Srishti is here

The eggplant I wrote about in January became a watermelon (what to expect when you are expecting app named the baby stages in produce from blueberries to avocado to pineapple and watermelon) and became a bundle to hold a week ago. Since I picked Kshitij's name Raj did the picking this time and it checked my box of a Sanskrit name that will hopefully not be shortened further. I also wanted a consonant blend at the beginning so yay! Srishti means all of creation, i.e the universe.
The labor itself was a great experience. The first time, I was on Pitocin the entire night and I opted for epidural to help me sleep. This time my plan had been to try natural methods first and then go to epidural if I couldn't take it. It is amazing what our minds and bodies can do. The nurses and my husband were great support. We were admitted at 1.40am and Srishti was born an hour and half later.
Post partum recovery has been great too. The blues were what I was afraid of..unfortunately for them, I do not have the time as yet to feel them. Hopefully the transition will be smoother this time.
Big brother has been wonderful! He has read  her books, held her hands, kissed her, and held her in his arms. It is a beautiful thing to behold. Of course, I am waiting to see how this will develop.
As to exercise! I refereed a throwball match the day before delivery and I think she wanted to be there sooner to see what the world has to offer :P I plan on beginning to walk in a day or two once her sleep routine is better. Right now, I am the pacifier on demand.
PS-Why women are called the weaker sex I do not know! We endure so much more physically and emotionally. Whoever said it needs a kick right up their butt!

2018-what am I doin'?

2017 was a mellow year. I did not change a lot in terms of my resolutions or habits. I played throwball, I quizzed, read a lot of books and watched a lot of TV! Not movies but TV.
2017 was also a year of new stuff in my life. We got our own home and moved to a new city. My role at work changed to something that I liked to do more. My son made a LOT of new friends and I was overwhelmed by the amount of literature we received on Back to School night. Now I feel almost nonchalant about his schooling and education.
So what am I going to do in 2018?
First off, I quit groups in whatsapp, that I was part of, with more than 4 people. And there were a lot!! Cousins, friends. classmates, colleagues all had varying reactions - from adding me back again and again and again to confusion to anger and finally to understanding. My voice was not heard in some, even if it did, did not make a difference and the amount of gifs, memes and forwards was too much for me to handle given my obsession of not seeing an unread message number. It was me - I couldn't control myself. I forgot my phone for a day at home and that turned out to be a super productive day at work and I wanted to continue doing that and quit Whatsapp groups. Similarly with Facebook - my timeline littered with videos. photos and memes that I "liked" without liking. I could feel a disconnect - a sort of cynicism and I don't like being cynical so I quit. My profile is active but I do not have it on the phone (which takes away 99% usage). I don't access it much on laptop (netflix takes priority) So far I am doing ok on Social Media Detox. Until I feel the urgent need to, I won't go back.
Second, I decided to donate my hair. All know my head is 75% grey and 25% black and 100% brown (because of the henna). I had a couple of inspirations to grow my hair and donate it. I did my research and I know I can donate unbleached but grey hair and they will take it. Instead of ruing the hair on the floor, I am nurturing the ones on my head so that someone somewhere may feel happy with it. I plan on donating at least 12 inches which means long long way to go.
Third, a not so subtle change - I now have an eggplant sized baby in my tummy! Due in April! It has not stopped me from doing anything I love (wink wink throwball). I played a game two weeks ago - I think my team won because the opponent team was scared of my bumpity bump! I thought of recording the pregnancy, but realized it was not what I do with the pregnancy but what comes after that is more interesting!! Which means 2018 is going to be a huge year and one that I look forward to! Not too many resolutions, nothing earth shattering at least.
Drop me a line-how you doing?

