Saturday, January 16, 2016

Goals, mid-January progress

Halfway through the first month of the year, let's take a look at those goals! ;)
  1. Lose an average of one pound a week - I'm a little ahead of this one (YAY!), and hopefully we'll keep on trucking with this.
  2. Work out at least 20 times a month - 14 workouts so far!  I'm terrible at working out at home though, and haven't done that once yet.  But I have had a couple of more active outings with my son, so that's a bonus!
  3. Cook one new (and healthy!) recipe a month - I made goat cheese from scratch today!  Not sure if that's particularly healthy, but it was new to me and it was just three ingredients (goat's milk, citric acid, salt).  Not sure it's worth the effort and expense, but I'll probably do it again. ;)  I've also improvised two dinners this month that turned out pretty good.
  4. Make an effort to eat clean and healthy the majority of the time - I'm on track with this one.  I have had a tough time a few days this month, and haven't given into the fast food temptation (even though I've REALLY wanted french fries a couple of times!).  Part of it is because I'm focusing on the clean eating - so even though I want fries, I really don't want McDonald's fries with the "natural beef flavor" and other odd ingredients.  I'd be happy to have In-N-Out or Five Guys, but there aren't any drive-thrus nearby for those, so I haven't had the fries. ;)  
So there we go!  I missed workouts two nights in a row this week due to husband needing to unexpectedly work late a few times, and a couple of nights, I really didn't want to go, but I dragged myself and I'm glad the scale is reflecting it.  I really hate missing workouts two days in a row - today I won't be able to go to a class, but I did yesterday and I am really hoping it works out for me to make it to one tomorrow night.  

Hope your goals are motivating you, too!

Monday, January 11, 2016

U-Jam Fitness

How have I never posted about this?  U-Jam Fitness is my cardio exercise of choice.  I stumbled upon it in the summer of 2011 and got hooked.  It's a dance workout - "world beats with urban flair" - and one major reason I am addicted to this over Zumba is that the choreography is consistent, regardless of instructor.  If the song is Jennifer Lopez's "Papi", the routine will be the same no matter who is teaching the class.  As a kid, I took lots of dance lessons so I truly appreciate being able to learn and master the choreography for each song.

I had to stop working out about a third of the way into my pregnancy, and it took a long time to recover afterwards... but thankfully, last spring U-Jam came out with a home DVD workout (which I helped back via their kickstarter-style fundraising project).  I love this DVD, and it got me back into the motions.  I rejoined 24 Hour Fitness a few months ago because they have a TON of U-Jam classes, and have been attending a bunch of them. ;)  I've had a streak going of 12 days in a row of attending a U-Jam class at the gym, but alas that streak is coming to an end today because husband has to work late. ;)  Doh!

As with any group exercise class, some instructors are better than others (and I definitely have my favorites!) - but U-Jam consistently is a great workout, especially once you learn the choreography! :)

Friday, January 1, 2016

2016 goals

Yay for a new year and new beginnings, right? :D  I over-indulged last night, but the scale will become my friend again soon, I hope.

Let's look at the goals.  I had set some big goals last year but I think I'm going to scrap them for 2016.  Here are my new and improved goals for 2016:
  1. Lose an average of one pound a week.
    I would like this to be more than one pound a week, but I'm trying to be realistic and sustainable, too.  If I end 2016 at 52 pounds lower than I am today, that would be me at my lowest weight since high school.  Mind-boggling!
  2. Work out at least 20 times a month.
    This averages out to five times a week, which is ambitious.  I'd love to keep hitting as many of my beloved dance workout classes as I can!  I will also count a workout at home if I do a DVD here.  
  3. Cook one new (and healthy!) recipe a month.
    Before kiddo, a long time ago I did a very ambitious new recipe every week, and that was a blast (though stressful at times to squeeze it in!).  Life with kiddo is different, so let's aim for one new recipe a month.
  4. Make an effort to eat clean and healthy the majority of the time.
    I've already scaled back the dining out, and honestly can't remember the last time I've had fast food.  I still rely on a few boxed items in our meals, so hopefully I can find easier ways to keep our cooking at home more healthy and clean.
So there we are.  I want to set up goals that aren't just about the number on the scale, and I also want to have goals that will also benefit the rest of my family.  I'm really going to keep myself accountable and post monthly updates to these goals.

I also still would really love to get away for a few days at a health spa.  I'm continuing to research these places and would like opinions if you've visited any of them!
Best wishes for a healthy 2016!