How Do You Measure a Year?

measuringlife:

I knew in 2010 I wanted to make big life changes. Aftering a conversation with a friend during a long roadtrip I took the challenge to measure my year in “cups of coffee” as per the song seasons of love in RENT.

For the past 2 weeks I have been tracking my coffee intake and it got me thinking about tracking other things as well. This blog will be my living journal as I track these aspects of my life:

My weight
How often I go to the gym
What I did at the gym
How many miles I run on a tredmill
How many calories I burned at the gym
If I have not eaten after 9pm
How many times a day I wake up early to take a long walk with my dog

I’m committed to changing my diet and lifestyle this year.
I have been on a half ass diet for most of my adult life, that has yielded limited or temporary results.

I’d say the last time I really felt good about myself was my sophomore year of college/beginning of junior year. Looking back I really looked pretty great. Strangely enough I have no idea how much I weighed then either, therefore I don’t have how far off I am from getting there again.
I’d say I was also in decent shape my last semester of grad school. I even have TONS of great clothes from that period that I would love to wear again.

Well I’m dedicated this year. I’m testing my self, my mind, my body and my soul.
If I’m not successful in OH-TEN than I think I’m going to commit to being fat.

My dad struggled most of his life with weight and yo-yoing. He was heavy for most of my youth and then in high school he lost 100 pounds with slimfast, diet, and exercise. He even kept it off for 6-8years. It was when he retired that he started putting on weight again and obviously defeated he let him self gain nearly all of that weight back. His unhappiness with his body ultimately led him to get gastric bypass surgery which killed him.

I want to love my body, whichever body I am supposed to have and maintain. So if things don’t work out for me this year (which is a trial run, which if successful I plan to keep up for the rest of my life) than I want to stop trying to reach for something that is impossible and just learn to love myself where ever I’m at.

Now don’t get me wrong I will always want to stay healthy…I want stay active and try and eat right, but I think this is a test of my state of mind, body and soul.

Seriously, why halfway diet if you get no results. My body tends to like where it’s at regardless of what I eat or don’t eat, exercise or don’t exercise. So in 2011 if big changes haven’t happened I think I’m going to be content with how I look, but I can’t be content unless I try my darnedest within reason.

I have no plans to act like a biggest loser contestant, but I do plan on monitoring my sugar intake (my mom did that and transformed her body and her life),I also want to eliminate late night eating (only liquids after 9pm), in addition to going to the gym at least 4 times a week (I would like to try and get to a 10 minute mile on the treadmill), I want to walk more (morning walks with Freddie before work to get my blood pumping, parking farther at work, etc).

Ideally I’d like to lose 5 lbs a month (which means 40 pounds by my birthday which would be magical). I am only going to weigh myself on Fridays, instead of obsessively weighing myself. I’m on a kick of writing lots of things down (thanks in part to my coffee count) I have made a nightly checklist so to speak to keep my self accountable. I also think writing all this in blog form also makes me accountable. I not only said it, but I WROTE it for the whole world to see (not like the whole world reads this), so it’s pressure, but good pressure.

My mantra may come from a weird place, but it has been speaking to me nearly a year now:

I don’t care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul

It’s from Radiohead’s song “Creep”, but the lyrics really stood out to me when David Cook covered it in his old band Axium. Obviously I’m not looking to fit popculture’s definition of perfection, but rather the best version of myself.

If I meet my goal, I would also like to get those lyrics tattooed on my side/ribs. Recently I been to writing the lyrics everywhere to serve as a reminder of the task at hand.

I think this is all truly attainable. The only way I could fail is if I LET MYSELF FAIL.

I encourage you all to ask me how I’m doing and to keep me in your thoughts and prayers on my journey this year

Thanks self for starting this journey 6 years ago this week. I’m so glad I took a chance on myself in an effort to lead my best life!

Good vibes/prayers please

A job opportunity that my boyfriend has been waiting for over a year to post FINALLY posted today and is only open through Friday (that’s the federal gov’t for ya)! This would mean big things for us if he got it! Any positive thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa Bake | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Stop what you are doing and make this!

After a crockpot flop last weekend I was determined to hit a home run. It is super easy and delicious!

Quinoa! Ground turkey! Spices!

Topping it with green onions and lime FTW!

You’re welcome 😉

Foot Doc

After MOOOOOONTHS of putting it off, I scheduled an appointment with the sports podiatrist I saw back in 2012 when I first was officially diagnosed with PF and a heel spur. This time around it’s my OTHER foot that I’ve been experiencing similar aches and pains with (since June at least). This foot hurts more than I remember my other foot hurting. So next Friday morning is my long overdue appointment.

Crisp Miles

Ran 5 glorious miles on a nearby running trail last night with my headlamp. It was 45 degrees, but between my long sleeve running t, tights, and fleece headband that covered my ears I was golden.

Chased that with a bodyflow/yoga class.

Great first week of 2016 fitness!

Public Service Announcement

Went for my annual GYN exam this morning. Went to a new doc because my old one is too hard to get an appt with so they recommended this guy.

It’s important to stay on top of your whole health.

Stair Master

Thanks to my new fitbit, cold weather, and slow days at work before the semester starts – I decided to climb 3 split flights of stairs in a barely used stairwell in my building.

