New Year, New You

As 2014 comes to a close, and 2015 begins (scary fun fact: the year 2030 will be just as far away from us as the year 2000), now is a time that many people set to make New Year's Resolutions -- it's a New Year, representing a blank slate, where you aim to re-create yourself as a better, healthier, happier, and more successful person. The first few days of the new year, people set off overly-confident and pseudo-determined to BE this new person...

However, a 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol of 3,000 people showed that, despite 52% of the study's participants being confident of success at the beginning of the study, 88% of these people FAILED. Additionally:

• Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in a goal setting (i.e. "I want to lose a pound a week" vs. "I want to lose weight")
• Women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from friends.

Part of the reason New Year's resolutions fail is because people expect them to be a fix-all solution, like any crazy diet fad that seems "too good to be true." Thanks to the post-holiday come-down from gifts, family, and SO MUCH food, people are propelled into the New Year with what seems like renewed motivation to begin the year anew as a form of a better person of themselves. But this is a misplaced determination. Because it is the new year, we generate these unrealistic expectations like "I'm going to lose weight" or "I'm going to quit smoking" yet we make no actual quantifiable goals to judge ourselves against. Not only this, but the goals we set in the New Year end up being the ultimate END goal as opposed to smaller sub-goals, which would help us reach a more realistic end goal.

For example: a 160 lb, 5'6" woman makes a New Year's resolution that she wants to be 120lbs. Great. Well, she'll probably start of strong, buying new workout clothes, getting rid of all of the unhealthy food in her cabinet, and purchasing a gym membership. 

There are several issues with this case: first of all, she set a very unrealistic initial goal. By aiming to get to 120 lb, that goal is the only thing in her mind, and she didn't mention how she would prevent or prepare for set-backs. Let's say she had a really stressful week at work that week, didn't get a lot of sleep, and ate more than she planned -- she might gain a few pounds. But someone with just this unrealistic goal in her mind will see this small set-back as a complete failure, making it less likely that she'll continue attempting her goal. Also, she made a TON of changes at first with no real plan or timeline. As stated before, stressors like work, relationships, money weren't considered and stressors promote returning to what is known/normal (back to the beginning). If things are taken more slowly, i.e. first just removing the bad food from the house and starting from there, and then maybe adding the gym after the first month, and then trying to workout 3 times a week - the mind and body are both able to transition.

A goal needs a plan, and while the new year provides the jump start in "apparent" motivation to accomplish the goal... there really is no plan set in motion. So people get all gung-ho about this new goal, without even knowing how they're going to accomplish it, what ACTUAL outcomes they're looking to see, and the issues / obstacles that may come up along the way so they can best face them.

So this year, instead of making a New Year's resolution, take the first couple weeks of the new year to figure out what it is you really want, what you want to work for, and plan it out. Like any good project, the planning stage is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. The execution will come if the planning is done correctly. Figure out why you really want this change, things that might get in the way, small milestones to ensure and measure success. And once the planning is complete, make the changes slowly, one by one, like a transition. No longer will it be a new year's resolution, but a transformation into the new you thanks to proper planning.

Workout of the Day:

10 minute cardio warm-up

10-20-30-20-10 (of the following exercises)
Burpees
Squats
Sit ups
Box Jumps
Tricep Dips

Sunday Funday

So I'm still in the middle of recovering from last week's wisdom teeth extraction: I had all four taken out and all of them were impacted. For those of you who've had this done, you know it's not an enjoyable experience. Three of them came out just fine, but one fractured as it was being removed (which tends to happen more with young adult / adult age patients since the bone hardens with age, making it easier to crack and break).

I was asleep during the entire procedure, and woke up with no pain, just lots of numbness... but less than 24 hours later and I was in a lot of pain. It's been 6 days since the procedure, and other than a small bruise on my lower cheek, my left side of my face (top and bottom) has nearly completely healed. The bottom right side, however, is still in a lot of pain :( making sleeping & eating more difficult, but also making it painful when I run or jump. Hopefully things will return back to normal by the time I'm in Boston so I can return to my weekly runs.

Had to share this funny cartoon I found:

Love the guy on the far left ;)

On a more positive note, while I've been home in Ohio, I've been lucky to enjoy the fabulous cooking of one miss V. Fowler aka Mom. Healthy meals can be delicious too :)

Amazing tenderloin roast (leftover from Christmas dinner) with what was left of a take-out salad from Rusty Bucket

Roasted veggies

Warm carrot ginger soup (w/ sweet potatoes): Perfect for a chilly day

Lastly, a fun workout routine:

Start with a 30 minute cardio base: run, walk, bike, elliptical, hike, whatever you'd like!

Then, 20 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
5 push ups
10 box jumps or step-ups
15 sit ups
*If you decide to do this workout, post how many rounds you got! I did 16.

Tips for Getting Back on Track

I find that the times it's toughest to stay on track with exercise and healthy eating is when I veer off for just a few days: be it due to stress from school, busy times & a strict deadline at work, or just temptation around me to give in (hello, holidays!). 

