(Just) Dance your ass off

Okay, okay. I don't have the best track record with exercise. I get bored. I give up. I abandon my workout for a plate of nachos and a glass of wine.

But this time I've figured it out! (Don't roll your eyes! I can see you rolling your eyes!) The answer? VARIETY.

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before. As we all know, I figured out that I have to exercise when it doesn't feel like I have to, but apparently that isn't enough. I also have to have some fun while I'm exercising. Moreover, I'm easily bored so I have to change things up frequently. (Damn, I'm picky.)

So I finally found a bunch of things that I like in small doses and I've been rotating them. I feel brilliant. (Seriously, why didn't I think of this sooner?)

I know why I didn't think of this sooner. Because fit people have exercise "plans" and "routines." They get up at 6 a.m. and run for an hour. They take Zumba on Tuesdays and Thursdays after work. They do yoga before breakfast and take walks before dinner. They toil away at the gym five days a week. They track their progress on pedometers, charts, and online forums. So if fit people have plans, shouldn't I have a plan if I want to be fit?

The answer is a resounding "no." It's obvious that I've never been able to stick to a "plan". So it makes sense that my new plan would be no plan.

The only routine in my new plan is that I get my butt in gear doing some cardio every other day. On the off days I try to do some strength training by lifting weights and stretching (or just carrying colossal loads of laundry up and down the stairs).

On my cardio days I boogie in my living room to Wii games like Just Dance and shake my groove thing to exercise DVDs like Bollywood Booty. (No, seriously, I do.) When the weather is nicer, I'll add riding my bike and taking walks around the neighborhood. I'm even trying yoga (though yoga via DVD is hard to do, since you can't look at the screen and bend over at the same time).

The trick, I've learned, is not to do the same thing two sessions in a row. The appeal of even the most enjoyable workouts wears off too quickly when I do the same exercise DVDs over and over, or even walk the same loop around town.

So, maybe this time it will work for me. Maybe not having a plan is the best plan I've ever had when it comes to exercise.

Of course, if anyone knows any cheesy dancing games or workout videos, feel free to send them my way. There's always room for variety in this girl's workout.

A reflection on last year's resolutions, and a few for 2011

At first glance, 2010 didn't feel like a super productive year. When I looked back at my resolutions for the year, however, I wasn't too far off track.

Here's a recap of last year's resolutions:

Write more/become a better writer. I can check this one off my list. While I didn't write for Inner Thoughts & Outbursts every week, I did, in fact, write more than I had in 2009, and became a better writer to boot. Over the course of the year, I discovered that I wanted to focus on other writing projects like my 15-Minute Party Planner blog. Conclusion: Adapting resolutions so that they better suit your overall goals is still a great form of self-improvement!

Pay attention to the positive. This one can get tough sometimes, but I feel like I did a pretty good job! I faithfully wrote in my Good Thing of the Day book nearly every day, and I've been focusing on the good things in my life. I also drew some inspiration from Erma Bombeck's If I Had My Life to Live Over. The piece reminded me not to wait for "someday", but to use the pretty candles and the fancy office supplies today. I didn't worry about breaking the dishes, I just used them to make dinners fancier.

Get healthier. Alright, maybe this one didn't work out as well as I hoped for. I did set the stage for some good habits -- I bought a bicycle, got a rice cooker (for faster, healthier meals), and tried to walk whenever I could while running errands. Oh well; a less than stellar outcome is inspiration to try again.

Do things for me. This resolution felt connected to focusing on the positive. I found joy in using pretty things for everyday uses and took time to craft, write, and do things I enjoy. Most significantly, I left a stressful job this year. While I left my job because of a cross-state move, it was a bit scary to become unemployed. Instead of panicking, however, I embraced the break from work and concentrated on putting my new house in order, organizing my writing, and spending time with friends and family. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Now, when it comes to this year, my general resolution is to keep learning and growing. More specifically, I hope to make small changes that add up to big changes. In 2011, I hope to...

• Get moving! This year I will exercise every day. I know myself. There's no hope in saying I'll go to the gym four days a week for an hour each time, but I can get my butt in gear for a mere 10 minutes every day. Some days I'll spend an hour with a Wii fitness game, and other days I'm sure I'll ride my bike for an hour, but it's good to know that on the days that I feel like I just can't do it, I can spend 10 minutes doing jumping jacks. Something is better than nothing, and I feel more confident making a small goal than developing a big goal that is bound to disappoint me.
  
  
• Spend time doing things I love. I'm on the hunt for a new job, and I have a few promising prospects. If I have to work for a living (and who doesn't?) I hope that it's at a job I love. And when I'm not working, I hope to spend time crafting, reading, and trying to embrace life.
  
  
• Simplify. Think my resolutions sound simple this year? They're intended to be. There's no need to create 10 resolutions you can't live up to when you can create one or two that you know you can accomplish. I hope this simplicity helps me be the best person I can be!
  

Does posted nutritional information lead to smarter food choices?

Slashfood (one of my favorite blogs) ran an article this week that claims Burgerville (a fast-food chain in the Pacific Northwest) has started printing calorie counts on its receipts, along with suggestions on how to make your next meal healthier.