Yesterday I did 5 rounds of down and up the stairs and today I did 6 rounds. I’d like to see if I can keep this up all semester and continue to increase the amount of rounds.

WIW

Last week: 195.4
This week: 195.8/197.4

I need a new scale. It’s 4-5 years old and despite replacing the battery in November I just don’t trust it anymore. It was 195.8 when I first got on, then I doubled checked (as per usual) and it came up 197.4. They next few attempts it flashed between the two. So who knows. Any digital scale recs? Please message me!

As we all know weight is only part of the story. I decide to get back on the measurements train. I will do measurements on the first Wednesday of the month.

January 2016

Chest (under breasts): 36
Smallest Waist 38.5
Belly Button: 43.5
Hips (under belly): 44
Neck: 13
Mid Upper Arm: 11.5
Upper Arm: 13.5
Upper Thigh: 28.5
Mid Upper Thigh: 23
Above Knee: 18
Mid Calf: 15.75

Week 1: Back at the gym & ½ training

Week 1

Last Monday: Joined Golds (for the 3rd time in my life), briskly walked 2 miles on the treadmill, went to Body Pump
Last Tuesday: 4 miles outside
Last Wednesday: Went Body Pump Express 30 then CRX class, 1 mile treadmill cool down
Last Thursday: 5K solo trail run
Sunday: 6 miles outside

Week 2 Preview

Yesterday: Went to Body Pump then CRX class, ½ mi treadmill cool down
Today: Plan to check out Body Attack to see how it compares to Pump and run 4 miles (hopefully outside before class,but my face my freeze off)

My goal is to go to classes 2x a week. I want to check out as many class/instructor options before I get into a “routine.”

I also really like that a number of the classes are back to back taught by the same instructor so you can go from Pump to CRX seamlessly or Pump to Body Flow/Yoga.

My half marathon training this cycle is an intermediate plan that has me running 3x a week, but generally at a higher mileage – need to figure out my optimal weekday run days. I’m thinking Mon or Tues afterwork and Thurs before work in addition to a weekend run on Sat or Sun. The plan is to run the Shamrock ½ in VA Beach 3/20 with T, however we haven’t registered yet.

2015 Reflection Survey

A friend of mine posted this last week on her blog (and she’s been religious about doing it annually for yeeeeears). So I thought I’d take a stab:

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before? Used my passport!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Losing weight and new race distances/events didn’t happen, but I was active and had ups and downs with my nutrition. However I am in a MUCH MUCH better place financially – every year over the past few I’ve continued to get a better handle on my finances.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Babies were born, some I care more about than others, but no babies were born to anyone that would change my relationship with them.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No thankfully.

5. What places did you visit? North to South & East to West: York Beach ME, Nashua NH, Boston, Charlemont MA, Hamden CT, NYC, Coney Island, Long Island, Fenwick Island DE, Dewey Beach DE, Pittsburgh, Frederick MD, Baltimore, Annapolis, Harpers Ferry WV, Leesburg VA, Harrisonburg VA, Charlottesville VA, Roanoke VA, Blacksburg VA, Raleigh, Charlotte, Ireland, Kansas City, Los Angeles(x2).

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015? A new more fulfilling and challenging job.

7. What days from 2015 will you always remember? First time T told me he loved me, Dublin Marathon, Bestie’s Wedding.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Successfully training for the Dublin Marathon. The race is only 26.2 miles, but I’m most proud of the hundreds of miles I put in training.

9. What was your biggest failure? Hibernating most of the winter and early spring. More of a regret than a failure.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Heel spur and plantar fasciitis on my right foot.

11. What was the best thing you bought? New running shoes and my first television (they happened in the same week)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? T – he took on the challenge to train for a 12K very seriously and rocked it!

13. Where did most of your money go? Paying down my car (it will be all mine in March), Rent/Bills, Traveling

14. What did you get really excited about? 1 year Anniversary with T, Trip to Ireland, Bestie’s Wedding, Dewey Trip Round 3

15. What song will always remind you of 2015? Uptown Funk and the Taylor Swift Starbucks lover song ha!

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier!
b) thinner or fatter? literally the same level of fatness
c) richer or poorer? Richer!

17. What do you wish you’d done more of? Attended Church – I was doing so well for a while, but January is always a good time to get back to it!

18. What do you wish you’d done less of? Screwing around on my phone in bed (both before going to sleep and before getting out of bed).

19. How did you spend Christmas? On Long Island at my mom’s house.

20. What was your favorite TV program? The Soup, Nashville, Making a Murderer, Younger, The Office

21. What was the best book you read? Sadly I didn’t do a lot of reading this year – I have a stack of books, but haven’t read them.

22. What music did you get excited about? New David Cook record!

23. What did you want and get? A new and upgraded Fitbit

24. What did you want and not get? A new job

25. What was your favorite film of this year? In theaters – American Sniper

26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 32 – boozy brunch and Escape Room Live

27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015? Boldly patterned shorts and lots of running clothes!

28. What kept you sane? T, my besties, running, writing/blogging

29. Who was the best new person you met? My grad student – I needed the help at work and he’s been great! Honorable mention goes to my fellow runner/blogger/colleague Anne.

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014. Find your north and trust it completely. I need to be me 100% – love me or hate me.

Kudos to you if you took the time to read all this – thank you!