Coyote Hills Hike

It's been a long long time!
I have had three tournaments and one house-move in between. That is not why I haven't posted. I haven't posted because my exercise routine has been zilch! I walk an hour when my son has soccer practice three days a week and the weekend throwball, but other than that, no Jillian, no running, nothing!
My son is a part of Tiger Scouts in the area. One of the reasons why we signed up for this was the adventures that we would go on. We went on our very first campout in September. I had smores! Smores! For the first time in my life, a camping staple, stuff that I'd only read about. Was awesome. The campout itself I think we were underprepared for, but managed to get by fine.
Then come the monthly hikes. This time it was Coyote Hills. The hike was planned for 2pm. Slathered in orange peel scented sunscreen, off we went on a merry hike! The kids were running! Up the hill! What in the world!! My gluteus maximus, solar plexus, and other major muscle groups could not take it! It was awesome! I have done Mission Peak but it was too crowded for my liking. Here the goat poop, bird poop were ours and ours alone, as was the dust that blew from the steep sides, the tiny rocks that rumbled and the ones that skid beneath our feet making us feel we were floating for a second- headed toward the ground for sure! The rocks were ours, as was the sun dried grass. The smell of mountains that we couldn't smell over our gasping breaths. The hot sun that was merry and the cold water that went down our throats.
We did two hikes in all for about two hours. The first one took us over the mountains and the second one took us over marshes and wooden bridges. We did the Bayview Trail and Lizard Rock trails. The Bayview trail was splendid, with distant horizons and sparkling water and seagulls. The lizard rock trail took us through winding paths of tall grass and cattails.We got to see egrets and a black tailed deer.
The visitor center had nice displays of the settlement and villages before it was urbanized. It was definitely interesting for the kids to look at the tools and weapons used during that time. Also displayed was the trading items, which happened to rocks (which hold particular interest to my son). Given a chance he would de-rocked the entire center and the trail too. There was also a nectar garden with monarch butterflies and a couple of other kinds I forget the name of! Very serene too.
A good hike without too much crowd!

Jillian Michael's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism

This!!!
This amazing kick butt of a workout!
This routine that had me dying for the seventh minute onward!
I can not stop gushing about it. Where the previous workout had me wanting cardio, this video delivered it with a kick right up my back. 50 minutes of non stop cardio. This workout sees 5 exercises in each section with 7 sections in all. Kickboxing, calisthenics, core training and more kickboxing feature in this routine that works because you are moving so much.
Some of the moves make you truly feel powerful. All the kickboxing moves that we go through, beginner or advanced, depends on an individual's comfort and flexibility. So where I did normal height drop and side kicks in the beginning, in the end I think my foot was higher than when I began. Some of the hard ones- burpees- my eternal bane; I won't rest until I conquer it. Standing mountain climbers- basically alternate upward punching with high knees thrown in. This was hard given that high knees are a problem for me. I started with a slower timing and then worked to the ones in the video. Still effective. Oh! Oh! There were the side knee crunches. I think there were points when my knees were doing it involuntarily because I had died by then. Scissor kicks that I ended up doing beginner level to decrease impact on knees.
In spite of the previous paragraph, I felt this workout was absolutely awesome. Let's face it! We get into it knowing what we are going into with Jillian. It is not going to be easy, but it is going to be exactly what we needed to get started. If there is a workout video that I'd consider buying this is probably it. Again I think this would be effective combined with the "No more trouble zones" DVD since that's all weight training and this is cardio. I can totally see getting shredded.
I had earlier planned on running more often but this video ended up being available sooner than I thought. I have given this my due diligence and found it good in the month and half that I worked with it. I still have a few more days to go before I return the video back. I still have not figured out what will be next, but am inclined towards running more. A Throwball team mate mentioned how she will be doing a marathon. Which has been a dream...but first I have to get back to running, hopefully I will.

Jillian Michaels' No more trouble zones

I wanted to take my time with this one. I truly wanted to give it my best shot; to see the results and then post about it. By now I've done quite a few of Jillian Michaels' programs. So I expected this to be as effective as the others. For me, unfortunately this did not quite cut it.
First and foremost this is not a 3 or 4 level circuit training that I have done with her other programs. In its entirety it is composed of 7 segments with 5 exercises, each done twice with the exception of the last segment. I did the entire DVD every day. It was pretty easy to keep up the energy. I did feel a lag a couple of times, when I did a less impacting version of the exercise for a couple of reps. Right at the beginning she mentions that all the exercises target trouble zones-arms, thighs, and abs to be broad. I used 5 pounds on each hand. It would have been more effective with 3 pounds but did not have those. The first five minutes- the warm up- incorporate a few cardio moves like jump rope, ice skaters and jumping jacks that are truly cardio moves. The rest is all weight training, with body weight and dumbbells.
She brings back mat work that uses body weight and that is awesome. Hollow man with scissor kicks, squirms, bicycle crunches, windshield wipers, pelvic thrusts, super man, rotating planks, planks with toe taps are all fantastic.
This DVD though is not easy on the knees, although we can modify to suit it to our comfort. She has two ladies working out along her but both of them do advanced moves and not a lot of beginners. Jillian does mention that we can ease up on the range of movement to suit our convenience. That's what I did. There is one in particular- the aptly named Surrender(!) that I ended up doing without weights because my knees wouldn't simple do it.
This DVD raises the heart rate and does burn calories, but to my surprise I found it less effective than the 30 day shred. Oh don't get me wrong! My biceps and triceps have risen to the surface, my arm is tighter and my thighs have a strong shape. I like to think the reason why I did not enjoy this one was because I was missing the high energy cardio moves. In spite of  the workout itself being good, I probably will not do this one again.
On the plus side, I am going to be running more regularly starting July. Hoping that will be a good change of pace.

