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This blog started about four years ago with the goal of helping me and others live fit, fun, and fabulous lives. Many of us search for that balance between feeling and looking great, and wanting to indulge in the fun and fabulous parts of life: memorable times with friends, scrumptious food, and great wine or other adult beverages. I explored ways to strike that balance here, and many of you came along with me. Looking back now, it was a worthy goal, but it was also a simpler time.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, I actually felt like I was finally doing a pretty good job of finding my balance. I had a regular workout routine I’d been sticking to and seeing results from, I was cooking a lot of tasty and generally healthy foods, and my wine and cocktail consumption was more occasional but still satisfying. I was feeling, looking, and living healthy, and it felt pretty great.

Then came the word I was to work from home. It made it more tempting to snack during the day, but it also cut out my commute, giving me more time for exercise and meal prep with friends. But then the bars and restaurants closed, quickly followed by thinly stocked grocery stores. Then my gym closed, and with it, the core of my fitness routine. And all of this was based on the idea that we as people weren’t supposed to be near each other anymore. No impromptu hallway chats with coworkers about cool ideas, no brunches with friends to celebrate wins or pick each other up from losses, no high fives from the other regulars at my Orangetheory from our mutual survival of a particularly grueling power day.

It has been one week of dealing with all of this sudden change. Bluntly, I didn’t handle it very well. Being knocked so quickly out of my routines resulted in my working too much, snacking too much, drinking too much, stressing too much, and sleeping far too little. And this all comes with a realization that our lives are likely to become even more restricted in the coming weeks.

We all have to acknowledge that our primary goal right now should be to fulfill our obligation to one another to act responsibly and keep each other safe. Because I have a job that is not currently threatened by the economic downturn, I also feel a sense of responsibility to look out for those less fortunate, and to always be aware that these changes, though stressful, are, in the bigger picture, rather mild…and they will pass.

But in the meantime, I need to make some changes and start building some new habits. Chatting with many of my friends, family, and coworkers, I know that others are facing similar issues and feelings. So, one of my first steps is rebooting this blog. The focus of it may change, but the spirit of it remains the same. I believe there are ways to not just survive, but thrive throughout all this. And I’m sure it will be easier if I work on this with others. So I hope you’ll not just follow along with this blog, but share your experiences, insights and resources.

I’m not sure what the coming weeks will bring, but I am certain it will be better if we bring the right attitude and support each other through it.

During this quest to find the right balance for a fit, fun and fabulous life, one thing has become very clear to me: the support, encouragement and partnership of friends is key. While friends are always in for the fun and fabulous part, those who support you in the fitness column can be harder to find. Fortunately for me, I have a group of friends who not only support and join in on the quest to be healthy, but also are finding ways to make fitness fun.

This week, several of us started a fitness challenge. Kellen the Inspiring, Kristen the Badass, Energizer Ben and Jim the Grillzmaster were all looking for some motivation to be a bit healthier. So over a generally nutritious dinner we decided to make a game of it. Here are our rules:

• We all put in $100, and say what fun thing we are going to do for ourselves if we get it back.
• Each of us set five goals to be met over the course of five weeks.
• If we meet four of the five goals, we get our money back.
• If we don’t hit five goals, we each picked a charity that we will donate the money to.

We started Monday, and Kellen made a spreadsheet on GoogleDocs so we can share and track progress. This is ridiculously motivating. To better explain, these are my goals and the way we track them:

All of us have our goals in a shareable, editable GoogleDoc.

While not all of our goals are things that are tracked day by day (like my goals to lose weight or run a faster 5K), most of them are. After a morning workout class, I drive into work in the morning and get excited about putting a “1” into the grid. Kellen and I were hanging out at an event with wine and we both agreed that drinking a glass wasn’t nearly as appealing as being able to enter a 1 in the “days without drinking” goal, which we both included in our list. The grid shows each of us how we are getting closer to meeting our goals, and shows off to the others that we are making progress. And because we’re all a bit competitive, seeing other people’s commitment just reinforces our own motivation.

We’re still in the first week, so it will be interesting to see if this motivation stays strong over the full five weeks. But so far it has been really successful. I’m lucky to have some fit, fun and fabulous friends. And if you are in search of a fitness friend, I’m always happy to make some side challenges, so please reach out!

A few weeks ago, I was feeling great. I was in the gym four times a week, I was down nearly 20 pounds since the beginning of the year, and I was finally seeing my running pace drop to levels that were inspiring me to enter races again. I patted myself on the back, and decided to splurge on a few things: nice dinners out, a great bottle of wine, fancy cheese plates…paired with another bottle of wine.

