Friday's Top Five - Fitness Goals for 2013 & Beyond!

This is my truth!

Hello faithful readers of five,

It's spring-time the late stages of winter up her in the hinterland. Winter has been harsh, both weather-wise, and on my ass. I have improved on creating safe spaces. I have improved on establishing food-related routines. I have started tracking regularly. I am eating better. I am doing all the right things. I am seeing results of those changes. However, when it comes to excercize, I am lazy. Sloths are more active than me. If there is an excuse-train running, I'm hitching a ride.

It's time for me to set some fitness-related goals. I know from the experience of the last two years of being on Weight Watchers™ (plus a side-stint in the Weight Wise Clinic™) that when it comes to goal-setting, I need to be SMART:

For my fitness objectives, I asked myself these questions:

1. What excuse do I have that would prevent me from acheiving my goal?
2. What specific, measureable, attainable, relevent and time-bound technique will I use to achieve this goal?
3. What potential barrier exists that could potentially derail my efforts?
4. What is the hidden reward (the unintendend postive consequence) that could come out of my efforts?
5. What do I ultimately hope to achieve (long-term) by setting this goal?

Ahem. Truth.

 Here are my fitness goals for 2013 and beyond!

5) Find activities that I enjoy.

Aqua-Zumba

• Excuses: activity is boring; I've hurt myself trying some activities; it's too hard.
• SMART Goal: sign-up/try-out the variety of classes offered at the YMCA/larger community.
• Potential Barrier: cost or conflicts with schedule may limit the kinds of activity I could try; the potential for actual injury by doing something more advanced than my ability.
• Hidden Reward: enjoying my activity makes it effortless; easier to plan my week around activity if I know there is *something* I can do.
• Ultimate Goal: that activity becomes exciting, enjoyable, and a regular routine of my life.

4) Track my activity accurately (& honestly reflect my effort).


Body Fit Media™

• Excuses: activity doesn't make a difference anways in "the big scheme of things"; it's not worth the effort (litte reward); the little bit I do counts (it all adds up).
• SMART goal: to use my BoydFit Media™ armband to count my caloric burn, and track my activity honestly in my Weight Watchers™ tracker.
• Potential barrier: coulda fall into a trap of "eating because I earned it" mentality to justify bad food choices.
• Hidden reward: become a better tracker of what I consume & burn; a greater self-awareness of my choices; accelerate my weight-loss efforts.
• Ultimate goal: that tracking become second nature, like brushing my teeth or riding my bike.

We've all been there. The circle of dishonesty....

3) Plan daily/weekly/monthly/vaction-time/yearly activity...and commit to those plans.

 

• Excuses: I don't have time to write everything; I can't plan for the unexpected (weather/illness..); I have to plan around other people's schedule (husband/family); activity comflicts with family time.
• SMART goal: schedule 3-4 activity times for two-weeks at a time (to coordinate around husband schedule/other events/14-day weather forcasts). Plan vacations to incorporate some activity (walking, swimming, hiking). Sign-up for a charity event that involves activity (walk for the ___).
• Potential barrier: there is never a "good time"; I use external reasons as a crutch for not doing something; I plan but don't follow through; vacations don't provide activity opportunities.
• Hidden reward: feeling of accomplishment by meeting goals; improving goal-setting techniques.
• Ultimate goal: that activity becomes a priority like other events/people.

2) Keep working hard, every day, and don't give up.

• Excuses: I am not seeing results so why am I trying?; this is too much work; success happens to others but never to me; I am not worthy of success.
• SMART goal: create a non-food reward system for recognizing my accomplishments, goals, and milestones.
• Potential barrier: loss of motivation (especially if results don't reflect effort); my mental doesn't match my physical changes; reward system is not meaningful.
• Hidden reward: the growth in self-esteem; success in my athleticism & weightloss efforts; personal growth; new wardrobe!
• Ultimate goal: to feel successful, & have that reflect in my exterior and interior -self.

1) Don't let self-doubt be a barrier to the journey towards my authentic self. Go easy on myself when I fall, and let the process unfold. Don't put-up obstacles out of fear. Stop all-or-nothing thinking.

• Excuses: I can't do this; I am not capable of doing this activity; my fear of _____ prevents me from pushing harder; I fell off the wagon, so I my as well stop being active this week.
• SMART goal: take monthly pictures showing my progress; use other ways of recording progress (such as measuring inches, clothing size, activity progression, etc...). Blog my journey, recording my emotions and progress, so I have something tangible to reflect back about.
• Potential barrier: all-or-nothing thinking.
• Hidden reward: Everything I dreamed of being comes true.
• Ultimate goal:  Living the life I want to live and know I am capable of living. Being an "athlete."

Well, I got to head out to the gym. Check Joanne's blog for her five fitness goals.

xo.