Say my name..Wait! What?

I am named for my paternal grandmother- Meenakshi. Growing up I always had another classmate with the name. (I've also had someone in my class- school and college, the place I worked and when I did my Masters share my birthday too!!) In a bizarre turn of events I also had a room mate whose second name was the same as mine. I grew up not feeling particularly fond of it but for the sentiment attached to it. Although the shorter version of my name was used more frequently in our home and with relatives. I remember my mom used to be called "Meena amma". To this day a lot of people know her that way, just like how I am Kshitij's mom. And eventually I loved my name- hearing my full name with my fathers name is my ultimate joy. I thanked every person here in the USA that has said it completely right on the spot. They have issues with the last name- makes for a hilarious post later on.

Staying in the States, it has become easier for me to frequently tell people to call me by the shorter version. Even to those who can say it. My classmates, the billing agent on the phone, the DMV person and so on. I have been in so many situations when the sounds coming out of their mouths did not even match the letters in my name! So its been cut down to the first five letters because the English speakers could not capture the "ksh" sound convincingly enough and it was easier than repeating my name a lot of times (for native speakers only. A lot of my friends call me Meena too -familiarity breeds special privileges :P). Starbucks could find a shorter version- Mina! Worst of all, even after I say Meena, I have had questions like Neena? Nina?Ameena? Wait what?!

I now wonder if this is right. After all did we not make the effort to say Schwarzenegger? Not the best example I am afraid, but the only one off the top of my head. I am proud of my name and the heritage that it brings. And this when I was brought up in India for decades, having had time to say my name in the right way and truly let it become my identity.
The whole point of this post was to get to this- Kshitij is a beautiful name. It means "horizon". I fell in love with the name when we were looking for one. While it is a common enough name in India, it still poses challenges. All the letters in the word are meant to be pronounced. All of them. K its not silent, j is not y and t is th!I have taken to calling him K on social media posts and I feel if I am partly trying to alleviate other people's problems with his name. I should not be. How do I instill the love of his name? I do not want him growing up and wanting to change his name like Gogoloi from The Namesake. How?  

Ripped in 30- Week 4

We are stronger in the places we are already broken.
Jillian Michaels quotes Ernest Hemingway and proceeds to make me unbreakable all over my body because she how broken I am.
Looking back I have never seen a Week 4 workout in all the stuff that I have done from her line. 30 day shred and 6 week 6 pack both have only 3 levels so I knew Week 4 is going to be a killer.
Am I the only one that is gleeful the harder the exercises are? Nope, the thousands of focused, determined individuals that work out to her tough tune are sure to love it. You know by now that I had my Throwball tournament (Did I speak of anything else?) over the weekend. The longest rallies, the toughest point by point fight and thanks to Jillian I did not zone out until the very end where my exhaustion went beyond social niceties and I would have slept in the wide open field given a chance. :)
This Mother of all workouts is everything she promises it to be. I have slowly and surely seen a tightening of my bicep/tricep muscles, my thigh and shin muscles. My tummy still needs work. I have another post on that lined up when I can get to it.
Sweet Spots- I can't even talk about the warm up being easy. The slow leg swings were definitely not easy.
Tough nuts- The video if full of them. Squat press and rows, Burpees (my eternal bane in life- if it were a person I would be trolling them on Twitter), Chaturanga pushups (side note- a couple of yoga based exercise routines in this week) and last but not least plie hops with scissor kicks (don't ask me! I did the easy version and knocked my heels together)
In the end more than the exercises, I believe that I have grown more motivated and determined, It's not easy doing these exercises alone, let alone daily. I am supremely proud to have walked out on the patio, huffed and puffed myself red and proven to myself that all I need to be the best version of myself is work on it and be me!

PS- Started No more Trouble Zones ( my muscles are still twitching from the 50 minute exercise video. Post about it soon)

