getting healthy

101 in 1001 #18, #28 - Yoga and pilates and fitness, oh my!

Last summer I got really into yoga, largely thanks to Hannah and our very early mornings at the Lake Harriet Yoga Project. After summer ended, I spent much of the rest of my time in Minneapolis seeking out yoga classes – with friends, at our in-building gym, or even on Youtube in my apartment after a long day. Needless to say, as I made my second 101 in 1001 list, yoga had cemented a spot on the list with “#28: Join a yoga studio.” For good measure, I also threw in “#18: Take a Pilates class,” after brief exposure through the 21-Day Fix. I’ve had so much fun checking both of these off this summer, thanks to Stanford’s amazing employee wellness program!

A few thoughts on that program – Stanford’s emphasis on health and wellness is seriously unbelievable. In addition to fully funded healthcare (I seriously pay nothing for an incredible plan!), Stanford offers a holistic program called BeWell for all faculty and staff. Shortly after I started, I completed the SHALA (“Stanford Health and Life Assessment”), a comprehensive questionnaire that addressed every aspect of personal health, from eating and exercise habits to stress triggers and sleep quality. After that, I underwent a full health screening, met with a consultant on weaker areas of personal health, and worked with a personal coach to devise a plan to address those items. As the year draws to a close, I’ll complete an analysis of victories and setbacks along the way…and for doing all of that, Stanford will pay me a big fat bonus.

UM, WHAT? Sign me up.

As part of the BeWell program, Stanford offers employees free or significantly reduced fitness classes, built right into the workday. Seeing yoga and Pilates sprinkled throughout the schedule, I signed up for several classes, all for less than $3 per class. The classes, taught by Stanford’s personal trainers, were varied and engaging, challenging me every session in new ways. Best of all, the time to go to these classes is just baked into our day – no staying late, coming in early, or struggling to fit a class in around meetings…the time dedicated to BeWell classes is near-sacrosanct, and it’s the most heavenly reset in the middle of the day.

Though I’m definitely not the bendiest person in the world, and am known, if anything, for my lack of natural grace, balance and coordination, I’ve loved the yoga sessions I’ve participated in for the last two and a half months. Our instructor Patricia (a woman in her sixties who could contort her bodies in ways worthy of a circus act) taught with so much humor and patience that I felt completely comfortable flopping around with the balance of a baby giraffe. One of my favorite moments: during a shoulder stand, I overcorrected and legitimately somersaulted over my own head with legit no idea how I’d actually done that. I cracked up, half in embarrassment and half in total incredulity.

Patricia joined in, and eventually half the class (also struggling with converting shoulder stands to headstands) was losing their shit as I sprawled across my mat like a rag doll. Needless to say, I’m steering clear of headstands for the time being. That said, over the course of the classes, I’ve strengthened my wrists to the point where planks and downward dog no longer bother them…my arches to the point where my plantar fasciitis is practically gone…and my core to the point where my posture has visibly improved. Added bonus: I can stand on one foot now for like…a VERY long time. Life skills, campers!

As for Pilates…good lord, I am so in love with it and so, so bad at it. No seriously. I’m terrible. I take a Pilates-yoga fusion class every Friday over lunch, the perfect end to a week. Two of the other women in my department also take it, and it’s been a fantastic bonding experience to walk back to the office from the studio with them, bitching the whole way about how hard class was that day. Our instructor, Susan, was a petite, compact powerhouse of torture, subjecting us to every Pilates variation under the sun with the accompanying sunny smile. From accessory sets using tubes, straps and balls to full hour sessions of planks and inversions, every new segment of class offered some kind of ridiculous way to highlight my lack of strength, stamina and inherent stretchiness. That said, I loved it so much. The isometric micro-movements and small adjustments that so much of Pilates is built around seemed underwhelming to me at first…at least until I spent ten minutes in a lunge set that left me near-incapable of climbing my apartment’s stairs the next day.

Last Friday was our final class with Susan for summer session, and she came in with a vengeance ready to work us HARD. Nearing the end of class, as she held us in a one-arm, one-leg plank for what felt like forever, she laughed out loud and encouraged us to look around at how far we’d come since the first class. I peeked up with sweat dripping in my eyes and couldn’t help but grin – I am in terrible shape, but at that moment and in so many others over the last few months, I’m incredibly happy to be working toward getting in better shape. It’s absurdly fun to be able to exercise with coworkers who are all on their own health journeys (god, cheesy!)…just one more perk making everything at Stanford come up roses. Can’t wait for fall session!

 

Check out more of my 101 in 1001 list here!

Whole30 is OVER!

You guys. I don't think I've ever been happier for it to be February 1, and that's really saying something given my historic hatred of January. Throwing a Whole30 and complete cold-turkey caffeine break on top of my least-favorite month was probably a crazy decision, but here we are on the other side and I'm feeling awesome. 

Quick stats: 

Weight lost: 10lb

Inches lost: 7 (mostly arms and stomach) 

Feeling: really good

Missing: the texture of bread, CHEESE ALL THE CHEESE, and alcohol!

