Getting a Jump on It: The December Health and Fitness Thread

[Suzana]

Hi, y'all! November is going out on a gray and rainy note, so I've decided to look ahead. How's it going out there? What will you do to boost your health and fitness for the rest of 2008 and beyond?

Preparations for a challenging show and Thanksgiving with my family have reminded me that I need to take extra measures to deal with stress. A busy rehearsal schedule and a recent fall reminded me that illness and injury prevention are also going to be critical all through the winter. My mother's over-the-top reaction to my slightly slimmer shape -- while really, really irritating in the context of our relationship -- reminded me that small improvements do make a difference even if what you're really going for are larger ones. These realizations are good because they're forcing me to narrow my focus down from a general, panicked "Aiee, gotta get in better shape!" (I am easily overwhelmed.) So here's my shortlist, in no particular order:

- Take a multivitamin religiously. Supplement with extra D for the winter blues and C for immunity. Wash your hands more often than you think you need to, and keep them away from your face. And keep drinking that water!

- Warm up and stretch thoroughly before rehearsals when there's no group warmup. The group warmup in class is great and the conditioning component is essential, but pay attention to your own body and target specific areas to supplement as needed.

- Make time to do good things for your body that don't directly involve dancing. That long walk at noon may seem like an interruption or an indulgence, but it's going to make you more effective at work all afternoon and help you maintain a positive attitude at the studio. If you let it go till later, the sun will be low and so will you. Need more incentive? It's also making a big difference in the look of your big behind.

- Dieting? Not on my list. What works for me is increasing activity, not decreasing intake. If I don't eat enough of the right stuff, neither my body nor my mind can do the work they're designed for. Fortunately I'm not a big fan of booze or sweets, so the usual holiday challenges aren't so bad. I'm a sucker for savory stuff, though, and I notice a big difference in how I feel when I don't get enough fresh fruit and vegetables, so I need to be careful how I manage those things.

- Be early. You rush too much, you stress yourself out and you risk getting into an accident or tripping over your own two feet. So much better to get there safely, on time, without breaking a sweat.

- Focus on the positives so the negatives don't take over, especially in situations that are frought with negatives. You put yourself in that situation, right? There must be a reason. Find it and embrace it, change the situation, or leave. Life is too short to live miserably. Also, through no fault of yours, bad things will happen, there will be ice storms, people will be nasty. Let it go.

What's on your list? What should be?

Suzana Nour

[KelsNasim]

ok - here's my list
1. Eat healthy. This means keeping a varied diet - and not having second helpings.
2. I too need to take my vitamins with more consistently. I need to take them with food - so I'll take them with dinner.
3. Workout everyday - even if just a little. It can be something fun too.
4. Hang out and play a game with my kids at least once a week. I love hearing about their lives. Nothing like making memories...l;,
5. Read at least one book. Keeps my mind sharp and sometimes help time pass through cravings.
I think that's it for now.

[Daisy]

Mine for december:

1. Continue with Michelle's "on the wagon " thread
2. Continue with lunch time walks, unless it gets too cold, freezing, rainy,windy,hail stormy (very likely as I'm in Scotland)
3. Start going for a jog (or drag) with my young (very energetic) shepherd dog
4. No extreme dieting, just going to try to cut processed foods from diet and eat lots of veggies, fruit and protein
5. Drink two litres of water per day.
6. Continue to get up early in morning to do some exercise before work ( this has made a HUGE difference to how I have been feeling overall)
7. Sleep more

[anyadance]

Here's mine... more of the same
1. 1 hour of physical activity every single day
2. Eat lunch!
3. Go to bed at 11, wake up at 7
4. Drink another litre of water a day (at 3 right now, hope to get to 4)
5. Up vegetable intake and try something new veggies
6. Keep the kitchen table clear of papers/mail/purses etc so I can sit at the table for dinner
7. Do 15-30m of warmup and stretching every morning before getting ready

In one month I lost 12 pounds (!!!) our scale is now broken so I'm resorting to body measurements instead. It's incredibly rewarding to remeasure and see 1 inch gone.