Where every game shows your character

I have never been a huge sports follower, but I have admired sportsmen and women for the spirit and dedication that they show. Olympic medal ceremonies easily put me to tears thinking about the stuff winners/participants went through, stuff that they faced during training and what it means to represent their country in front of the world. I also truly believe that if you have trained hard and have a deep passion for your game, it does truly not matter if you win or lose, because the sport is richer for it. Just like different religions believe their gods get powerful with the faith of devotees, I believe sportsmanship survives time.
A lesson learnt, the best teams do not resort to cheap tactics of distraction, aggravation or intimidation. I know you are thinking.. how does a team game like Throwball in the Bay Area become subject to such negative qualities? Throwball is still a relatively unknown game here but gaining more prominence. I LOVE IT, I LOVE MY TEAM. Yesterday we attended a tournament. In the round robin, teams are divided into pools, made to play against all in the pool, the points put together and teams ranked in three levels- beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. We had decided before hand that we would play our best and get into Advanced level, because all of us felt we were slightly more mature in the game to get into Beginner or Intermediate. We did. We played our best and moved into Advanced level. In the semi finals though we went head on with the current champions in that level and..lost! We were proud. Disappointed yes, but lessons and strategy for the next tournament were already being discussed as the final for that level was going on.
Now I come to the title. We faced a couple of teams that were moderately good, but by benefit of negative attitude were trying to intimidate us. It did work for a couple of points. Then we came back stronger. We realized if we played a clean consistent game, we would not be called out for any fouls that we may or may not have done, mostly may not in our case :P. They had no answer. That is where I think we truly stood out. We could have taken the easier route and resorted to name calling and distraction and unsportsmanlike like refereeing. Instead we stood for what we believe in. And each point gained was the sweeter for it. That is how every game shows your character.
PS- We actually had two teams from our throwball group. Where we moved into Advanced, our sister team aimed at Beginner, got into Intermediate and won it like a boss!! Champions Titans :)
PPS- The longest rallies I have ever played for every single point were against the reigning  champions. Jillian Michaels IS awesome. She promised endurance and I got endurance.

Ripped in 30- Week 3

The penultimate week. No closer to getting ripped but definitely seeing the muscle tone. Had my annual physical- my HDL has never been this high! All because of the exercise that I have been doing :) feeling fantastic about that!
Going a little nuts this week Jillian really brought in the tough moves. She said she wanted me to curse her name and I was. But all in all my muscles were definitely working. The warm up segment was a little different in that they were three warm up exercises repeated twice almost like the exercise circuit!
Sweet spots- Say what??
Tough nuts- Duck walk, stork stance with reverse fly. rock and roll jump with reverse crunch, one legged hops (this was particularly daunting because I did not want the exercise to impact my knees), table stance with tricep dip.
All in all was a challenging week. There were a couple of repeats from 30 day shred- jumping lunge that felt much easier this time around. Seriously looking forward to next week which starts tomorrow. Final week also coincides with the weekend of tournament so pulling out all stops on this one next week.

Ripped in 30- Week 2

Was..huff..not...puff..prepared!
Continuing to indulge in self torture I went ahead with Week 2 of Ripped in 30. You know what kills me? The models that serve in the beginner/advanced pose demonstration make it seem easy. Even the beginner modes do the advanced level pose while Jillian herself asks them to do the beginner level poses! Man..way to show off.
With the same 3*3, 2*2, 1*1 mode of circuit levels, a lot of the exercises are variations of the basic poses. Incorporating more than one muscle group during the exercises are the easiest way to burn more calories.
Oh yeah! She makes no bones about even waiting for the actual exercise to kick butt. One in the warm up actually has a leg rotation kick..the kind you see in movies with martial arts. Felt immense pride doing that..hopefully the body later will thank me :)
Sweet spots- Jump rope with kick outs, Alternate table with ab hold
Tough nuts- Crow push ups (I know!!), Stork pull ups (whats with the fauna?!), Side lunge with leg hike (like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant)
At one point she talks about building endurance. I see marked increase in endurance. During throwball practice sessions, which easily go on for 3 hrs now, I am able to see higher levels of stamina, greater arm strength and throw, even breathing and faster reflex and movement. Heyooo!
Side note- Now I have my team mates warming up and cooling down too! Score for team spirit..the team that stretches together, sticks together!

Jilian Michaels Ripped in 30- Week One

Ok! Five months into the year? I am already planning my Halloween costume..where is the time running?
Disclaimer One- Throwball tournament coming up and I wanted to be stronger for that
Disclaimer Two- I was in no way, shape or form prepared for my ass being handed to me
Disclaimer Three- Really badly handed to me!

I am a fan of Jillian Michaels, you'd know from back when I did 30 day shred. So for the April vacation (which actually I need not have worried about, 'cos the food in the resort just spoiled me out of shape anyway), I started out with the 30 day shred and was inconsistent about it. I finished the 30 day shred in maybe 45 days :P (I know! I know! Read on though..) On an impulse I decided to rent out more Jillian Michaels DVDs. I got 4 DVDs! One week shred, Banish fat boost metabolism, Ripped in 30 and No more trouble zones. I have no idea what I was thinking, I was probably in food coma and out of my mind.
I am happy to say that I had to return the first two due to me working on Ripped in 30. Some other comatose idealist (a prayer for their soul and body) had placed them on hold so it went back to library. :P

