Fitting up for February

I stopped at Target on the way to the after-school program and treated myself to a couple of new pairs of yoga pants.  Maybe it's something left over from my childhood, when the weeks before the first day of school were always filled with frenzied shopping, but for me starting something new always requires some ritual "new" thing.  Food is easy...the "new" thing is always the fresh food that I purchase.  Re-commiting to a fitness regimen requires something just as tangible, and not as fungible. 

In the last couple days I've been considering ways to add activity to my daily routine.  My husband gave me 12 sessions with a personal trainer as a Christmas gift, but I feel like too much of a slug to even begin to work with her again.  And I like going to the gym when it's quiet, so that means tinkering with the schedule I've fallen into.  But I also want to recommit to other things.  Today I'm going to watch that Rodney Yee AM/PM yoga tape I bought myself as a Survived-the-Winter-Holiday-Madness reward and clean my yoga mat that's been languishing in a corner of my writing room.  And something else I've decided to do is to see how many times I can run up and down the steps each time I make myself a cup of coffee or tea, or heat one up.  So far, it seems I can do about five.  I'm consideirng a tai chi class, but that may require additional tinkering with my schedule, and I don't want to take on more than I can manage. 

Thus, my intentions for February is to recommit to my fitness by working toward ten times up and down the steps by the end of the month for every cup of coffee or tea I make; at least one AM or PM yoga session every day; and a gym workout four times a week.  And every day the weather is nice... like today... at least one walk without the dogs up and down the hill.    

 

Checking in

It's been a very busy month.  Not only did I complete When David was Surprised, I began work on another story that belched itself out of my brain quite unexpectedly a couple weeks ago.  The characters are a little sketchy, but the plot is clear.  I have nearly twenty thousand words completed and lots of notes to incorporate into a second draft. 

At the after-school program in Meriden where I've been working as a literary consultant twice a week, the kids are getting into the nitty-gritty of their stories.  It's so much fun to work with all of them, even the ones who aren't particularly in writing or in telling stories themselves. 

This month, my focus has been on what I eat.  After the power outage last fall, I think my body went into starvation mode and I woke up one morning amazed to find I'd managed to pack on not just the five pounds I lost during the nine-day ordeal, but an extra five more.  Not good at all, given how sedentary writing can be.  One thing I've learned about myself is that I simply can't do it all at once, including getting my act together.  So this past I've focused on food and I'm happy to say I've adopted these healthier habits:

1.  I decided one cup of 1% milk in my many cups of coffee was acceptable.  Every morning, I pour a  measruing cup of milk and add it to my coffee.  When the milk's gone, I'm finished drinking coffee for the day.  It's helped me limit both the amount of milk I'm using, and the amount of coffee I drink. 

2. I eat salad (at least) twice a day.  I find I'm craving dark leafy greens of all kinds, and it's been challenging to explore the produce aisle for different greens.  I've been buying two or three different varieties every week, and mixing them together in one big salad that lasts three or four days.  I also toss in shredded carrots and purple cabbage.  To this, I add other veggies, fruits and sometimes nuts. I'd like to start making my own vinegarettes, but that will wait for a few months while I focus on other aspects of my life.

3.  I've cut the amount of meat I eat by two-thirds.  I've been eating one serving of Greek yogurt every day... my favorite brand has introduced some new flavors like apple cinnamon and blood orange I love.  I add cinnamon to a lot of other things besides yogurt, including coffee and tea. 

4.  Friday afternoons and Sundays are my "indulgence" days when I eat pretty much anything I feel like eating. 

5. With the exception of the pomegranite vinegarette I've been putting on my salads, I've been sticking as much as I can to non-processed foods.  And when I do eat processed foods... like yesterday, when I had some crackers, I've been choosing the ones made with the whole wheat, the soybean oil and the sea salt over the ones made with a list of chemicals. 

This coming month I plan to focus on fitness.  I've been considering what small changes I can committ to making that in the long run will make a difference. 

Can you help?

Have you read and enjoyed How David Met Sarah? Would you like a free copy of the next book in the series, When David was Surprised? Please consider helping spread the word.


Here are a few things you can do:

1. Help us social network. Follow me on Twitter (@anniekelleher) and reTweet my tweets. "Like" the book's page on Facebook, and invite your friends to "like" it, too. Share the page's content - I'll be updating it soon, I promise! "Follow" this blog and comment... comments are wonderfully appreciated! The top reTweeter, Facebook Friend (in terms of sharing and referring friends) and Blog Follower (in terms of commenting and sharing) will win a copy of the new book.

2. We are happy to donate copies of How David Met Sarah to libraries. Just email me (AnnieKelleher@aol.com) the name of your local librarian in charge of acquisitions, and the address of the library. I'm also available to speak and sign at local libraries as well. Help me make the contact; your community wins and so do you.

3. Go to your local Barnes & Noble bookstore and ask for it. Copies can be ordered, and if enough people ask for the books, the stores will start to stock them. Email me the name and information of the store manager or the person who arranges signings and win the next book.

4. Tell your friends. Signed bookplates are available...the person who requests the most bookplates for friends who bought copies will receive the new book, too.

People who've read the story tell me how much they love it... thank you so much from the bottom of my chest (as my brother would say) if you can help us reach others who might enjoy it, too. When David was Surprised will be available in both eformat and hard copy on my birthday, March 31.