And then the business travel started. Two weeks out of town with no ability to cook, and with lots of work gatherings that centered around rich dinners and cocktails. Sure, salads and water were an option, but those didn’t seem fun at all. “Everyone else is enjoying themselves and I don’t want to stand out,” “It’s a special occasion,” and “Screw it, I’ve been super healthy lately. I’ll get back to it tomorrow” became common thoughts. Well, three weeks of tomorrows later, I find myself feeling slow and having put back a good handful of those pounds I worked so hard to lose.

So, before I throw away all the hard work, I’ve decided tomorrows are over. Today I get back to it.

First step: writing this blog. Those who are paying attention may note that the last post on this blog was back when I was feeling super awesome about my efforts. There is an undeniable correlation. Subjecting you all to my goals helps hold me accountable, so thanks for bearing with that.

Second step: return to a lot of the parameters I set for myself back when the weight loss challenge started (see that post here). I’ve realized through this whole quest for balance that rules are helpful, and I respond well to parameters. I’m going to follow these because I know they’ll get me back on track.

And when I get back to where I was a few weeks ago, I’ll hopefully re-read this and remind myself not to undo the hard work. It is so much easier to stay fit than to get fit, and I have no one to blame for the hard work ahead of me than myself. If you have any good tips on ways to not unravel the fitness sweater once I so carefully knit it again, please share. I have a feeling I’m not the only one who could use the tips.

Yesterday marked the end of a six week weight loss challenge at my gym. I committed to three workouts a week at the gym, eating much healthier, and finding other (hopefully fun) ways to weave physical activity into my days. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of results, but I felt like two pounds a week would be doable, so I set that as my goal.

And while I run the risk of sounding hugely immodest – I crushed it!

Six weeks later, I’m 18 pounds down and lost almost 13% of my body weight. I will share more on the specific things I did to get there, but I wanted to take a moment and say that the biggest thing that propelled me was the support of folks around me. I was really open with the fact that I was trying to do this (heck, I blog about it for anyone on the internet to see), and pretty much everyone around me was really encouraging. Here are some highlights:

• First, my partner in crime, Kellen the Inspiring, was a great fitness buddy. She motivated me to stick with it, drank water with me at social functions, and got my butt into hip hop dance classes once a week. Having a buddy for the whole program was invaluable.
• While visiting Miami for work, a trip that threatened to take me off track, Mauricio Magnifico helped schedule our meetings in a way that I could also hit the gym for classes. This made me feel like having a couple cocktails at the beach was fine. And who wants to go to Miami without having a cocktail on the beach? That’s certainly not what this blog is about.
• Jim the Grillzmaster knows I love roller skating (yep, roller skating), so he surprised me with a trip to a rink one evening. I probably burned 800 calories during the session and had a smile on my face the whole time.
• Mark the Organizer offered frequent suggestions about ways to mix up my fitness routine, shared stories about his own weightloss, and made a point to check in with me often to see how things were going.
• Cheryl the Uplifting made healthy dinners with me, Dana the Vibrant made a fun weight loss side bet, Drew the Cheerleader got me on a spin bike and made me feel awesome, Kristen the Badass joined me for some pampering combined with motivating fitness talk, Gavian the Co-conspirator got me out on a long post-dinner walk, Seeester Amy told me she was proud of me for not drinking at her birthday, all the people I grabbed a meal with who shared healthy options, everyone who followed this blog, twitter or facebook page and said nice things…and many others.

Celebrating fitness success with Kellen the Inspiring.

And there was one moment that happened early that really stuck with me. About a week into my challenge, I was going to meet up with some great friends who I hadn’t seen in a long time, and I knew there would be drinking. I had vowed no drinking for the first two weeks, but I was pondering bending that rule for this occasion. Jordan the Closer happened to catch me online for a quick chat before I headed out. It is relevant to note that I met Jordan during a night of parties and club hopping at a conference in NYC, and that pretty much every time we are in the same city and hanging out, there is drinking involved. When I mentioned to him that I was meeting old friends and thinking of taking a one night hiatus from my fitness plan, I expected him to think that was a great idea. I was wrong.

Instead, he replied “Stick with the program – the payoff is always better.”

Probably because of the context of our friendship, his words really struck me. That night, I told my friends I wasn’t drinking, they were all fine with it, and I walked away having eaten veggies and chicken and drinking only water and Diet Coke. I reread Jordan’s statement the next morning and logged it in my brain as my mantra for the rest of the challenge.

I definitely wouldn’t have had as much success without the support of the folks around me. So first, thanks to everyone who encouraged me in the many ways that you all did. You are amazing and it was invaluable to have your help this past month and a half. And second, I encourage anyone looking to focus on their fitness to be vocal about it. I think you’ll find, like I did, that the response will be overwhelmingly positive. The people around you can’t support you if you don’t give them the opportunity, so share your plans and goals with them, and help them help you.