So Week One! Having done 30 day shred program, I was mentally prepared for it to be trippy, but boy was I underestimating! This program comes in 3 circuits too, with the same 3-2-1 formula of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute abs. It was basic moves, getting the form right and it still killed me. I was sweating worse than I did after a 5 mile run, and in under 30 minutes!! It was life draining, mind numbing and soul crunching- meaning it was awesome! I loved it..(Side bar- Kamal Hasan once said that only with the ache of muscles you realize how truly sweet pain is)
While 30 day shred had 2 exercises in all strength, abs and cardio moves, this one had 3 for strength, 2 for cardio and abs.
My mistake- the weighing machine still does not have batteries. :)

One thing that she really stresses is the meal plan, which unfortunately had a lot of meat in it. So I am trying to eat healthier with less processed food and lot more vegetables and fruits. 

Looking forward to 2017

Well I mean I really have no choice! Life is no bed of roses but it is what we make it to be and I certainly have seen proof of it. Lets get straight to it!

1. Fitness goals- Remain same. In fact an April vacation has spurred me into being more conscious of exercise and routine. Also I often underestimate the importance of home cooked meals. Working in a start up, it is so easy to get carried away with the food and not be sure of my portions. Steadfast decision to eat as many home cooked meals as I can and more vegetable/fruit helpings as I can.

I have also expanded my repertoire of home made cosmetics and essentials for skin care and I like that I am in control of what goes on my skin. I do not think I will change that. I see certain new things that will be in the way and I plan on getting them out of mind/way so that I concentrate on a minimal chemical invasion. Some are against my principle, I don't know why I decided on them, but enough said, this year will be the last.

Another thing on my mind- Henna for my grays has been my constant vanity. I want to be comfortable with grays but I still don't have the guts- will work on this too..

2. Personal goals- These are many many!

a. Visualization- Positive reaffirmation and visualization. We are what we think we are. Why not think better of ourselves? Picture ourselves where we want to go and start the journey to betterment.

b. Words- Words are powerful. This year I want to rein in my words. Even if it means some people are going to take advantage of it, let them. If a raised voice alone indicates negation, I am going to be so misunderstood this year. However, my point is to simply express my opinion in a tempered way and not too defensive about it. Being kinder and tolerant while sometimes mistaken for being a pushover speaks volume about personality. I would like to be firm but kinder with my words.

c. Pursue certain pet projects that I have been long incubating. At least read up on some of them and take the first step.

d. As always, read, read, read and know more.

Review: Life Goals 2016- Did I?

1. Think positive-To a major part I did follow my goal. I still have times when I spiral out of control. Slowly getting there

2. At least exercise 5 days a week- Walk Walk Walk. I am walking..sometimes with weights, sometimes without. I ran a couple of times and got good shoes to ably prep me for more running in 2017. Hopefully!

3. Portion Control- No! On a good day I do well, on bad days I just gorge. I tried alternate fasting. No not fasting all day. Basically eating a little lesser on alternate days. The problem was I could not remember if I had to eat normally or eat slightly lesser! And ended  up eating normally and sometimes slightly more than normally! He he! But I WILL work on this.

4. Using more natural and earth friendly products-Yes! Yes! Yes! Ended up making lotions, lipbalms and deodorants. Going for a lot more next year

5. Balanced and healthier food- Happening at a slower pace, but it is happening!

6. Emphasizing health and exercise to my son as well- Enrolled him in Soccer!

7. One of the more important goals- to stop using the laptop/tablet/phone at least 1-2 hrs before bed- Happy to say this worked 95% of times!

8. Read more -for myself and for my son- 100%!!!!!!

I think making this list really helped me! I am going to make a new one in 2017 with some overlaps.