Good luck everyone! xoxo

[Monica]

I am feeling really good today. My partner and I have talked about playing tennis for, oh, about 18 months now. Over the least year we have found four good rackets at garage sales, bought some tennis balls, and he bought sneakers.

This morning? We finally played! And it was great. There are three different (free!) community courts close to our house, and we had so much fun that we committed to playing every weekend it is not raining. I am more likely to do non-dance active/exercise/outdoor things with another person, so this is making me happy.

Also on my list:
--Stretching. I need to be more patient with myself before and after class and workouts as I can feel some new cricks and creaks where there were not any before. I need to slow down to speed up.

--More vegetables. I have been slacking on my greens lately, which is dumb because I love them. I will have a vegie with every meal.

--Eat breakfast. At home.

--Keep on the 90 classes in 90 days program.

--There is an indoor community pool near my house that has both lap swimming and water aerobics. I use to swim competitively, and I want to get back in the water. To that end, I am going to attend the water aerobics class this Tuesday.

Thanks for starting this, Ms. Suzana Nour (I like the last name!), and in such a positive way!

[Suzana]

I can't edit my first post, so I'm adding this here just to be perfectly clear:

For me, "health and fitness" includes diet. I don't diet (the verb) because I can't -- my personal body chemistry doesn't allow it. I am careful of my diet (the noun) and consider nutrition to be an integral component of overall health. For some this means dieting, for others it doesn't. Your mileage may vary, and a comment about why I personally don't diet isn't intended as discouraging anyone else to do so if it works for him or her. Health and fitness are very personal and individual, and we all have to tailor our approaches to our needs. We all need to figure out what works and doesn't for us and learn from what works and doesn't for others, and in my experience Bhuz has always been a big help in doing that.

As always, this thread is intended to provide a place for everybody to stop in for progress reports, encouragement, inspiration, ideas, commiseration...whatever you need to help you meet your health and fitness-related goals. I would be very happy if dieters contributed to this discussion along with everyone else, so we can all add more colors to our paintboxes and more tools to our toolkits. It's a big tent here, ya know?

(It feels awfully silly to have to spell all this out, but if it clarifies things for anyone reading it, I'm delighted.)

Welcome, all!

[Suzana]

Thank you, Monica! I'm still getting used to using the last name, and I'm very happy that you like it.

More motivation for me to stay on the wagon:
Just tried on a beautiful, slinky new galabeya in the perfect shade of blue, courtesy of Ms. Monica. I love it! ..g.:

It's great reading everyone's lists and hearing about your progress. It's especially fun living vicariously -- I don't have a shepherd dog to keep me running, but I wish I did! And I know I'd trip over my feet if I tried to play tennis, but how cool that you two are doing it! I want to come up with something the guy and I can do together, but he's way ahead of me in the fitness department so we mostly take walks. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I look forward to being able to keep up with him in something that's a little more intense one of these days.

[Souzan]

Here are my goals:

Continue walking breaks at work: 20 mins morning, 20 afternoon

Stay on the 90 day challenge (so far so good)

More stretching. More sleep ,s::

Return to weight training (I fell off the wagon over the summer)

No ice cream! More fruit!

And most importantly, be thankful for what I have. Make the most of my strengths. Remember that adversity is my friend--it keeps me motivated to do better.

Over the past few months I have been so stressed and pressed for time that I have let regular workouts slides and gained weight. I need to lose 10 lbs to get back to where I was at the start of the summer and then get serious about weight training to keep the weight loss going. The older you get the harder it is, especially when people have low expectations of you. I hate the fact that I am expected to NOT be able to do something.

Souzan

[Monica]

Thank you, Monica! I'm still getting used to using the last name, and I'm very happy that you like it.

More motivation for me to stay on the wagon:
Just tried on a beautiful, slinky new galabeya in the perfect shade of blue, courtesy of Ms. Monica. I love it! ..g.:

YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!! I am so happy you like it!

I have (idly) considered taking a staged last name. It probably won't happen anytime soon, but yours is super cool and makes me want to try harder!

'K, sorry...

[danidance]

I think of diet & fitness quite differently from a motivation & in process standpoint (like weight watchers and gyms - not either or, just both).