Health and fitness resolutions aren’t really that hard…except when they are. “Normal” days can be pretty easy — there’s a routine and expectations are met.

And then Miami happens.

I’m in Miami for the next few days for work. There’s a convention with other professionals from my industry. And conventions lead to socializing, and parties, and open bars…in Miami. And it is Super Bowl Sunday.

So, I’m hoping that this formula is going to work:

A couple of drinks every day + working out every day = staying on track

I’m doing pretty well on my weight loss challenge, and I know that I really want to stay on track. But these kinds of things are always going to come up in life: birthday parties, holidays, special occassions. I want to enjoy those, and that means having some desserts and drinks and foods cooked with lots of butter. But enjoying those makes me feel like I’m cheating on my resolution. I really wish I could change this mindset, because I don’t think that is a particularly healthy or sustainable way to approach life.

If you have any thoughts on this — tips, mindsets, etc. — I’d love to hear. This is my first big challenge during my fitness resolution, and I could use some help.

In workout class this morning, I discovered that Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” may be my perfect running song. Ideal tempo for a challenging pace, and that hook gives me energy. And it’s Missy…awesome women are just naturally motivating. This led me to resolve to resurrect my iPod mini and fill it with some things that will keep me going during my workouts.

But I need your help. What would you recommend I throw on there? I’m open to all genres, but I want to keep the tempo high and the tone invigorating. I’ll post the final playlist someplace where people can download it.

So, suggestions?

Two weeks ago, project “lose some weight in 2016” began. The spirit of this blog is rooted in balance and enjoying life, and diets don’t always fit naturally into that. But, as I mentioned then, I was willing to go through a couple weeks of a pretty restrictive diet in hopes that I would have a “chance to assess what I really value…to see what I really miss. That will help me define what is worth indulging in as the weeks and months go on.” Well, two weeks have passed, and my biggest takeaway is that I’d encourage everyone to do this as well. Here’s why:

Overall, somewhat surprisingly, it really wasn’t too bad. Work days were vastly easier than weekends. Weekends, where I’m used to snacking and drinking something while watching football, and usually going out to dinners with friends, were much tougher. But I found that, while I was a bit anxious to tell friends who I was meeting with that I was going to sip water or Diet Coke at the bar, they were all really supportive. Some even joined me, in part in solidarity, but also because some thought they could use a bit of a break from drinking as well. One even thanked me.

Also, it really did give me a chance to figure out what I missed…and what I loved that could work within a low carb, no alcohol, 1400 calorie a day diet. To that second point, I found that there were actually a lot of things that I love that completely fit within this plan. I think the key for me was that it FELT indulgent. So, take for example this great lunch I had at 99 Park with Gavian the Co-conspirator.

Even he, with his decadent cheeseburger, admitted that I won the order prize. But at about 500 calories total, and very few carbs, my lunch of seared tuna with deliciously seasoned quinoa and toasted almonds and a salad of shrimp, shaved papaya, mango and toasted coconut was both healthy and delicious.

On top of this, my favorite food on the planet is Dungeness crab. It is really tasty, even without being dipped in butter. It is more expensive than chicken, to be sure, but I’m realizing that may be a key for me. If I feel like I’m indulging, I am more satisfied. That may be strange and a bit twisted, but I’m trying to understand my triggers, and I have to be honest with myself when I find one. Crab is completely within a healthy diet. If I have to pay a bit more to be both healthy and satisfied, I’m ok with that. I ate a lot of crab over the past two weeks.

Now, onto what I missed. I thought it might be sweet things: chocolate, desserts, marshmallows (I have a bit of an obsession with s’mores). But really, the only thing I missed was wine. Not cider or margaritas or other alcohol…just wine. I like wine. I like the way each bottle and blend tastes a bit different, the way it pairs nicely with what I’m eating, and the indulgence I feel when I open a new bottle. And right then I’m back to my realization: I like to feel like I can indulge.

So I’ve decided that, as I move to this next phase of my six week fitness plan, I’m going to allow myself a bit of wine. Just two days a week, and only two drinks on each of those days, but I think that will help this plan feel balanced and sustainable. But my rule is: only the good stuff. I’ll order the nice glass or share the nice bottle, because that feels indulgent.

So, my well-being may cost me a bit more, but I’ve decided this experiment is about curation. I want to curate a life of good health, good food, good drink and good people. That takes some effort. But that effort seems to be worth it.

And by the way, I’ve lost about eight pounds in these first two weeks. So, back to my original point, I’d encourage everyone to try this for two weeks. I will almost guarantee that it will help you figure out what is important to you, and help you curate your own balance. Best of luck and please share any tips or thoughts you have on this.

