows you to log your daily exercise and diet AND allow room for comments on how you felt that day.  What's awesome is being able to look back and SEE your improvements!  No matter how subtle the improvements may seem, when you're looking at it at the end of a week or month it's surprising to see how far you've come.  Also awesome: you can add friends so that when you update your diet or exercise you can share it with no one, just your friends, or make it public.  That's a great way to hold yourself accountable!  What's even MORE awesome is that they have a great app for iphones and androids.  Go check it out, if you haven't already.