Focus on 2016: #IWILLADD

"When making your New Year's Resolution, focus on the positive things you will add to your life."
– ACE Fitness

A video posted by acefitness (@acefitness) on Dec 28, 2015 at 11:48am PST

For 2016, I considered a number of resolutions. I was going to give up diet soda. I was going to get serious about weight loss and shed the baby weight. I was going to, gasp, find a diet. As a result, I was going to run faster. Things were going to change. I was going to change.

However, when I saw the post from ACE, the organization from which I am a certified personal trainer, I couldn't help but pause. My resolutions were about all of the things that I was doing wrong. They were trying to address the areas where I felt as if I didn't measure up. Me, right now, was ... is not good enough. Even though, I wrote a candid post where I addressed that I have these feelings, I know, deep down, that I am a capable, competent, worthwhile person just as I am.

So, I decided to take ACE up on its advice and think about what I can add to my life. It's not change who I am but make an already good me better.

Drink to that. Once upon a time, when I had more expendable cash and could attend class more regularly, I had a yoga teacher advise to drink a glass of tepid water every morning before doing anything. Before the first cup of coffee, before the first bite breakfast. Heck, even before brushing your teeth. I am not going to resolve to drink more water or be on top of my hydration. Nope. I will add, though, a glass of water in the morning, before my day starts, if the situation allows. Note: If Si has been up all night and Miles is in fournager mode, I will forgo water and head straight for coffee.

It's easy being green. Nine out of 10 people could eat more vegetables, according to my unofficial, likely judgmental, study. I am one of those nine. I am not going to resolve to eat 10 servings of leafy greens a day. I will, though, commit to being mindful about adding vegetables to my breakfast. Greens can bulk up eggs and, maybe one day, I'll learn to drink a green smoothie.

Pay it forward. Financial goals are often at the top of resolution lists, right along side weight loss. It is a constant effort to be savvy spenders and smart savors in our household, and Mark and I have hopes of doing better. Instead of focusing on how much money we do or don't have, I have challenged us to be more giving in 2016. We kickstarted the effort this month by giving away (via a pay it forward Facebook site) the supplies to make Christmas cookies. Other ideas include gifting a meal through that site, donating our time to a cause and showing friends and family random acts of kindness. Our goal is to add one or more of these on a monthly basis.

What do you want to add in the new year?

Why You Don't Need a Fitness Tracker

The request was innocent an enough.

A friend, by social media standards, was requesting a fitbit. You know, if someone had lying around. She promised that she would put it to good use.

After all, it's that time of year. The time when people commit — or recommit — to eating healthier, exercising more and losing weight. Before I go any further, let me be clear: I have no problem with New Year's resolutions. I think they can be great. Heck, my journey started in 2005 with a New Year's resolution.

The problem? The idea that one needs a tracker to lose weight.

Why?

First and foremost, a fitness tracker can only do so much. Sure, it tells you how many steps you took, how many calories you burned, when you were most active, how much you slept. What it doesn't do? It doesn't get you off the couch. It doesn't drive you to the gym or put in an exercise DVD. It doesn't cook you healthy dinners or put an apple in your mouth instead of a piece of cake.

The fitness tracker cannot and will not do the work. It is up to the person. Period.

Other grievances:

By the numbers. The science of losing weight is often simplified to calories in, calories out but there is a key component to the process. KNOWLEDGE. Fitness trackers can give you a lot of numbers but don't necessarily tell you how to interpret them. A friend of mine purchased a fitbit, by my suggestion actually, when she was stuck in her weight loss. It told her she burned far more calories than she anticipated, and it left her confused as to how much to eat. Should she be eating 1,800 calories instead of 1,500 or stay at 1,500? She used the a piece of gym equipment but it didn't register. Should she go for an extra walk to hit 10,000 steps?

You are what you eat. Exercise and, in general, moving more are key to weight loss but diet plays a significant role. Though many of the trackers do sync with food diary apps, the emphasis is on things that are measured through heart rate and movement. In a way, it takes food out of the picture. Also, some people might see that they burned 500 calories on the treadmill and use it as a "reason" to make a less-than-ideal choice.

Commitment before reward. I have seen many people go out and buy all.the.things when they show interest in a new activity or pursuit. The idea is that they should have everything they might need during the journey so that they can feel supported and ready. However, it is my belief that gear should be earned — not given. When I started Couch to 5K in 2009, I used a $10 stopwatch for Target. It wasn't until after I successfully completed the 9-week program  and was half-way through an extended plan for the Flying Pig that I asked for a Garmin 305. It seemed silly to invest that money in a watch if I didn't know whether running would stick. Same goes for fitness. Start by tracking on free sites, such as MyFitnessPal. If you want to be accountable for your exercise, choose an affordable heart rate monitor. Use the fitness tracker as a reward once hitting a certain milestone rather than something to start with.

Don't get me wrong — I think there are benefits to wearing a tracker but I don't think it is the be all, end all of weight loss. It is not a $100 insurance policy for success.

What are your thoughts?

Looking forward: 2014

It was the best way to start the new year.

One of the members of the run club, on Monday, invited everyone to begin 2014 with a run. A resolution run. There were no frills, no set distance, no guidelines. We were to show up at the running store at 10:30 and head off with friends, new and old. But, if we were struggling for conversation along the way, we should talk about our goals.

Running goals for 2014.

I started off with Dave, whom I've run into from time to time but don't know really well. We made chit chat and when I didn't know what to say, strange for me, I asked him about goals. He answered. And then, being the nice guy he is, he politely asked me mine.