Throwball

I did not know what Throwball was. Let me say that up front. I had been a volleyball player at school. I had played Kho-kho but never heard of Throwball so when I was first approached by a woman in the park asking me if I was interested in Throwball, little did I know how much she, the game and its players would affect me.
Youtube has plenty of videos of the game but it never struck me to look at them before I go. When I went for my first game, I met a lot of women. Different women from different states of India and I would later learn different yet alike in their pursuit of Throwball. For a few like myself it was a form of exercise and for a few it was a respite from the day's work and for few more it was a chance to interact with these women who had become friends. I  wish I had a phenomenal memory and could come up with the exact date and month. I tentatively know it was summer either June or July is my guess. I was hooked. It was a great stress buster and a reaffirmation that my athletic roots had not left me. Yet for all this it is the simplest of games not the gentlest but definitely simplest. You catch a ball and throw it back. Sounds super simple as a friend put it- Playing catch is not hard! To me though, it is wonderful.
This post is as much about the game as the women I play with. These women are strong and passionate. Their passions are varied and I see evidence of harmony in diversity when I see us together. All of us have personalities that are chalk and cheese yet when we play, we play only for the game. Forgive me if this veers too much on the personal edge, but I truly feel a kinship to my friends. Anyone that knows me, and a lot of you do, knows my temper and my temperament. These girls put up with me and that itself proves how much of a sport they truly are! I truly can not count the ways that these women have affected and influenced me in a positive way- I have learnt a lot from every single one of them. A thousand and one things on their minds and they still let it all go the second they step on the court. I truly forget all my problems and worries for the couple of hours I play.
A couple of days ago, we went to a tournament. We were in the beginner category and from the get-go first match, I was supremely confident that we would be victorious. It gives me a great sense of pleasure to say we were UNDEFEATED that day. We won all the sets in all the games we played that day. I was amazed at how in synch all of us were. All the doubts that I had about us performing under pressure flew out of the window.
I have won lots of trophies at school and in college. Yet this one is super special to me because it happened when it happened. As humans, most of us doubt our abilities no matter how confident we were about them before. Then as a sign, come along a few women who argue  and joke alternatively, in the same breath, until their faces are flushed and you can not tell if they are serious or joking when they proclaim they want to kill you! This sign lets you know you are truly never alone as sport unites people that I normally wouldn't have even met otherwise!

Oh yeah! Did I mention we won GOLD?! :P

The slowest run in the history of slow runs

And I am proud of having run that!!
For the past few days I have been feeling like I am ready. Not physically but also mentally.Shaking up the mind and body seemed a good idea. Getting adrenaline flowing..Fight or flight...in my case crawl and amble! It was my usual 4.29 mile loop. I started off real easy. My knees did not give me any resistance but like a woman wronged, it acts up later than at the beginning.
Along we went, me and my music. I hadn't listened to my iTunes for a long time. In the car I switch on the radio nowadays because of the Aux cable being broken. There is only so much mental argument I can carry out in a day! :P I digress! So along we went.
If you know me, you know I believe in tough love. However since this was my first real run in a long time, I resorted to cheating, I ran signal to signal. Every signal I promised myself I would take a break at the next one. Also promised myself that if it was a red I could stop. And almost all the lights were green when I approached them. There were two that came in the final mile! So on I ran.
I took three ten second walk breaks in the second mile. Came back and stretched. I miss Yoga. I should start that again.
Also a plan of exercising twice a day cropped up in my mind since a visit to the motherland is imminent. And we all know what that means- sweets, chaat and sweets! Seriously considering a sensible plan. Since weather is not heating up maybe swimming will not be an option and  so maybe cardio and weights...
So long!!

Life Goals 2016

Research shows that more than 25% resolutions are given up within the first one week of formation , especially new year resolutions. It struck me that rather than resolution, I would benefit from life goals because let's face it resolutions are directed towards something essential. I have been following certain things from the latter part of 2015 and my goal is to simply keep them up.
1. Think positive.  Reinforcing that people should be given a chance, positivity should be given a chance. Consciously redirecting my thoughts if they tread on the negative side. So far it has been my first instinct to dismiss everything with a skeptical and cynical attitude expecting the worst and reaffirming those effects with further cynicism. It changed a little with conscious effort hopefully it will continue to change.
2. At least exercise 5 days a week. Cardio has been a staple during my routines. I have been hitting the  gym rather than running outdoors. Hopefully my knee will rehabilitate and I can go back to running. Till then I plan on using the elliptical and the treadmill. A recent addition has been weight training for both upper and lower body. I can see some results in my arms :). I am looking at other exercises that will help me. I have moved from 5 pounds to 10 pound weights on each side now!
3. Portion Control. Still a huge challenge. I am my own undoing. Fruits and nuts are helping.
4. Using more natural and earth friendly products. I am not turning into a hippie free spirit overnight but am slowly adjusting certain areas which can be chemical free. Food items have slowly shifted to organic or local produce. Of course they are expensive but choosing only a few organic staples at a time is working.
5. Balanced and healthier food. I want my son to eat stuff that I ate growing up. They had sugar (jaggery form) but they were nutritious as well. I remember eating far more varieties of food and vegetables than those I cook for him. So definitely planning on bringing the old stuff back. Baby steps!
6. Emphasizing health and exercise to my son as well.
7. One of the more important goals- to stop using the laptop/tablet/phone at least 1-2 hrs before bed. Reading a book to help me sleep and turning in before 11pm. I am going to be super strict about this since my sleep patterns have gone for a toss.
8. Read more -for myself and for my son! :)

I am hoping since I have been slowly building up to these already continuing them will not be too much of a trouble but its good to be accountable as well and get it out there rather than simply think about it and not do it.