Now splurging on treats and having a few lazy days are OK… in moderation!

“Blah Blah Blah” moderation (you’re probably thinking, great, where is she going with this). When I first heard “moderation is key”, I was like, I don’t need moderation. Go big or go home! If I have too much to eat, I’ll just work out extra hard that day… or that it doesn’t really matter. But the second you think it’s fine to down an entire box of Wheat Thins or chow down on the full buffet-style pile of food that the restaurant tricks you into thinking is a portion… that’s when you lose. At some point during that time, you negated that you were no longer actually hungry, and not eating to nourish your body & mind, but just eating because the food was right there in front of you (not a good reason to eat it, FYI).

But moderation is possible. The food isn’t going to run off your plate and no one is going to come steal your treats – so no need to shove it in your mouth like it’s going out of style. Breathe. Be mindful. Take in the surroundings. Enjoy spending time with family and friends WHILE eating. There is no need to race each other to the finish only to realize you would have been perfectly happy and full a half a plate ago. When you’re not finished chewing your last bite and you’ve already prepped your fork with the next giant MOUND of food and putting that in your mouth, you’ve got a problem. At first, it takes a conscious effort to be like “ok, I’ve finished chewing and swallowing my food… let me drink a sip of water… oh let me tell Aunt May this story” and then all of the sudden, you’re not just eating to “finish what’s on the plate”, but eating to satiate yourself – to give yourself fuel for the day. Once you get to this point and realize that you don’t have to eat everything you’re served, and that it’s ok to have just a few bites of a dessert before you realize you’re full, THAT’S moderation!

But what do you do when you hit that point where you really veer off track? A couple suggestions:Re-prioritize your goals: What is it that you’re working for? Are you trying to get to that next promotion? Maybe with the added stress of working more hours to impress your boss, you need to incorporate more stress-release activities*, like yoga or boxing, so that you don’t take out your stress on the half-empty pint of Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer. Or are you trying to train for your next race (5k, 10k, half, full)? Find a running buddy or a local group that you can train with. Set small goals along the way til you reach the date of the race.

1. Start small (do a 10 minute workout, get the blood flowing); you don’t need to go into it like “crap, I just ate 2000 calories in that monstrous meal and now I need to be at the gym for 3+ hours” – that is just going to get your annoyed and possibly injured. Set small goals for yourself.
2. Find friends to help you / challenge you: Get a fitness tracker like FitBit** or JawBone and track your steps and workouts. You can even use an app called Pact to hold yourself accountable to working out or eating healthy (and get paid for it!). Make social meet-ups related to exercise: having running dates or weekly yoga sessions.
3. Get more sleep! Allowing your body to rest and recover will put you in the best possible position for the next day.
4. Eat when you’re hungry (are you hungry enough for an apple? Have an apple… if the answer is no? don’t eat)
5. DO NOT SKIP MEALS. You might try to justify skipping meals by saying “well I’m eating less calories so I’ll lose the weight”. Wrong. First, your body needs constant fuel to survive. By depriving it, your body will drop in blood sugar REALLY low, and then you’ll get angry, cranky, tired, and hungry, and you will crave that shitty food you’ve been trying to avoid. Either you’ll give in (and feel horrible) also leading to a BIG increase in blood sugar, which will confuse your body
6. Set time limits for tasks.
7. Put your workouts in your calendar

*When you’re stressed, it’s actually proven to de-stress you if you make time for exercise! While you might think you don’t have the time to exercise, and if you actually spend the time doing work then you won’t be as stressed if you take off to exercise, not true! Read this: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

**I personally have the FitBit Zip! If you have a FitBit, find me and challenge me to daily steps - I aim for +10k

Workout for those with little time:

3x

Each of the following exercises, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off

Squats

Plank

Lunges

Push ups

Mountain Climbers

Sit ups

Dips

Wall Sits

Burpees

Merry Christmas!

(Nearly) A year has flown by since I last posted on this blog and so much has happened! 

Quick Update: I ran the Boston Marathon in April, after having raised over $7,500 to support research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and finished in my second-best time of 4:34 (considering I was still recovering from a tensor fasciae latae strain, I was pretty happy about this!). I made it through the first 9 miles just fine, and then started feeling that all-too-familiar twitch in my hip. "Please, not yet..." I thought. By mile 18, it was excruciating, and I just hit Heartbreak Hill: 3 miles of constant uphill. I had to walk, which was disappointing, but seeing the Boston College students (followed by BU students) reminded me of the past years I'd spent cheering on the runners from that exact sideline, and helped me push through the last 5 miles.

My best friend, Ashley, got married in July and the wedding was absolutely beautiful! (Pictures below) I was honored to be a part of this special day and celebrate the love between her and Mike :)

I quit my job at DePuy Spine as a Product Development Engineer at the end of July to begin medical school at Boston University in August. I miss the people at work but I love learning and knowing that I'm working towards something I want to do for the rest of my life. First semester was definitely difficult, but survivable! It's crazy to think that I'm already 1/8 of an MD...