Fridays (Way Overdue) Top 5: Guilty Pleasures

Hello faithful readers of five. I am way overdue on a blog post. Blame a combination of work-crazy, life-crazy, and laziness. Mostly laziness. OK. Just blame laziness and move on already.

My beautiful gurl crush BFF Joanne, at a A Warm Cup of Jo, has been faithfully committing to our quest to post weekly top fives. In fact, it was my suggestion to do this series as a way to blog more faithfully. How's that working out for me? Sigh.

So I need to catch up to the two posts FT5 posts she has posted (what a keener she is), I present my catch-up post #1.

We all have them. Some of them are more embarrassing than others. Here are my top-five guilty pleasures.

5) Libraries and Bookstores.


Source: National Library in Ottawa

I shouldn't feel guilty or embarrassed by my love of books, libraries and bookstores. There is nothing to feel guilty about.

 

But I take my love a new level. I will go in and wander just because. I have been known to have "dates" with my friends at libraries and bookstores. On a few occasions, Wendy and I went to Chapters just to look-around. Joanne and I spent many, many, many days in our youth going to the library (which was a conveniently located next to the fire hall *ahem*).

 

If there is time between bus connections at Northgate Transit Centre, I mosey over to Chapters. Bookstores and libraries are my paradise.



 

4) Weight Watchers

Source: Weightwatchers.com

It might be odd to have a corporation as a guilty pleasure. And for full disclosure, I am currently on Weight Watchers. But have you seen my WW stash? Have you seen the lengths I have gone to to attend a meeting?

 

True story. While I was on my honeymoon in Penticton B.C., I made my new husband drive around and then wait in a car for an hour just so I can attend a meeting. Was it dedication? Well sort of. But mostly, it was because I wanted to get my hands on products we couldn't get at our meetings at home.

 

My reading nook in the basement has an entire shelf dedicated to Weight Watchers. I have books going back to when Sarah, the Duchess of York was a role model. I have every single "weekly" magazine since the new Points Plus program came out in 2010. I have the latest book Weight Loss Boss by CEO David Kirchhoff (a book I highly recommend). I spend hours looking at other people's blogs. I go to message boards (via my App). 

 

So how am I doing in my own journey you ask? *cough cough*. Let us move on...

 

3) PBS

Source: PBS.org

Arguably, the previous two pleasure can be defended as reasonable and rational. But this is pure guilt at it's finest.

What is embarrassing about this choice:

• It is an acknowledgement that I, at 35, willingly watch PBS.
• It is an acknowledgement that I, at 35, willingly watch stuffy period pieces.
• It is an acknowledgement that I, at 35, willingly watch documentaries and cooking shows

I know there are friends out there who would say "stand proud, stand tall" (right Rebecca?) I have always felt like an old soul. I have always felt that when I reject Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo for Downton Abbey, Jane Austen films, Ken Burns Documentaries and America's Test Kitchen, I am saying to the world that I am better than than you.

Which I am if you watch Jersey Shore and Honey Boo Boo willingly.

Yes, I am a snob. But some of the best 10 hours of TV footage of my life have been spent watching Ken Burns documentary Baseball. Seriously.

Source: PBS.org

 
2) Duck Dynasty

Source: A&E Television

I am a dumb complex individual. The same person who watches Downton Abbey while poo-pooing those who watch Jersey Shore will spend an entire Saturday watching Duck Dynasty marathon. My Wednesday nights have never been the same since I first saw welcomed the Robertson family into my life.

You have no idea how much I love this show. It is great for two reasons:

1. It is genuinely funny. Side-splitting funny.
2. The family are harmless and unoffensive in their red-necked ways.

Here are the gems they say on this show:

• "I don't know about this Justin the Beaver"- Kay
• "You kids ever hear of the term 'Nam' "- Si
• "Most people named Willie are either in prison or on the arm of a wrestling circuit"- Jase
• "First it's pretty tires. Next it's pretty guns. Then the next thing you know, you're shaving your  beard and wearing capri pants." — Si

Pure. Solid. Harmless. Enjoyment.

1) Cooking shows

If I had one guilty pleasure above all else, it is probably that I waste spend hours a week watching cooking shows.

There are the shows that I watch to actually learn how to cook, like America's Test Kitchen, Martha Stewart's various shows, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson et. al.

Then there are the shows I watch for pure foodie enjoyment, such as Chopped, Just Desserts, You Gotta Eat Here and so on.

Watching cooking shows, even in mass quantities like I do, wouldn't be other people's guilty pleasure. In fact, it would seem quite normal.

But shall I casually state that, much to the displeasure of my husband, my actual cooking skills are less than stellar? The fact that I am the anti-Nigella in the kitchen (under the delusion that I will actually get better by watching these shows) makes this my #1 guilty pleasure.

So head on over to see Joanne's guilty pleasures, and share your own guilty pleasures in the comment boxes.