At the gym this morning, I saw that I’ve taken off 8 inches on my hips since February 2014. Since January 2014, I’ve also reduced my body fat by 9%, and lost at least one pants size.
But the reality is I have a lot more I want/need to do. This year, I want to do more with the fitness momentum I began in 2014.
My health and fitness goals for 2015 are these:
1.Reduce my body fat to 22-24%
This is most likely going to require a weight loss of at least 15 pounds, possibly as many as 25 or 30–I’ll find out.
2. Add exercise to my week so my weekly average is 10 hours a week, not six.
In addition to going to the gym 4-6 mornings a week for 1 hour to 90 minutes of exercise, I want to add 3 dance/movement classes to my schedule in the evening after work (I work across the street from the YMCA and down the block from a movement studio).
I also want to buy a bike and ride it to work 3X a week (this is going to take alot of work), and do 2 hikes a month or more, mostly on Sundays. Plus, planning to do some swing dance classes–I love to move, so why not?
3) Get a heart rate monitor. Evidence is in that friends with significant weight loss manage their eating, but they also do significant high-impact cardio. Enter the heart rate monitor. Data don’t lie.
4) Manage my eating more deliberately. It’s not that I have bad eating habits, it’s that I am a short person with a slow metabolism and it is so easy for me to overeat–I have done it my whole life, right? Sooo…
going to explore coaches and programs to help me relearn how and what to eat more mindfully. Planning to check out Weight Watchers, and then, if needed, Overeater Anonymous, Food Addicts, and nutrition/health coaches if that is what it takes (hoping WW works…). I would like to be significantly less heavy in 6 months.
5) Find new ways to do high-impact cardio.
Once I lose some weight and therefore have less bulk to stress my knees, explore running and more high-impact card interval work on a sustained basis–like trail running or women’s soccer. I would like to find an activity that was high-impact cardio and involved a team, a group, or a goal that got me out there doing it with gusto on a regular basis. What could that be? Have no idea right now.
6) Dial back on sugar, alcohol and wheat. Step up fish and vegan-style options.
Last year, I cut way back on fried food, wheat, sugar, red meat, and dairy, especially cheese. That has helped me feel a whole lot better than I had in 2013.
In 2015, I’d like to continue to drink–I love wine–but keep on the track of making it a more occasional thing, in small quantities.
I also want to stay serious about limiting the cereal/bread/pasta/rice etc and keep the baked goods dialed way back.
It would be swell to eat more fish, especially affordable options like trout and sardines, and if I can make the time for cooking, I can make vegan/veggie stews and soups as my lunch options.
7) Play!
8) Involve friends. How about more walks and hikes with friends, more bike rides, more crunches, and more dancing?
9) Get better at pull-ups and strengthen my upper body, so I can do some unassisted pull-ups one day. I want to be strong and fit enough to do unassisted pull-ups in 2016–so I have to stay building the muscles, and losing the weight, now.
10) Don’t get injured and keep showing up.
I’ve had stints in my life when I was obsessed with ice-skating or aerobics/cardio, but this is really the first time in 15 years that I am consistently doing more than walking and basic execs–and have been keeping it up for a year. I’d like to keep it up for the rest of my life, so staying healthy and keeping at it are critical.
11) Bonus goal–keep being inspired by others. There are so many people I know or see who inspire me with their own fitness and health journeys. I want to keep learning from them.
At the gym this morning, I saw that I’ve taken off 8 inches on my hips since February 2014. Since January 2014, I’ve also reduced my body fat by 9%, and lost at least one pants size.
But the reality is I have a lot more I want/need to do. This year, I want to do more with the fitness momentum I began in 2014.
My health and fitness goals for 2015 are these:
1.Reduce my body fat to 22-24%
This is most likely going to require a weight loss of at least 15 pounds, possibly as many as 25 or 30–I’ll find out.
2. Add exercise to my week so my weekly average is 10 hours a week, not six.
In addition to going to the gym 4-6 mornings a week for 1 hour to 90 minutes of exercise, I want to add 3 dance/movement classes to my schedule in the evening after work (I work across the street from the YMCA and down the block from a movement studio).
I also want to buy a bike and ride it to work 3X a week (this is going to take alot of work), and do 2 hikes a month or more, mostly on Sundays. Plus, planning to do some swing dance classes–I love to move, so why not?
3) Get a heart rate monitor. Evidence is in that friends with significant weight loss manage their eating, but they also do significant high-impact cardio. Enter the heart rate monitor. Data don’t lie.
4) Manage my eating more deliberately. It’s not that I have bad eating habits, it’s that I am a short person with a slow metabolism and it is so easy for me to overeat–I have done it my whole life, right? Sooo…
going to explore coaches and programs to help me relearn how and what to eat more mindfully. Planning to check out Weight Watchers, and then, if needed, Overeater Anonymous, Food Addicts, and nutrition/health coaches if that is what it takes (hoping WW works…). I would like to be significantly less heavy in 6 months.
5) Find new ways to do high-impact cardio.
Once I lose some weight and therefore have less bulk to stress my knees, explore running and more high-impact card interval work on a sustained basis–like trail running or women’s soccer. I would like to find an activity that was high-impact cardio and involved a team, a group, or a goal that got me out there doing it with gusto on a regular basis. What could that be? Have no idea right now.
6) Dial back on sugar, alcohol and wheat. Step up fish and vegan-style options.
Last year, I cut way back on fried food, wheat, sugar, red meat, and dairy, especially cheese. That has helped me feel a whole lot better than I had in 2013.
In 2015, I’d like to continue to drink–I love wine–but keep on the track of making it a more occasional thing, in small quantities.
I also want to stay serious about limiting the cereal/bread/pasta/rice etc and keep the baked goods dialed way back.
It would be swell to eat more fish, especially affordable options like trout and sardines, and if I can make the time for cooking, I can make vegan/veggie stews and soups as my lunch options.
7) Play!
8) Involve friends. How about more walks and hikes with friends, more bike rides, more crunches, and more dancing?
9) Get better at pull-ups and strengthen my upper body, so I can do some unassisted pull-ups one day. I want to be strong and fit enough to do unassisted pull-ups in 2016–so I have to stay building the muscles, and losing the weight, now.
10) Don’t get injured and keep showing up.
I’ve had stints in my life when I was obsessed with ice-skating or aerobics/cardio, but this is really the first time in 15 years that I am consistently doing more than walking and basic execs–and have been keeping it up for a year. I’d like to keep it up for the rest of my life, so staying healthy and keeping at it are critical.
11) Bonus goal–keep being inspired by others. There are so many people I know or see who inspire me with their own fitness and health journeys. I want to keep learning from them.