Some of the article's commenters were thrilled with the idea, hoping that other restaurants would soon start doing the same thing. I, however, think its ridiculous. What good is it knowing the fat and calorie counts of your order, after it's paid for? What restaurants should really start doing is putting nutritional information right on the menu or the ordering board; then, people can make informed choices about what they eat before they buy.

In 2008, New York passed a mandate requiring that nutritional information be provided on menus. When I traveled to the city last year for a vacation, I got to see the effects of this legislation first hand. Every restaurant I entered -- from Sbarro to the Olive Garden -- had nutritional information prominently featured. I found the information incredibly helpful in choosing what to eat. Since I found a number of things I'd like to eat in each restaurant, having calorie and fat counts readily available made it easy to narrow down my decision.

When I ate at the Olive Garden, for instance, I was trying to decide between the Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto or the Chicken Parmigiana, which both sounded wonderful. When I glanced at the nutritional information, however, I quickly learned that the risotto was one of the healthier dishes on the menu, while the chicken parmigiana would have cost me over 1,000 calories and 49 grams of fat. I ordered the risotto (which was still delightfully decadent) and saved myself over 400 calories. Without the nutritional information, I would have perhaps mentally flipped a coin in my head, rather than making the best nutritional choice, and when I have two otherwise equal options, why shouldn't the healthier dish win?

It seems that the people of New York are making the same kinds of choices. A study by the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently illustrated that since 2008's nutritional mandate was put into place, "people purchased lower calorie meals at 9 of 13 fast-food restaurant and coffee chains that were included in the study." While I (and many other patrons at these restaurants) know that fast-food isn't good for a person, it's nice to know that people have the option to choose a healthier meal when they're eating in New York. When I'm on the go (or on vacation) and have to eat out, I'd like to have information about what I'm about to consume before I commit to buying it. Otherwise faulty logic can sabotage a person's attempt to eat right. (Fish is healthier than hamburger, so the Filet-o-Fish must be a better choice than a Cheeseburger at McDonald's, right? Wrong. You'll go through an extra 80 calories and 6 grams of fat with the fish sandwich. Blame the breading and the deep fryer.)

While some areas have followed New York's lead when it comes to nutritional information, most have not. If seeing posted calorie and fat counts leads a consumer to purchase one slice of pizza instead of two, or the risotto instead of the chicken parm, the mandate will have been worth it. Restaurants don't have to worry that people will stop eating out. People will continue to eat at restaurants and there will always be someone willing to down a colossal cheeseburger (or two) or an enormous bucket of fried chicken. The rest of us would just like the ability to make smarter choices when we're out, even if that just means eating the thin-crust spinach pizza instead of the deep-dish pepperoni.

Not a year in review, but a look forward

As much as I enjoy reading retrospectives of a year gone by, I'm not much for writing them myself. I prefer to think ahead to the upcoming year when I can write some resolutions, map out some ideas, and keep striving for that "someday," even if my idea of "someday" changes.

I also like resolutions because I like lists. Oh the joys of lists! I have somewhere to keep track of things and can keep a visual track of my progress. In honor of my love for list-making, here's my list of resolutions for 2010.

1. Write more/become a better writer.
   Each year I like to focus on a particular hobby. In 2009, I wanted to spend more time scrapbooking; the result was a beautiful gift for my brother and new sister-in-law that captured every moment of their new marriage from proposal through honeymoon. For 2010 I vow to work on my writing. Practice makes perfect and though I love writing, I don't do it enough. This year's goal? Post to IT&O at least once a week. I can do it! Give me some topic ideas in the comments...
   
   I'd also like to take up journaling again. I like having a written record of my life to look back on and I like writing things down, but I just don't do it. I'd like to make journal writing a regular habit this year.
   
   
2. Pay attention to the positive.
   For the past few year's I've kept a Good Thing of the Day book. Everyday I take a minute to jot down something that was good about the day. Some days it's amazing: "Chris and Jenni get married!" "Saw the opening night performance of Mamma Mia and met two cast members outside the theatre!" Some days more mundane: "Turkey club from Doyle's for lunch." "Hung out with Penelope." And some days a real stretch: "Went to bed early," "Didn't have to work late." The point, is to pay attention to the little things that make life worth living. It's important to me to remember why I love dogs wearing argyle sweaters or how much I enjoy seeing the Boston skyline as I drive into work each day. Those little things remind me not to dwell on the gloomy things in life.
   
   
3. Get healthier.
   I always resolve to get healthier and this year is no different. It's an ongoing battle and one that everyone can relate to; I know it's on millions of people's lists of resolutions! Getting healthier doesn't have to be just about losing weight though. It can be about learning to like new foods (in 2009 I got over my dislike of bananas!), drinking more water, going to bed early, walking around the block every day... I hope to continue making little steps that will improve my well-being and not worry about the slip-ups like downing some soda or skipping the gym now and again.
   
   
4. Do things for me.
   I want to travel this year, take some classes, learn new things, taste great foods, sing at the top of my lungs. I resolve to remember that life is short and that the list of things to do "someday" ought to start today.
   

And so I say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010. This year, as always, I resolve to make this year the best yet. Happy New Year!