My first patent (hopefully not last!) was published in September - a fulcrum device meant for minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery to assist in applying better compression and generate more stability in the patient. You can look at it here, if you're interested!

I completed my second Vermont Spartan Beast up in Killington at the end of September, which proved to be much harder than last year. I made the mistake of not bringing any food or water on the trek, hoping that they would provide that to the racers along the way... not so much. I'm so grateful for the two people I encountered who gave me a "honey-stinger" waffle treat (that I swear, tasted like the best thing I'd ever eaten) and another one who gave me jelly beans at mile 12 (I had to ration them to myself every 5 minutes, taking as many bites as possible to spread out the time I was eating!) Despite these disadvantages, I still had a great time: there were some new obstacles, the course was different, and I finished in just over 7 hours (average time for females was 9 hours). 



Also, while in school, I've been working as a part-time personal trainer (ACE Certified) at Boston Sports Club in the South End. I love working with clients who want to improve and get stronger and love knowing that I can help them achieve these goals! It's much like the results I'll want to see as a doctor - helping people get better and having this direct impact on people's lives.

 

I'm going to start posting more regularly (as regularly as school and work allow me!) and, although today's post was all updates of the past year, my future posts will include medical school fun facts, tips about training / running / working out and nutrition advice (especially for those who are constantly "on the run").

Comment if you have any suggestions for topics or questions for me!

Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and lots of time with friends, family and loved ones! Today, be grateful for those you have in your life!

Workout for Today:

Begin with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

10 pushups (hand-release!)

24 bicep burners @5-10lbs (8 full bicep curls, 8 curls half-way up, 8 full bicep curls)

15 kettlebell clean & press (each arm; 4-6kg)

10 pushups (hand-release!)

15 tricep dips

15 rows on TRX

15 lateral raises (5-7.5lbs in each hand)

10 pushups

15 tricep dips

End with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

Subzero Temps

Today I participated in the first "Winter Wild" event at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, MA. The race started at 7am SHARP which meant a wake-up alarm at 4:30am... yikes. As I stepped out to my car, the absolutely frigid wind against my face and -12 degree weather should have deterred me but, as my friend Ashley told me (in an obviously loving-friend way), I'm crazy. :)

The race was so much fun - there were at least a hundred people there and I was so impressed to see at least 6 kids at the start excited to run a mile straight up the mountain. The hills were brutal. Every hill accomplished only led sight to the next one to tackle. See the map below:

The way down, however, was much more bearable. Not only was I able to actually start running, but the view for miles was absolutely stunning.

When I reached the finish, my eyes were nearly shut from the icicles that formed on my eyelashes... and it took a full 51 minutes to accomplish up-and-down the Wachusett mountain.

Food:
After the race, I had a creamy dutch chocolate Isagenix shake - a perfect post-workout refuel with 24g of protein and 240 calories

Lunch was a delicious oven-roasted turkey wrap with arugula and spicy dijon mustard wrap

Dinner was the same (boring, I know) but with sweet potatoes and eggplant on the side.


Fundraising has leveled out for the weekend but I am planning a 5K Run/Walk Benefit to happen hopefully in Southie (possibly in Quincy, otherwise) on March 22nd at 9am! Invite all of your friends and family!

New year, New goals!

Hey all! It's been a LONG time since I last posted - but I'm back to share my newest challenge I've taken on... running the Boston Marathon!

I'm sure that everyone remembers the horrible tragedy that struck Boston last April, but this year is all about renewal and positivity. Even before last year's events, Boston is one of the top marathons for fan support: throughout all 26.2 miles, you're bound to have people filling the sidewalks cheering you on.* However, this year is going to be even MORE jam-packed with supporters! Just to show the world that we can come back stronger and more prominent than ever.

So I will be running with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) team on April 21, 2014** and I've pledged to raise $7,500 by May 31st (I know that's a lot of money!). But I'm confident that with the help of my colleagues, peers, social media, friends and family, that I can do it! 

Fundraising Update: As of today, I've already raised $1,030 with 25 individual donations!!!! Thanks to everyone who has supported me!

Workout Today:

• Shoveling the snow that Winter Storm Hercules dumped on my car
• WFHW (Work-from-home workout):

5 rounds

15 burpees

30 lunges

1 min plank

30 squats

10 tricep tips

The best part about this workout is you don't need ANY equipment to do it - which is why it's a great "at-home" workout! Do the workout for time and then try it again next weekend to compare your times :)

Alright, that's all for today - hope everyone has a good snow day!

*As a side note, you don't always get this! My first marathon, the Disney World marathon last January, had 5 miles between each theme park, which correlated to 5 miles of empty road before getting to the next theme park where you'd finally get some cheers. This also happened to be my slowest pace - having pepole cheering you on makes all the difference.

** April 21, 2014 = 04/21/2014 .. the month and day have the same numbers used in the year! #mathnerd