::birds chirping::

I stumbled over something and went back to chatting about him - his daughters, work, how sad we were that a downtown coffee shop had slowed. A mile or so in, he fell back a bit and I ran with my buddy Joe. Running with him semi-regularly, I didn't need to come up with a big goal to share. I didn't need to do anything but one foot in front of the other.

After I was finished with the run, I met Mark and Miles at Pizza Hut for lunch. We chowed down on salad and pizza, and once again I was asked about plans for 2014. This time by Mark. (Miles only asked me for more noodles.)

Again, the birds chirped and words were hard to find.

One of the things I've struggled with, if you can say that, as I looked toward and then celebrated the new year is that there is no goal on my mind. I am not itching to PR or complete a new distance. I am not running another marathon. After traveling for three half marathons and Hood to Coast last year, I don't plan to take many racecations in 2014. Outside of running, I don't plan to lose weight. I am not going to try a new diet. I don't want to overhaul my life.

In fact, I think I just want to be. Just be. Me. I want to live my life, a life that includes running, and see where it takes me.

Promises, promises

There are certain things you should know by the age of 31. Whether through just the inherent wisdom that comes from aging or trial and error, some things should be given.

1. Unless you are a board certified cosmetologist, do not attempt to trim your own bangs. While your efforts are someone improved since the disaster that was third grade, you will (more than likely) do more harm than good and find yourself at Regis in the mall, handing over the $5 you tried to save, while your child flails in the stroller.

For 2013: I promise not to trim my bangs nor put off tasks of personal maintenance because a) "I don't have time;" or b) feel guilty for spending money on such things. It's not unreasonable to spend $20 every six weeks for hair-free vision and a clean upper lip.

2. Do not yell at your husband for throwing away a $10 cream cardigan from Old Navy before thoroughly retracing your steps. Not only do you look bat shit crazy tossing boxes out of the recycling bin in the garage, you will more than likely scare your child. And - horror of all horrors - have to apologize to your husband once you (possibly) remember taking it out of the bag and using said bag to lug a change of clothes to work.

Even worse, you discover (even later) that you wore it on Christmas.

For 2013: I promise to be more patient and not yell in front of Miles ... most of the time.

3. Ripping down wallpaper in a fit of boredom one Saturday night does not mean that you'll actually prep, prime and paint the walls. Rather, you will find yourself apologizing to holiday guests for the less than stylish back hallway that looks like someone wiped ... well, something on the walls.

For 2013: I promise to put some thought into the house. Miles is getting older, and we've been there for almost two years. The jig is up. We're there and I have time.

4. Giving your dog a (used) peppermint tea bag does not mean he will eat it nor does licking it mean he will have minty fresh breath. While Miles was the one to do such a thing, I did not stop the exchange in the vain effort that Denali's breath would go from rotting fish food to spearmint gum.

For 2013: I promise to pay more attention to my adorable pooch. He's gotten to be the red-headed stepchild of the family (as opposed to just the red-headed child) and he deserves some love.

5. Children are mimics. They will say and do just about anything you do - with the exception of eating dinner while fully seated and peeing in the toilet. If you say something that begins with "f" and ends in "k" when you can't find the dang YMCA in an effort to cash in a coupon for a free month, your toddler will be able to say it. With distinct clarity and pride.

Obviously not evidence of the crime ...

For 2013: I promise to pay more attention to my words. They have great power.

Fit to be tried: Group dynamic

With the new year - and its resolutions - rapidly approaching, I'm highlighting some of my favorite fit things of 2012. 

 ◊ ◊ ◊

So we keep living, cause the feel's right/ And it's so nice, and I'd do it all again/ This time, it's forever/ It gets better, and I / I, I like how it feels

I was half-way through the chest track (release 82) as I subbed the Thursday night BODYPUMP class when I realized something. Something sort of strange.

And it wasn't the odd angle of that photo or my incessant desire to show off my new Old Navy outfit. But, while we're here, isn't it cute?

Nope. The realization was that my journey with BODYPUMP is almost a year-old. A year! It seems like forever and yet no time at all. Either way, it's hard to believe that I went from new participant to instructor in that time, and my passion for the class only continues to grow. I love how it's made me fitter, stronger and more confident while forcing me to do things (read: lunges) that I wouldn't do on my own.

As a non-gym member, I don't have the opportunity to take many classes and thus my experience limited. However, my friend and I made a commitment at the beginning of 2012 to explore new fitness experiences - including BODYPUMP - and I stumbled across some real gems.

Piloxing. A mix of boxing, Pilates and dance, Piloxing has a choreographed element that is familiar while challenging the body, cardiovascular- and strength-wise. I loved that I could take the class barefoot, and the mix of cardio tracks versus balance/strength work.

Real Ryder. I just took a class last week (here, if you are in NE Indiana), and I'm already plotting when I can go back. Many of us have taken indoor cycling classes but where Real Ryder classes differ is in the bikes. The bikes move side to side, allowing for participants to burn more than 20 percent more calories per session than Spin. I was surprised at how much harder the class was - I had to really figure out how to turn the bike and engage my core. By the end, I was wiping up my sweat (and butt) off the floor.

Zumba. OK, I realize that I was the last person on the planet to try Zumba. It just didn't seem like a class for me. I lack rhythm, dance skills and coordination, and I had a preconceived notion that it was for people who were, umm, less hard core. However, with the right instructor, attitude and effort, Zumba is no joke. It's also low-impact, making it a great way to cross train during peak season.

This year, I also tried other kickboxing workouts - cardio and Turbo Kick - as well as Group Power (similar to BP). All in all, not a bad year.

Did you try any new-to-you classes this year? What's your favorite group exercise class?