Well, we are a week and a bit into the new year and I have started approximately zero of my fitness and health plans. I can make a bunch of excuses (and they are actually kind of good ones) but that would set a precident that I absolutely cannot stand for if I'm going to get anything done. And so, on that note, let the resolutions begin.
I will:
Eat at maximum ONE extra-large-not-on-any-diet-but-so-delicious meal a week. And no, if I miss one, it does NOT roll over.
Have one drinking night a month, with the exception of a single glass of (pref red) wine whenever I want. I can go out, for sure, but I can only drink ONE glass of wine (or caloric equivalent, which I'm pretty sure still rules out most other alcoholic beverages). On the excepted once a month, my usual limit is fine.
Make it a goal to prepare my lunches for the week on the weekend. Both to save money and to eat better.
Eat clean. This means limit the sugar, dairy fats (Good luck, me! Low fat cheese will be okay I promise.), and refined carbs (plus some fatty meats, but I don't eat those that often anyway). This doesn't mean red-line-NO, it means watch how much of them I eat, and sometimes the decision between eating that toast or eating some vegetables well... should be kind of obvious no?
Count calories until they don't need counting. I know it's hard and I hate it, but to learn it all it really needs to be done. I start tomorrow. I have reprieve on my Once-a-week/month days (because I know if I record it I'll just feel bad).
Exercise. No really. I'm not going to say exactly how because I know that will change with the seasons, my emotions and my general well-being. Those plans will be made on a weekly basis here.
And that is where I will start. In 6 months we will re-evaluate and see where I am.
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Now, for the more immediate life things.
Hoo boy there's been someone shaking the bush around here. A couple important things will be changing in the next 1-3 months.
Firstly, Jon and I will be moving. The rent at our current place has proven to be too high for us to maintain. It was especially difficult through the holidays, when both Jon and I were working less. It's put us in a little bit of a tight spot that we can't keep up, and so we are working on moving. We will be moving in with a friend of ours to a 2 bedroom apartment yet to be located but probably in Walnut Creek (given that the apartments are simultaneously cheap and nice there). If anyone knows of a place in the northern east bay with 2 bedrooms under $1500, allows cats, is near a BART station and is NOT in a sketchy part of Oakland, let me know. We hope to have a place before the 1st of February, but definitely before the 15th, as we are planning on giving 30 days notice to our current manager ASAP so Feb rent is prorated. There are some cool places we have already found and we're hopeful about finding others as well.
Secondly, jobs jobs jobs. I'm looking for a new one. There's a lot of reasons, a bit more than I'd like to go into here. BUT I would like to go into the KIND of job I'm looking for. I'm looking for another marketing assitant type job (Marketing Associate is another possible job title I have seen), but the big difference between a new job and my current job is WHERE. I want a spot at a tech company or videogame developer. A reasonably sized place that mostly has their act together but is still fun. Think a Google type work environment. (Honestly, I would just say "Google please hire me!!" but I checked and they don't have any openings below manager in their marketing departments right now. I'll keep checking though.) It's best if I can stay in the Bay Area, unless whatever company will help with relocation (unlikely at entry level). One thing that's really important to me is at least somewhat flexible hours. 9-5 doesn't work for me. It breaks my life. 11-7 would be a million billion times better. I also definitely want out of business to business. I'm more interested working directly at consumers, rather than supporting a process that really isn't about what I do, but about what other people do. I'd rather be like, "play this awesome game!" than "use this awesome law firm!" Heck I'd even prefer "drink this awesome drink!" Anything but services.
Anyway, theres the changes. They are large, somewhat frightening and all.
ONWARDS. (normal weekly posts start tomorrow)
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Happy New Year!
Fun fact: exactly one year ago today, I started this blog.
Looking back over the year, in terms of the goals I had, the one I have stuck to best was writing here about what is going on with me and generally keeping my goals in mind.
I cannot say that the year has been successful, because in terms of physical goals I have only moved backwards. I cannot say that it was wasted though. I have learned a whole lot in this whole process and continue to learn every day. I've tried a whole lot of new things, some good, some not so good, but all educational and some life changing.