Food

One of my biggest pressure points I think is food. I either eat too much or too little of it. I am yet to find a happy medium without eating until the food comes out of my nose!! I like rice and I also like my home made curd. I always end my meal with curd- be it lunch or dinner. No meal for me seems complete without curd!
Portion control- that is my issue! I am also guilty of comfort eating. Whenever I feel upset or depressed I turn to food. I also seem to crave and give in to dessert after every meal. Sugar, sugar.
Since I've identified my weak spots, I am hoping to consistently do the following
1.Less rice, more vegetables- I usually do this, but I feel I do eat more servings of rice than necessary. So consciously stopping myself.
2. Gobbler- I am a gobbler. I gobble down food. Usually I have a book or I watch a tv series on my laptop while eating. I will consciously stay away from both and concentrate on what I eat henceforth.
3. Drink water instead of eat when depressed or upset- constantly keep drinking water.
4. Keep busy after meal to divert mind from craving dessert.
5. I snack !! Constantly..it is almost like a second meal..heavy snacking! So my goal is to limit snacking to 11am and 5pm. Healthier snacks, smaller portions again.
6. I have stopped sugar with coffee and tea but I once I start with dessert those sugar granules can build a miniature wall of China in my tummy! So conscious reduction of sugar again.
I think these are solid goals to start with. I am going to follow up on them consciously since I am slipping unconsciously!!

Renaissance?

I have been non-active on this blog.  It's because I haven't done anything earth shattering at all.
I mean there have been the odd visits to the gym and swimming pool but it has not been a routine. Not the kind that I had earlier. I tried blaming it on various factors like School, the lack of proper trails, that we are on the second floor and even that it was too hot. Ultimately there is only one reason- Me! I did not feel motivated enough, nor did I feel invested in the results.
Then I realized, this IS part of my life. This IS my decision to stay healthier and get some exercise. I had to stop giving excuses to myself. Also part of the reason was that the 3-0 is creeping up on me and I wanted to start my new decade with a promise of a healthy start. I am not afraid, I think of growing older, just that my body would not feel the same as I feel at heart. I realized a few ways to manage this would include a healthier lifestyle, an exercise routine and plenty of water! :P
I hate getting philosophical, but the truth is I am the most motivated when I happy. And I am a moody person- the extremes of moods always threaten me! So my goal is also to stay positive and motivated. I am trying to come up with a set of workable goals, goals that I can follow. I do not want to go out of my comfort zone when making these goals, like I do not want a bikini body or 8% body fat..none of that. Hopefully in a few days time I will set my goals. Publicly owning up gives me more accountability even if it's only two people that probably read this blog! :P

Challenges-2-Yoga

 I am in a constant need to move. I used to not understand how people did yogasana.The slow movements and the gentle rhythmic breathing and the contorted poses. I was unsure if yoga and me would ever get along. And apparently we do.
I will quickly talk about what we do in the yogasana after the workout. I am not getting into the spiritual benefits of yoga. Only the physical ones. I notice that my posture has really improved. And so has my overall elasticity. I don't mean like Mr Fantastic! But then he did not do yoga did he? Well then. I got into yoga predominantly to see if it work as an alternative to stretching after the Shred routine. A friend gave me a book. I have heard people say that you don't do yoga without the proper guidance of an instructor. I am not sure how true or untrue that is. Since the ones that we do are basically stretches, am assuming nothing will go wrong. And the author of the book seems to agree that as long as  we breath in and out and go easy, yoga can be attempted without a master. And so we began.
I give below the asanas that we currently do.
1. Tadasana- standing like a mountain
2. Ardhakati Chakrasana- bending sideways at the waist with one arm raised.
3. Trikonasana- triangle pose with knees apart and ending at the waist to touch the floor behind the leg
4. Veerabhadrasana- warrior pose
5. Utkatasana- Chair pose.
6. Vrikshasana- Tree pose.
7. Padahastasana- Bending forward from waist to touch feet.
8. Parshva Konasana
9. Parshvathonasana- Hands folded behind back into a namaste and bending forward and back.
10. Garudasana- Eagle posture
11. Ardha Padmothanasana- Half-lotus pose with bent knee and touching the floor leaning forward from the waist.
12.Uttanasana- Hands are belt at elbow above head and bend forward from waist.
13.Ardha Chandrasana- Half moon pose. Bending over backwards at waist with arms raised.
14. Padmasana- Lotus pose.
15. Siddhasana- Padmasana with fists.
16. Vajrasana- Diamond pose. Extremely beneficial for men.
17. Veerasana- Warrior pose.
18. Suptha Veerasana- A modification of Veerasana. Recline on back with arms stretched
19. Paryankasana- Another variation of the Suptha Veerasana, with elbows bent above the head and supporting the back, waist arch.
20. Baddha Konasana- This is the butterfly stretch that women highly benefit from.
21. Simhasana- Lion pose.
22. Matsyasana- Fish pose. With the padmasana, recline backwards, hold legs with hands and arch.
23. Parvatasana- Mountain pose. Arms extended upwards in Padmasana.
24. Janu Shirasana- One knee bent, touch head to the other leg.
25. Paschimothanasana- Legs stretched forward, bend head to meet knee.
26.Gomukhasana- Cow head pose.
27. Sarvanagasana *- shoulder stand.
28. Halasana *- Plough pose
29. Chakrasana *- Wheel pose.
30. Bhujanagasana- Snake pose.
31. Shalabasana- a. Ekapadha Shalabasana- Lie flat and raise one leg as far as possible. b. Dwipadha Shalabasana- Raise both legs.
32. Makarasana- Crocodile pose.
33. Dhanurasana- Bow pose
34. Adhomukha Svanasana- Downward facing dog.
35. Shavasana
Sarvangasana, Halasana and Chakrasana are a little hard to perform initially but it becomes easier with experience.
If you notice, they are basically stretches that I have done at the end of my runs. Not with so much in Sanskrit, but they have the same principle of stretching. So basically these are all stretches that I would have to be slower and stronger in. Also I do them for 30 seconds now. I am hoping I will be able to increase to a longer time to really work into it. I am really enjoying the Yoga. It definitely calms me down too. Just like a high intensity workout gets my blood flowing, the slower pace helps me cool down. So there you are..these are the yoga postures we do.
I am a beginner and I am comfortable doing these stretches. I would most definitely advise you to get expert opinion if available. Guidance can definitely improve our benefits. I am considering joining a class. Become one of the many carrying a yoga mat and a water bottle at an ungodly hour! :P

