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