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Feeling
March Madness? Think Spring Fling!
I'm
so sick of dirty snow I could scream! I live in Michigan,
the land of lingering dirty snow. We don't really get to
enjoy to spring until it's almost summer. Fall arrives just
after the 4th of July and winter starts before Target stocks
Halloween candy. I've been through 20 tubes of Chapstick
and 40 bottles of lotion this season and my hair is crispier
than a Heath Bar.
The only thing that got me through February is the fact
that everyone in New York pretends it's spring before it
really is spring and they all start wearing bright colors,
gorgeous floral dresses and strappy sandals no matter how
many more Noreasters blow through before spring really arrives.
The morning shows send six foot five models prancing down
mock runways in the "season's" hottest spring
fashions. Gardening segments are added back to the line
up and cooking segments begin to reflect spring harvests.
Never mind that I'm watching from my winter wonderland.
It's cheery.
If they can pretend, so can I. So what if I have to shovel
my driveway and make my way through icy streets to buy bunches
of daffodils at the fruit market? That they're even in the
market is a sure sign spring is coming.
Technically, spring begins Saturday, March 20th. A day my
father will undoubtedly bring my mother a gigantic bouquet
of totally gorgeous flowers just as he does every year he
wants her to continue excusing him from yard duties. Winter
is coming to an end which means he'll have to leave his
computer and get around to some of the projects he's been
putting off "just until it warms up". And that
goes for the rest of us.
No more winter coats to hide the culinary sins of holidays
gone by. The earth is waking up from a long winter's nap.
It's time for new growth and sunny outdoor activities. It's
natural for us to eat and sleep a little more in the colder
months and take on a few extra pounds but the party's over.
Just as wintry cold nights summon cheesy elbow noodle casseroles
and movie nights, spring calls for lighter fare and refreshed
exercise regimes.
Homework Assignment:
- Write
down where you want to be health- and weight- wise April
1st.
If you've written down a weight loss greater than 1-2
pounds a week, be realistic, get out your eraser and pencil
in a healthier, 4-8 pounds total for the month and proceed
to step two.
- Write
down two eating habits you'd like to upgrade by April
1st. Be specific. For instance, "I need to eat
more vegetables" is too vague. Instead, identify
vegetables you like and write down your game plan. I'll
roast asparagus on Monday, I'll have salad for supper
on Tuesday, I'll make a veggie stir fry on Wednesday,
I'll serve at least one easy microwave veggie a night.
Keep your focus small. "Stop eating junk food"
is a tough one. Instead, identify something you eat way
too much of and commit to cutting back gradually. If you
eat ice cream every night before you go to bed, buy a
stash of low cal popsicles. If you eat while you're making
school lunches, chew gum. If you crave salty chips, try
air popped popcorn or edamame.
- Write
down two fitness habits you'd
like to incorporate into your life. Again,
keep your focus small. Think about what your fitness level
is now and what you've been doing for exercise recently.
If "nothing" is the answer, be honest about
it. Embrace that you have the opportunity, the ability
and the means to start fresh.
My goals for March: to stop watching the clock
in spin class and to spend my time in class working to
my true potential. When I get tired, I watch the clock
and pray for class to be over. I will the teacher to let
us out early. When the teacher says, turn up the resistance,
I pretend and don't really.
You don't get gold stars for unproductive thinking. And
you don't get any closer to reaching your goals when you
spend your time talking yourself out of exercise or willing
it to be over. Think of how many more calories I would
burn if I spent the hour challenging myself. "I'm
going to put in my best performance today. I'm going to
increase the resistance on my bike and keep up the pace.
I'm going to ride so well people will think I train Lance
Armstrong!"
- Go
back and review your weight loss and health goals for
the month. Do the culinary & fitness goals you
just drafted support success? If not, go back through
them and make realistic adjustments.
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