The biggest lessons learned in 2012:
1) carb control. If the slow carb diet taught me anything other than that no diet like that is ever sustainable, it is to control my carbs. A year ago, bread in the house would have resulted in immediate consumption of too much toast. Now, I don't buy bread because it gets moldy or stale before I eat more than 3 or 4 pieces. I even once intended to get sandwich makings for lunches, and remembered everything but the bread at the store. I ate the sandwich makings with crackers at work instead, still carbs, but fewer and more easily controlled.
2) to cook my own lighter foods. I'm absolutely positive that if I were only feeding myself, I would eat amazingly and lightly. I've learned to cook new things with new ingredients and even to creatively apply those ingredients to my own whatever the hell. It's been a good food year, even if I have been trying to lose.
3) that exercise is well and truly the only way, but that exercise takes many many forms and definitely doesn't have to suck or cost lots of money.
4) that getting some help is a good thing, not a desperate move, but a first step to trying to understand yourself and help yourself.
5) why I want this, why I'm writing this, what this whole effort means to me and what I hope to get out of it
6) that defined plans regarding exercise are the most likely to be completed. If I say I'm going to do something a day or two before I'm going to do it, it's much more likely to happen.
6.5)Speaking in definites: I'm going to, I will rather than possibles or probablies is much more effective.
7) gearing up makes you want to do the things the gear is for more. (I got a bunch of new gear for Xmas, I've been crazy busy, but now that things are settling... Yes.)
Here's to 2013 and the lessons it is sure to provide, hopefully along with a bit more success than 2012. A lot more success.
On that note, I am going to hit the regimen hard come Monday. The blogilates calendar is cardio heavy for January and I can't wait to get started. I'm also in the process of figuring out a gym membership, but money is a bit tighter than usual this month so it may have to wait. Until then, weighted lunges and star jumps it is.
Looking back over the year, in terms of the goals I had, the one I have stuck to best was writing here about what is going on with me and generally keeping my goals in mind.
I cannot say that the year has been successful, because in terms of physical goals I have only moved backwards. I cannot say that it was wasted though. I have learned a whole lot in this whole process and continue to learn every day. I've tried a whole lot of new things, some good, some not so good, but all educational and some life changing.
The biggest lessons learned in 2012:
1) carb control. If the slow carb diet taught me anything other than that no diet like that is ever sustainable, it is to control my carbs. A year ago, bread in the house would have resulted in immediate consumption of too much toast. Now, I don't buy bread because it gets moldy or stale before I eat more than 3 or 4 pieces. I even once intended to get sandwich makings for lunches, and remembered everything but the bread at the store. I ate the sandwich makings with crackers at work instead, still carbs, but fewer and more easily controlled.
2) to cook my own lighter foods. I'm absolutely positive that if I were only feeding myself, I would eat amazingly and lightly. I've learned to cook new things with new ingredients and even to creatively apply those ingredients to my own whatever the hell. It's been a good food year, even if I have been trying to lose.
3) that exercise is well and truly the only way, but that exercise takes many many forms and definitely doesn't have to suck or cost lots of money.
4) that getting some help is a good thing, not a desperate move, but a first step to trying to understand yourself and help yourself.
5) why I want this, why I'm writing this, what this whole effort means to me and what I hope to get out of it
6) that defined plans regarding exercise are the most likely to be completed. If I say I'm going to do something a day or two before I'm going to do it, it's much more likely to happen.
6.5)Speaking in definites: I'm going to, I will rather than possibles or probablies is much more effective.
7) gearing up makes you want to do the things the gear is for more. (I got a bunch of new gear for Xmas, I've been crazy busy, but now that things are settling... Yes.)
Here's to 2013 and the lessons it is sure to provide, hopefully along with a bit more success than 2012. A lot more success.
On that note, I am going to hit the regimen hard come Monday. The blogilates calendar is cardio heavy for January and I can't wait to get started. I'm also in the process of figuring out a gym membership, but money is a bit tighter than usual this month so it may have to wait. Until then, weighted lunges and star jumps it is.
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