New Year; New Goals

Nothing is more disruptive to New Year health and fitness goals than travel. When the travel comes early in the year, involves a combination of business and pure pleasure, and crosses three time zones, the disruption is potentially lethal. This has been my experience in 2012. Today it stops and my pursuit of a healthier lifestyle begins.

I have made health and fitness goals every year, since the original incarnation of "preppy". It usually involves a weight goal, and a goal for the number of workouts per week, month and/or year. It may include a mega goal like "Run the NYC Marathon" (1997) or "Loose the baby weight" (2001; 2004) or "Avert a mid-life crisis by running the City of Oaks Half Marathon" (2010). The mega goals were all accomplished. The weight goals, however, have been more elusive.

I like to eat. I like tasty morsels. I like fun and interesting food. I like to cook unique, compelling meals, particularly those that make my kids noses turn up. I have been known to extend my time on the elliptical machine in order to watch the Barefoot Contessa finish her meal and serve it to "Jeffery".

I am also graduate of The Scarsale Diet (half a grapefruit for breakfast anyone?), a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers and for awhile was a disciple of reality star Bethenny Frankel and her "Skinny Girl" approach to eating. I know what works and what doesn't. Only when there is a combination of exercise and a healthy diet will I reach my goals. Bugger.

Now that my ten-day trip to Bacchanalia and back has ended, it's time to get serious about my 2012 goals. This year I resolve to focus on health: mental and physical wellness. I hope to loose ten pounds, but I refuse to ascribe to a stringent diet plan. I must tighten my core and keep my legs from succumbing to the jiggles of one in her late forties, but I will never run another step, unless someone is chasing me.

My goals for 2012 look like this:

Eating goals:

1. Five fruits and veggies a day;
2. Avoid gluten, sugar and processed foods in favor of "real foods" whenever possible;
3. Proactively exercise portion control - little tips like 'ask for the take home box as soon as the meal is served' are helpful with this one.

Fitness goals:

1. Continue to do Hot Yoga (my latest exercise passion) 3-5 times per week, improving my focus, breathing and strength in the process. My hot yoga studio distributes bands when you reach a certain number of classes. I hope to get my 200 class band by the end of the year. Yesterday I attended my 44th class. That's a lot of downward facing dog.
2. On days when I don't feel like driving to the yoga studio, walk the dog 3-5 miles.
3. I have a side goal of being able to do a pose called "Crow" by my birthday in late September.

For someone who has never been able to do a pull up due to a remarkable lack of upper body strength, successfully holding this pose is my "mega" goal for 2012.

Namaste.