Excited for: coffee every morning again, and a week in Miami and Puerto Rico to get all that up in my face again!

So that's the big caveat here: I'm not doing the "slow reintroduction of taboo foods" thing that was recommended by the program, due to a family wedding I leave for tomorrow. Instead, I'll be hitting the beach, the open bar at the reception, and a plethora of restaurants that we're super excited to visit. What's my plan to avoid undoing all the good this January has done? 

Two-fold: first, on this vacation, I'm planning to try to stick to as compliant a diet as I can...salads, chicken, and of course all the fresh seafood I can! That said, it's a VACATION and I'm for sure going to chow down some mofongo in Puerto Rico and at least a few delicious cheater-ish meals. As far as alcohol goes, I'm going to have fun and not worry too much about it (while being aware that such a drastic change in my drinking habits probably killed my tolerance...eek!). 

In the longer term, I think that following a "Whole30-ish" approach to life is going to be really good for me. I'm not saying I'm going to deny myself everything fun and delicious by any means, only that I'm going to focus on keeping things as whole and healthy as possible at least 80% of the time. I've found a ton of breakfast and lunch options I really love, and it's so easy to make at least 10 of my weekly meals at work Whole30 just by relying on those recipes. Cooking dinners at home has gotten much easier, and is such a better alternative than ordering takeout...eeek, that habit is one I hope stays dead! 

I will certainly not be turning down happy hours, brunches, or pre-show dinners/post-show cocktails...but I'm proud of myself for thinking that those events will be pretty much the only place I cheat hard or don't worry about what I'm eating being Whole30. Hopefully this will represent a major turning point in my relationship with food and dieting...and if that's the best thing I take out of this month of mostly-torment, that's a great thing! 

Current faves: gym jams

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been clocking a ton of time in the gym lately (well, at least compared to last year!). Kels and I are doing 2017 in 2017, and that's forced me to up my mileage as much as possible. 

Problem is, I get major treadmill/elliptical ADD and get bored super fast. Also, I have this weird, deeply-ingrained pathological need to be in-step with the music I'm listening to while working out...ex band-nerd for LIFE. Accordingly, some current faves fueling the gym gains this week: 

- "Mr. Brightside," The Killers - It's such a perfect tempo, and such a fun hark-back to my spastic high school days. 

- "Dirty Little Secret," All-American Rejects - same deal. Perfect tempo and I always feel like an angsty teenager listening to it. 

- "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "She Bangs," Ricky Martin - SO TRASHY AND SO FUN. No shame in this game. 

- "Seeing Stars," BORNS - It just makes me happy, and the bass/drum beat is consistent throughout so I can get/stay on step.  

- "Take on Me," a-Ha - Marching band throwback for the win...this was in my first-ever halftime show with the Band of the Fighting Irish. It always makes me smile. 

- "I Wanna Go," Britney Spears - Gotta throw a little Brit in there. Other wins are "Toxic" and "Womanizer." 

- "Lady Killers," G-Eazy - I often catch myself rapping this under my breath, and the other day I got a really weird look from one of the sales rep guys I know who was on the treadmill across from me because I was getting maybe a little too into it...oops.

- "Love Today," MIKA - Happy, fun, bouncy, and fast. 

- "Pumpin Blood," NONONO - What better jam for when you're literally pumping blood? It makes me feel great. 

- "Holiday," Vampire Weekend - I was totally flagging out and cramping up yesterday and this came on in the last half-mileish of the program I was jogging - I ended up kicking the speed up and pounding through in a weirdly aggressive/positive mood. 

- "Dancing in the Dark," Bruce Springsteen - the Boss makes any workout feel boss, and this tempo is awesome. 

- "Shut Up and Dance," Walk the Moon - bonus points for voluntary treadmill jazz hands. 

 

Songs that just plan make me happy to be alive, on the other hand, are my cool-down jam: 

- "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," Whitney Houston (DUH. Close your eyes, pretend you're at the Backer.)

- "You Get What You Give," The New Radicals (Favorite song of all time, also duh.)

- "F.N.T," Semisonic - such a great throwback, and it's affirming to hear "you're lovely and you're perfect" when I've got sweat literally dripping off my eyelashes. 

 

Pro tip: the first half of "Hamilton" is exactly right for a 65 minute treadmill workout, as is "In the Heights" if you skip a few of the boring ones...and something about "Les Mis" makes any workout seem less...well, miserable. 

And I'll never skip the Trot cadence if it comes up in shuffle. Sometimes I look it up just to finish strong. DORK. 

A no-excuses healthy January - part 2

Continuing the summary of my Whole30 from here...days 11-22!

Day 11 (1/13): I'm realizing quickly how much easier it's become for me to skip coffee in the morning. My a.m. coffee was always my 100% vice...after cutting out "designer" coffee cold-turkey last year, I thought I'd never be able to survive without my daily Keurig brew or 99 cent cup from the company Quick Stop. Instead, I'm pounding through several cups of herbal tea every day, and I'm noticing the benefits of increased water intake daily in clearer skin and dramatically reduced bloat. Favorite blends so far: Be Well Red Tea's Get Lost, Get Clean, and Get Matcha, Celestial Seasoning's Honey Vanilla Chamomile, Caribou Coffee's Mint Verbena, and Cuppa Cake's Red Velvet. 