I’m pretty sure I used to be a runner. But these days, I’m feeling slow. This morning, my gym did a 24 minute run for distance. While I’m sure I did better than I would have a few weeks ago, this definitely reminded me that I have a ways to go to feel really fit again.

But that’s ok. This year is all about trying new things and reaching for long-term goals. So, I’ve set myself a challenge, and I hope I can get some folks to join me. Introducing the first ever SWIM BIKE bRUNch 5K Challenge. Here’s how it works:

• Sometime between now and Sunday, 1/24, run a 5K on a treadmill to set a base time.
• Choose a goal for how much you want to improve in one month and send me your goal (via this blog, facebook or Twitter — you can PM me to keep things private if you would like).
• Train accordingly.
• The week of 2/15 (four weeks later), run another 5K on a treadmill and send me your results.

Your efforts will be rewarded with one of the following virtual medals:

• Conqueror (gold): You finished both 5Ks and met your improvement goal!
• Victor (silver): You finished both 5Ks and improved your time!
• Finisher (bronze): You finished both 5Ks!

Post your medal on social media, send it to your mom, or delete it because you think it is cheesy (it is a free challenge, so the value of the prize is largely emotional). Regardless, you’ll know that you did it, and I will too.

Reporting results is meant to be entirely motivating. This is a judgment free zone. But signing up for something and sharing my goal really helps me commit to achieving it, so I hope you’ll try it out and join in!

Fitness goals are a strange beast. The things I really want – feeling better, having more energy, looking awesome in that dress – are inherently squishy. It is hard to feel like I’ve “made it.” When do I feel better enough?

So, those of us seeking fitness improvement often turn to numbers. For some, certain numbers are critical, such as cholesterol count and blood sugar levels. But most of us focus on one number in particular: weight.

I own a scale, but rarely use it. Sometimes this is out of fear of what it will tell me, but most of the time it is simply because I tell myself that the number doesn’t matter. I want those less tangible things, and deciding to lose ten pounds or reach x weight seems misguided, arbitrary and potentially frustration inducing.

I’ve decided to do it anyway.

The gym I’ve recently been going to just started a six week weight loss challenge. Given all the thought I’ve been putting into my health and fitness lately, this challenge intrigued me. I took a few days to think about it, and decided it was worth a go for several reasons:

• Math. I like the fact that progress against a number value goal is easy to assess. I am also acutely aware that this inequality is accurate:

my weight now > my weight last year > my weight the year before

• My competitive streak. The gym actually set this up as a competition between sister gyms. The fact that others in my gym are depending on me to do my best is a great incentive. There are also individual prizes. I like prizes.
• Chance to assess what I really value. I’m starting off with a fairly restricted, low carb and no alcohol diet for the first couple of weeks. I’m actually looking at this as an opportunity to see what I really miss. That will help me define what is worth indulging in as the weeks and months go on.
• I have a buddy. Kellen the Inspiring is doing this with me. She’s encouraged me to join her for regular hip-hop dance classes (which I’m loving, by the way), made me a more regular attendee of Orangetheory, and is someone I can openly chat with about fitness goals. She also shares my love of wine and cheese and other tasty things. She will be great support.

On that last point, the more buddies, the better. If you want to join along for some or all of this adventure (there are 5 ½ weeks left!), please do. I’ll be trying out a few new strategies each week, and I’ll share those here. If you want to commit to some or all of those changes for a week or two, excellent! And if you have any strategies that you think I should try, share them in the comments.

This week, I’m doing this:

• Five days of exercise. This will be pretty ongoing. The gym requires three of their workouts per week to be part of the challenge. Then I add the hip-hop class and one TBD physical activity this coming Sunday. Let me know if you have suggestions or want a workout buddy.
• Low carb diet. I know that when I watch my carbs, I feel better and I see results. Taking those off the table keeps that one slice of bread from becoming the whole basket. So, two weeks of keeping the carb count low is how I’m going to start. I will eat fruit here and there, so I modify it to be realistic for me.
• Write down everything I eat and drink. Being aware of what I’m eating is powerful, and having to write things down makes me think about whether I really want to eat something. I use the South Beach Diet app to track what I eat. It helps track carbs and other guidelines, which the app sets to help people reach a personal weight goal. It is free, but there are lots of other apps out there, such as My Fitness Pal, that do something similar.

Again, I’d love to hear helpful tips. I’m willing to try them and share my results. Or if you want a buddy to start your own plan, I’m happy to oblige. I’m always up for some mutual encouragement. And sometimes, just telling someone that you will do something is motivation enough – hence this blog post.

Wishing you all (and me) slightly looser jeans next week!