But like you say, Zana, different approaches work for different people. So instead of creating seemingly conflicting threads but for those who want just diet support chat - I'll revive the Bhuz Dieters group (though it's historically less populated than the board).

You can find the Bhuz Dieter's group here:

http://www.bhuz.com/index.php?cmd=/p...s/forum/id_56/

[ssipes]

I am not going to cook massive quantities of rich foods that will just tempt me into overeating over and over again. For me, its never the one big meal, it is the 20 big meals, but not this year. It just isn't going to happen.

For thanksgiving, I prepared non-tradional foods -- for the most part just enough for the one meal. It was a very rich meal, but I didn't overeat or gain, and in fact lost a bit over the thanksgiving break. I plan to continue this through Christmas -- also to continue making exercise a priority no matter how busy I get.

[Suzana]

Thanks (again), Dani. That seems like a good solution if you want to keep the topics separate. I hope there are others who will continue to post their dieting successes/challenges/questions/ideas/etc. here with the other related topics.

Monica -- It'll be fun to see what you come up with. It took me a couple of nudges, actually. I put those two names together in my head a while back and liked the sound, but I'd been using just one name for so long that it didn't seem worth the trouble to change. Then another dancer with a similar single name popped up in my area and even my friends started confusing our gigs. At around the same time, one of my (our, I think) personal dance heroines suggested that I take a last name because "there are a lot of Suzanas out there and we want people to know you're YOU." And now I really need a new set of good business cards with photos, so finally I had to make a decision. (OK, maybe you do have to hit me over the head with a two-by-four.) So now I've got some extra Nour, just in time for the winter when we all need it. Hope it's reflected a bit in my dancing.

(Pardon the ramble, all.)

[Suzana]

Thanks also to those who mentioned sleeping more and keeping more regular hours. A few months ago Kiyaana pointed out the link between getting enough sleep and losing/maintaining weight, and a big lightbulb went on for me. I needed the reminder just now. (Literally "just now" -- I should have been in bed 90 minutes ago.)

[ozma]

My goal is to maintain my cooking schedule and continue to buy local produce and cook seasonally. I've succeeded in making my own lunch every day for work and have drastically cut back on added sugars, fruit juices, and processed foods.

I enjoy food to the fullest...and slowly.

I have lost weight over the year, a small amount, but that wasn't my motivation. My reasons for the diet and lifestyle changes stem most from the fact that the added sugar and crap in overly processed foods make the mood swings within any day I am dealing with depression issues more difficult. The excersize and making sure I am getting the most nutrient filled produce I can help take the edge off of low days. I'm no endorphine junky...but it keeps me level, helps me sleep better and smooths the edges when winter comes.

I stopped weighing myself earlier this year. I lost 3 kilos due to a bad case of the flu and was inundated with people complementing me on my weight loss. It was a wake-up reminder that my local standards of size are NOT some thing to follow.

[Lauren_]

In my typical overdo-everything fashion (is there a word for people who can't do anything just a little bit?) I've totally fallen in love with the Body for Life program, even though today is only my fourth day following some of the principles. I've just ordered the book and the 'success journal' and downloaded the packet to enter the 12-week Challenge. Daughter Jasmine and I are going to enter together in the couples/family category.

So that about covers my goals! Eating right, some serious weightlifting.

[MakedaMaysa]

I also need to take vitamins regularly - I'm tired a lot.

More fruits and veggies in the diet.

Continue my walking/jogging. I've really been surprised that I like it - a lot. And I've lost 10 pounds, so it's working! At first, I wasn't noticing the change, but the troupe just did a photo shoot and I can definitely see the difference now and others are starting to comment on it.

Drink more water - I HAVE to do this!

[shimarella]

Hmm, I will attempt to drink less at parties! Damn Dartmouth DNA :)

I am also re-committing myself to my at-home Pilates workouts which fell by the wayside a few years ago. I got a good new DVD and am waiting for my therabands to arrive since I actually tore mine over years of use!

Other than that, I am going to hang on to my usual cardio/weights breakdown and eat sensibly as best I can! I know I will be making/baking holiday gifties but that's generally a guarantee that I will not feel compelled to eat them myself.

