Y-M-C-A

Well, Daniel and I just couldn't stay away from the gym. We were both feeling like we were missing a little something from our routines, and Daniel wanted to find a way to stay in shape while his foot is injured. After a lot of research and thinking we decided we were going to join a gym again.

Our final decision was to join the YMCA. We went with the Valley of the Sun membership which gives us access to all of the Y locations in the Phoenix area. I think there are about 20 locations we could go to. There is never an excuse to not have something interesting to do. So far we've only made it to two locations because we've been quite busy exploring already.

The best part about the YMCA is that the girls can join us for many activities. Andrea is old enough to go to the pool on her own since they have a lifeguard on duty. I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet, but we'll see how things go as we get more comfortable with the different locations. As a family we can run on the outdoor track at the Mesa location. Chandler will allow the girls to join us for Yoga as long as the instructor is okay with the girls being there. Both locations have a family circuit room with machines that work on resistance bands rather than weights. Chandler even has a family circuit class. Next Saturday the girls will be joining me for Family Zumba. There is plenty to keep the girls busy when we want to workout together, and both locations have a great Kids Care area for when Daniel and I want to workout without worrying about supervising the girls.

Within 4 days of joining the YMCA I had lost half a pound. It is so much easier to eat healthy when I know I will also be hitting the gym. Being active and eating right really do go hand-in-hand. My first goal is to drop the weight I put on over the holidays and while I was on the steroid medicine. I'll then be back down to where I was when I took my break from writing. So... here's to those first 10 pounds. My goal is to have those gone by the end of February.

My question to you today: What specific and intention actions are you taking in order to reach your goals?

Anger and Frustration

Part of a healthy lifestyle is controlling anger and frustration. Both of these are not good for heart health, and they also put off a chemical that does not allow for weight loss. This weekend we got a got a chance to practice anger/ frustration control. My husband did a much better job with it than I did, so I followed his lead.

Friday night we went to use our computer which is only 2.5 months old, and it would not work. It had simply turned itself off and would not come back on. We had spent $500 for this computer, and I was extremely worried that we would need to get a new computer. This was NOT how I wanted to spend my subbing money, but I would have if we needed to. The living room computer is a large part of our entertainment lives. On there we access Hulu.com, Netflix, and play around on websites like YouTube together. Our family life, when we are not out and about, is in many ways hooked to the computer.

When we found out the computer wasn't working it was after 9:00 pm. We would have to wait until the next morning to even know where to begin on the process of getting it fixed. I was starting to get worked up and go through scenarios for how to pay for a new computer, and I noticed Daniel was acting like it really wasn't a big deal. Back up, Daniel wasn't upset?! When I asked him about it he told me that he was too tired to use the energy to be frustrated. Hmmm... that made a lot of sense! I played some games that I enjoy, using my laptop, and read so I could get ready for bed.

The next day Daniel took the computer down to the Geek Squad inside Best Buy. They told him the mother board was fried and that the only thing we could do is get a new computer. Since this wasn't going to be a quick, easy, or cheap fix we decided to go through the whole process of sending the computer back to HP. Daniel called their customer service line to start the process, and they had him do some tests to the computer. It turned out it is the power supply (at least according to the tests they ran), and they are sending a new one out on Monday. It will be here by the 13th of this month, and Daniel just needs to pop it in. Here's hoping that it is just this simple and quick!

All in all, it was frustrating that our brand new computer broke, but for once it didn't cause a lot of stress. Even if the worst had happened and HP would not cover the repair, it wouldn't have been a big deal. We would have made a calm and rational decision about replacing the computer, or not. Whatever needed to be done would have gotten done. Now we haven't added all the stress to our lives and our bodies. Thanks to my husband's great example, we are definitely on our way to making 2011 the best year ever!

New Year's Resolutions

At this time of year it seems like everyone is making New Year's Resolutions. I have chosen not to do that, but this is a great time to set some goals. Why don't I want to make resolutions? I think they set a person up for failure. I resolution is a promise to yourself. I hate breaking promises to begin with, so I couldn't imagine breaking one I've made to myself. So, goals it is.

The first goals I made are about fitness. I want to get back on-track with the diet and exercise I started last spring. I've already said that I want to run at least three 5K races and run 10 miles per week. Exercise is only part of the equation.

I want to start eating "clean foods" again and overlooking the rest whenever possible. There is a lot of hype about clean foods right now, and it can mean something different for everyone. For me it means not eating processed foods and "junk." Natural foods that provide the most nutrition per calorie is what I am after. I can't tell you how good I felt when we made that change in April last year. We ate mostly that way until about October. Sugar and ease of preparation started creeping in about then. It's time to get back on the band-wagon. The good part about clean eating is that I don't wind up limiting myself. I have given myself free-reign on all fruits and vegetables. I can eat a lot and not feel guilty. Yes, I realize that I could wind up WAY overeating this way, but it works for me.

As far as fitness is concerned, I've decided not to set a weight goal. I've come to realize that I get frustrated when I don't see the scale moving. Fitness is about more than weight, and my goal is to be happy with me. If my clothes are making me feel good, then I'll be satisfied. If I can run farther than I could last year, I will be happy. We don't even own a scale anymore, and I'm pretty happy that way.

Outside of fitness goals, I don't have much else I want to focus on this year. One BIG goal, though, is getting a full-time teaching position. I REALLY want to work at Dobson Academy, so I am going to continue to work toward that through volunteering and subbing. I hope to sub at least once per week, but three times per week would be really great!

Finally, my goal for my family life is for everyone to be positive to each other. The girls are hitting some difficult years, and some of their interactions have been on the negative side. I want to focus my energies as a parent on teaching the girls to care about each other. If they can do that while sharing a bedroom, their interactions with others as they grow should come much easier.

I hope to look back at this post next year and see some big changes. I've done a lot since starting at the gym last April, and I hope those positive changes continue. I have been looking at the year 2011 with excitement. This year, it seems, can bring nothing but good things!

A New Year- A New Start!

So I've been thinking, and I realized that I shut down my blog the first time for all the wrong reasons. I felt like I wasn't pleasing "my readers" and that I didn't have much to say. The truth is, I have a lot to say. People may not be interested in all of it, but I bet someone is interested in each bit! I've decided to start working on my blog again- even if it is just for me.

This is the second day of the year 2011. Health-wise this year hasn't started out great. I am on Prednisone, but I only have one more day to take it! The medicine makes me feel miserable, so I haven't been able to exercise. I am looking forward to getting back on track with both eating and working out.

At the end of this month my mom, daughters, and I will be doing a 2 mile walk called "London's Run." Daniel will be doing his first half-marathon, and this will keep us busy while we wait for him to cross the finish line. We have really been enjoying these events. My goal is to run at least three 5K races this year, and I want to run at least 10 miles per week. It might be tough to get all 10 in this week with the lack of exercise, but that's okay.

Well, I hope your year started great. Outside of the health problems I'm having, I am EXTREMELY positive about this year. I can't wait to continue substitute teaching, and I REALLY hope to be putting together my own classroom this July. What are you looking forward to this year?