Day 13 (1/15): Food boredom is very much a thing, I'm finding - and I have a terrible habit of making giant batches of recipes and then eating them til I'm sick of them. It's hard to cook for one person, but I'm kind of forced to do so...so I've been relying on the excessive amount of Lunds/Byerly's salad bar takeout containers to portion out single servings of recipes. They're the perfect size for a meal, they are so easy to grab and go with every day, and they're perfect to throw things in the freezer. Lifesavers. 

Day 14 (1/16): Wearing a dress to work today that barely zipped in November/December...and it's roomy everywhere but the bust (ugh, story of my life). Such a great feeling - although it's got me dying to jump on the scale, and that's a strict Whole30 no-no...ugh!

Day 16 (1/18): For the first time, I made a recipe that was a total meh fail...and unfortunately made a lot of it. I'm going to suck it up and deal, but needless to say I'm not pleased. On the bright side, I have the most gorgeous honeydew from Lund's cut up and waiting in my fridge...it's so freaking good. 

Day 18 (1/20): I went to The Lumineers' concert with Hannah last night and had a really hard time with the fact that I couldn't grab a beer with her or hit up happy hour before the show. I don't know why that was psychologically so irritating...it felt like I was compromising on having a fun night because of the program, and that annoyed me. On the flip side, I'm really realizing how much my social life centers around drinking...like, too much...and thinking about other ways to socialize with people instead. Can't wait for the weather to turn so I can add lake walks and sunrise yoga back into my life!

Day 20 (1/22): Workouts have been so much better lately, and I don't know if that's Whole30 or just the fact that I'm finally in a better, more consistent routine. I've been hitting the company gym almost daily, which is great, and I'm doing yoga several times a week. Gotta love feeling bendier...not to mention how much fun it's been to get my old competitive side out trying to beat yesterday's mileage in the gym every day. 

Day 21 (1/23): Did legit three hours of meal prep after work during The Bachelor (omg, this season is such a shit-show!). I made more Whole30 pesto (addicted), cooked up a ton of spaghetti squash to mix into everything, and made my favorite breakfast casserole again...can't wait to have it portioned out and ready to go every morning.

Day 22 (1/24): Today was our Q4 earnings release at work, and we always celebrate with a huge department brunch. Everyone brings something in to potluck it up, and the offerings are anything BUT Whole30-compliant. We're talking, I kid you not, a woman who brings in 20 Egg McMuffins (and two men brought cookies this time). I contributed a cut fruit platter (oooh exciting [NOT]) and ate my breakfast casserole instead of the pastries, cookies, and Sausage McBiscuit things...slightly antisocial, but eh whatever. 

How am I feeling? Generally pretty good! Like I said, I'm finding my clothes fit a lot better...and I wore a dress to the opera on Saturday that I would NEVER have worn a few months/even weeks ago...which is a really nice feeling. That said, I don't know if that's entirely Whole30, or just that I've been working out like a maniac (probably some combination of both). 

I'm sleeping better than I have in a really long time, which is huge for me...I'm used to being up a couple times a night and sleeping very lightly. Additionally, I've only had one migraine this month, which is really rare. Finally, the whole process of shopping and cooking has started to become less stressful...while I still find myself freaking a little over the expense of it all, it's much cheaper than my takeout/eating out addiction, and I'm gaining a ton of kitchen skillz that are kind of fun to have in my arsenal. 

Home stretch! Be back with a final report next week. 

 

A quick little potpourri post.

--I've made the possibly suicidal decision to do Whole30 AND give up coffee cold-turkey at the same time. Regretting that deeply as the 9am slump hits me hard today...stay tuned for snippets and bits about how that's going, as well as a big old diary-style recap post at the end of the month!

--I walked into work this morning after ten days out of the office and had a letter from the US Senate sitting on my keyboard. It was a thank-you from Al Franken for attending the roundtable he hosted back in November...but it still felt crazy-cool and a couple colleagues have asked about it. Kind of a neat moment to start the week off right.

--The Twin Cities are completely glazed over with a fine layer of ice, which meant that I walked into work without picking my feet up once. Straight up shuffled all the way and still nearly lost my footing...total fail. That said, the way the branches of the trees outside the Xcel sparkled made it all worth it. 

--Kelsie gave me the world's best Christmas gift yesterday at our reunion/happy hour (nearly two months apart! WTF WORLD). It's a bar necklace with a Morse code secret message on it and I am obsessed with mine slash possibly never removing it. 

--"The Bachelor" is back and I watched the whole thing last night while meal-prepping, and I've got to say, I'm crazy-excited for this season. Corinne is batshit crazy, I think Vanessa is fascinating (tri-lingual! Sign me up!), and the way increased number of minority contestants is intriguing...could we be on the fast track to the first minority Bachelorette!?!?...stay tuned!