Challenges-1-Jillian Michaels 30 day shred

The past month and half has been really eventful. I undertook three new challenges.
First was the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels, the 30 day abs challenge that had started on June 1 and also yoga.
The Jillian Michaels shred was a routine that I'd attempted even last year. It has 3 levels spread over 30 days.Unfortunately, had to cut it short because I had to study and then it was time for a vacation. And I was absolutely not able to continue beyond level 1. I think I did level one for four days a week and four weeks! It was definitely an awesome workout.
And then I decided to start it again last month. So come May  I started with level 1. This time I was bent on finishing it. So I started the first week. It was great. 27 minutes was the entire workout. and my body felt sore at the end of it. When I had to go on to the next week another friend wanted to join and so it all came together.
All the 3 levels have 3 circuits each made of Strength, Cardio and Abs. It was 2 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. Combined with warm up at the beginning and cool down in the end.
Level 1- 1. Strength- push ups, squat press, bicep curls with lunges, dumbell rolls, chest flies and anterior raise with side lunges
               2. Cardio-jumping jacks, jump rope, butt kicks, shadow boxing
               3. Abs-crunches, reverse crunches, crunches with one knee on another, bicycle crunch.
Level 2- 1. Strength- walking push ups, squats with dumbell rolls, static lunges with dumbell roll, pendulum lunges and hammer curls, military press, cheer squat with v fly.
             2. Cardio- squat thrust, high knees, oblique twists, ice skaters, plank jacks, double jump ropes
             3. Crunches and plank twist.
Level 3- 1. Strength- waking planks, superman, dumbell cleaves, jumping lunges, traveling push ups, plank rows with leg raises.
             2. Cardio- mountain climbers , squats with hops, shadow boxing and butt kicks with weights, jump squats, rockstar jumps.
           3. Abs- pike crunch, sit ups and side plank raises

Level 1 was the easiest of the lot so to speak, but it kicks ass. I was sore the first 2 days and then my body kind of knew I was going to do more of it. Then it went easier. I went with the advanced poses in all the three levels. Towards the end when I had to take a breather, I would move into beginner poses but only for a few seconds and then back to advanced. Level 2 was a huge step. I thought I would die. The came level 3. The first day I was swearing ripely at all things under the sun. And then my body shut me up. I loved it and lived to tell the tale.
She delivers what she promises. Jillian, I mean. She knows her stuff. My body is more toned. I can see a marked difference in my limbs, they are tighter and toned. As for my belly, they have lost some inches for sure. The only mistake that I did was not to keep a record of what I started with and what I ended up with. Will do it next month though.
The only drawback I felt was the amount of warm up and cool down. I'd suggest a few more cool down stretches and knee exercises. But since I started doing an yoga after this I felt comfortable. On its own, definitely more stretches at the end.
Determination, motivation , both need to go into this one. Worked for me!!