Happy 2011

It is a new year. We are in our newly remodeled home (I will post some pictures later) and it is great. I am not one to make New Year's resolutions rather I usually make some goals for the year. I hadn't really got the chance to think about any goals for this new year since we had been so busy with the move. So now that I have had a chance to think more about it, I realized that I need to focus more on myself. I have been so busy being mommy, that I haven't really had the chance to do the things I like or want to do. So this year is about carving out time for me. Yes, I am Mama Bear, but I am also me. My needs have been put aside for 19 months, but I think it is time to find a balance between meeting my needs and the needs of my family.

My goals for 2011:

Get creative. There are two things that I hope to do to be more creative.

1. Learn to use my camera in manual. I got a new DSLR camera for Christmas. I had been wanting one for years and I finally got one and I am so excited to be able to use it. Several of my friends are doing an online 12 week lesson. So this will get me on my way. I've already completed week 1 and I will start posting the results of my lessons here as well.
2. Continue to design invitations. I enjoy designing and last year go back into it with designing Baby Bear's birthday invitation, my friend's baby shower invitation, and my grandmother's 90th birthday invitation. It has been so fun to have a creative outlet and I am currently designing an invitation for a friend's baby shower. I will share that here soon.

Revisit what I enjoy doing to stay balanced. Being balanced helps me to be a better mommy and less stressed and I really feel that it is time to focus a little on myself so that I can have the patience to deal with the challenges of parenting and have a clear head to parent more positively.

1. Increase the intensity and rigor of my workout. Before becoming Mama Bear, I exercised and worked out regularly. I still do that, but the intensity and level of my activity was much more rigorous. Part of it is carving the time for it, but it is also about making it a priority. It is important for me to be in shape and I need to make it a bigger priority. I started the New Rules of Lifting for Women the end of last year. I finished stage 1 and I am now into stage 2. I will admit I slacked off with stage 2 when the holidays hit and we began our move. I am ready to get back at it.
2. Get back to my regular yoga practice. I absolutely love yoga, but I haven't been able to regularly go to classes like I did before Baby Bear was born. I tried on multiple occasions. Now that Baby Bear is older and we are in our house, I am making this a priority. I went to a class tonight and it was fabulous. I felt so refreshed and amazing. I want to feel like that all the time.
   

Pamper myself on occasion. This one is a bit of a challenge since it requires me to spend money, which is something we don't have a lot of since spending and hemorrhaging (as Papa Bear likes to say) so much money on our remodel. We really should be saving to replenish the money spent. But nevertheless I do think is an important part of focusing on me.

1. Get a manicure and pedicure once in a while. I haven't had a real manicure or pedicure since the day before Baby Bear was born. Being that Baby Bear is now 19 months old, that was 19 months ago! I am not talking about doing this on a regular basis, but it is nice to be pampered once in a while. I don't have a particular goal with regard to frequency. Maybe once every two-three months as a treat. I think that may be reasonable, we will have to see how our wallet likes that one.
   
2. Dress less frumpy. I just feel like I have very little time to make myself look beautiful each day. I am not talking about dressing up and being glamorous, just helping myself to feel less blah looking each day. I need some new clothes that fit. My pre-pregnancy clothing fit, but my body has changed so they don't fit as well as they used to. I am particular about the way clothes fit and look on me. I find that lately I don't feel good about how I look because clothes don't fit me right. Again, I don't want to spend a lot of money and I really don't have a lot of time to shop either. So this particular goal is going to be quite challenging, but I am going to try to make an effort to solve this issue. Not sure how quite yet.
   

De-clutter. Now that we are in our newly remodeled home, we have a little more space. But just because we have more space doesn't mean we can have more things. Packing and moving has made me realize that we have too much stuff and I think it is time for me to go through what we have to de-clutter and to pare down. On top of what we have at home, we have stuff in storage. It is time to really think about what we need and what is just clutter.

So there we have it, my goals for 2011.

Resolution Observations: Part II

Today I heard about this:



Well, I am not sure if this is the best way to reward your workout routine and fitness resolutions, it kind of defeats the purpose. On the other hand, this pregnant woman wants some ice cream!!!!

I had wrote last week about resolution observations and the crowds at the gym. Although I was not thrilled with the crowds, I was happy that people were making it a point to be fit and I hoped that people stuck with it. Well, it seems that attendance at the gym has gotten back to normal. The New Year's resolution crowd has already dissipated. That is actually kind of sad.

Is it really possible that people's fitness resolutions only lasted a week? I hope not. I am hoping that due to the economy that people may not be going to the gym but are trying to keep up their fitness resolutions by working out at home or outdoors. The weather in Southern California has been really nice (in the 80's all week), so it is possible people are simply taking advantage of the nice weather we are blessed with in So Cal and keeping up with their fitness resolutions by taking their workouts outdoors. I did so yesterday so I hope others are too. Don't give up on your fitness goals!!

Resolution observations

It is a new year and it is the time when people make resolutions. What I've found is most people make resolutions around the themes of money and finances or health and fitness. It is harder to observe people's resolutions about money and finances. But I go to the gym regularly and every January I always see a surge of people joining the gym and making their first steps toward their health and fitness resolutions. Attendance always seems to taper down by February.

Although I am glad that people are making decision to be more fit and healthy, it is a little annoying to have to wrestle with parking and crowded gyms during the month of January. I haven't changed my workout schedule (even when I found out I was pregnant I still continued to workout on the same schedule, although modified intensity), yet the presence at the gym has changed. Now I have to alter my schedule slightly to get there a little earlier for the classes I take or to get a machine.

I do truly hope that people will make true changes and make health and fitness a priority. If people can keep it up for a month and make it part of their regular schedule it has a good chance of becoming a habit and they will be able to realize the benefits. It is hard at first to get started so good for the newbies at the gym for making an effort. Keep it up!!

It is important to remember that health and fitness is a life long commitment, going to the gym for a week out of the year is not going to cut it. (And you don't need to belong to a gym to exercise.) It is not easy but it is the best thing that you can do for yourself.

Some tips to start a fitness routine:

• Start of with one, measurable goal. It should be something that you can track and that can be easy to meet. Once you meet that goal, make another goal, and continue to build upon each goal. You will feel more successful if you are able to track your goal and meet them using baby steps. And with baby steps you are more likely to stick with a fitness routine.
  
• Start slowly. Gradually challenge and build up your stamina and strength over time. If you've never ran before, don't think you can just start running a marathon right away. You may need to start off by walking 10-15 minutes at first and then increase the time and combine walking and running before you can run the distance.
  
• Schedule your workouts. Schedule your time for working out like you would schedule a meeting or appointment. Put it in your calendar and treat it like any other appointment or meeting.
• Drink plenty of water. Be sure to hydrate yourself.
  
• Don't forget to strength train. Many people just do cardio workouts and don't realize how important strength training is to losing weight and being fit. Strength training builds muscle which helps to burn calories. It is a balance of cardio and strength training that will help you to get fit and get to your goals.
  

Good luck and be well!