[shootingstar84]

I'm in shock that it's December.

For those of you looking to add some more activity into your life this month, I made a calendar and posted it on my blog. Print off the calendar, write in your goals and give yourself a sticker for each day that you exercise! I've got mine stuck to my fridge and I've got two stickers so far :)

Ashley's Staying Active & Maintenance Blog

My goals this month include getting to bd class each week, getting to hot yoga at least twice and walking whenever I can.

[ghazallah]

Argh. The scale is at 177! I took my measurements yesterday, which will remain my secret. I gained four pounds this month.

So it's back to boot camp, like I mentioned in the November thread. Lots of good ideas posted so far! I'm going to keep up the MJ challenge, so a little extra ab work every day and cut out the nonsense in my food choices. And getting more strict with myself about making sure I get my vitamins and supplements and drink enough water. I have been really slack about having my vitamins!

[anyadance]

I also promise to take better care of my feet! More time w/o nailpolish, more lotion and scrubbies.

[arielarielariel]

For me:

1) Hydrate. Lotsa water. All the time.
2) Take better care of my skin. Going to Aveda after work today...
3) Work on some new songs.

[Suzana]

Hi, Ariel!
*waves, shimmies*

Skin! Yep, that belongs on the list for sure. Is anyone else's going nuts with the change of seasons? Or is it just another aspect of the dreaded stress monster?

[jenlindseys]

i started weight watchers yesterday! eek! anyone else doing it?

[Azhia]

In my typical overdo-everything fashion (is there a word for people who can't do anything just a little bit?) I've totally fallen in love with the Body for Life program, even though today is only my fourth day following some of the principles. I've just ordered the book and the 'success journal' and downloaded the packet to enter the 12-week Challenge. Daughter Jasmine and I are going to enter together in the couples/family category.

So that about covers my goals! Eating right, some serious weightlifting.

Dude, this is so amazing and effective, I LOVED it.
I really really really liked not having to work out more than 20 minutes of high-intensity lifting or aerobic activity.
You will definitely see results and I wish you well on the challenge!!

[Suzana]

I keep hearing such good stuff about Body for Life. Please keep us posted, Lauren!

[Azhia]

I have a bigger list of things that I wish to accomplish in the day, which includes exercise and/or rehearsing.

1. Walk/Exercise
2. Study French
3. Makeup Artistry/Technique
4. Industry/Business/Career Focus
5. Creative/Hands-on/Dance
6. Correspondence
7. Organize/Clean

This list is posted above my desk so that I can mentally check off when I've done something and make sure I do it.

Problem arising: As I'm exercising more regularly again, I'm bonking more so I need to shove more food in. Or I'm wildly craving carby sweet things in response to the bonking. Not sure how to counter this...

I discovered a new sweet treat that I love, though, and it takes 2 minutes to make: cut up apples stewed in their skins (to keep the trains moving) with a pinch of salt, dallop of blue agave nectar, thickened with kuzu. Can eat on top of cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or by themselves. *slurp*

[KelsNasim]

Ya know, cooking your meals is great. The actual process of preparing and cooking (and smelling) the meal makes the entire experience more satisfying. I also realized I was eating WAY too fast. I started setting my fork down between bites. Felt weird but it made me slow down and appreciate what I was eating. Plus, my belly had time to tell my brain it was full.
BTW - My hubby and his sister are doing weight watchers and love it. Especially the online tool that lets you type in your own recipes and tells you how many points a serving is. Very handy.

[Suzana]

Hey, Azh, did you mean bonking more as in...bonking more? Good for you! That may have to go on the list as well.

[Azhia]

With the "banging" post, I could see how "bonking" could be taken that way as well. ..g.:

No, I was referring to this kind of bonking...

Kels, that's awesome! Most people are not aware of what their food even tastes like as they're eating. Masticating well helps in this regard, too (chewing your food; digestion starts in the mouth).

[KelsNasim]

Hey, Azh, did you mean bonking more as in...bonking more? Good for you! That may have to go on the list as well.

Hee hee! Glad to know I wasn't the only one with their mind going there. ..l;,