new week = new goals

March 9, 2009

actually, there’s nothing new about them — except for the fact that i’ve been sort of taking a break from them for a while. as i mentioned in my previous post, i just really have not had it together since i got injured. something about cutting training from my daily routine sort of made the rest of it all fall apart, as if i’d ask myself, “why do ANYTHING, then?” as i settled back into the couch. being sick certainly didn’t help, either.

but i’m back, baby! march 9th is going to be the new january 1st, or something like that. spring seems like a good time for taking action, anyway, and it has definitely sprung in NC (high of 80 today, YES!).

things i will be focusing on this week

1. bringing my best attitude to work. i had talked about this a bit at the beginning of the emergency department rotation, but i think i need to renew my vows: to stay focused during each shift, to seek out procedures, and to let myself get into it and enjoy the mild chaos. it should be pretty easy this week (i only have two shifts!) but the going will get rougher when starting monday i work for seven days straight, including some overnights.

2. reading, for work AND fun daily. i have the time for it, so there is no excuse! this week’s goal will be 30 minutes of reading or questions for work, and some reading for fun each night (that shouldn’t be a problem). i’d like to be better about reading relevant articles from each month’s pediatrics, a journal i get in the mail each month, so i’ll be working on the march issue starting today!

3. cross-training, yoga, and something new. yay workouts! as i mentioned yesterday, i am excited to reincorporate workouts into my life in the form of cross-training. last time, spinning and the elliptical both allowed me to sweat without causing pain in my hip. i will also ask the chiropractor i will be seeing on tuesday (i’m going for his expertise in active release techniques, as recommended by superathlete jess) what he suggests.

in addition, i will be continuing my quest for better flexibility by doing more yoga (although admittedly, daily is a little much for me because i want to do other things!) and i’ve been seeing so much blog buzz about this strength dvd that i am going to give it a try:
while i have no desire to “lose 20 lbs in 30 days!” (and it actually really annoys me that they put that on the cover), i’ve heard this is a bangin’ strength workout and it seems like it would be a nice change of pace from the weights that i am kind of sick of at the gym. i ordered it from amazon (along with an immersion blender . . . interesting combo!) and it should arrive today or tomorrow. i’ll definitely report back on what i think about the workout!

4. nutritional spring cleaning. i mentioned cleaning up my eating a few weeks ago, but i’ve been doing an uninspired job. one thing i will say is that not running = WAYYYYYY less hunger. funny how the body must actually know what it’s doing. anyway, i’d like to work on adding more vegetables to my day and also to stop the bad cycle i’ve gotten into of not eating much during my ER shifts and then being famished, thus emptying the fridge upon arriving home. 8 hours is way too long to go without fuel, and if i can’t take 10 minutes to eat a sandwich, then that is just wrong. obviously, if there is someone in respiratory distress, that takes priority, but li’l miss princess diaper rash or mr. earache? you can WAIT.

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3.8.9

doin’ time: exciting news: at the end of this week, i’ll be completely finished with the winter section of martha’s book and onto spring! good timing, since the weather has definitely shifted. i will admit that i did not make all of the desserts – i knew that would be a challenge! it’s probably better for me that i not try to cram all of those in, however. i’ll try to volunteer to make desserts for gatherings as the year goes on so that i can slowly work my way through them. but i’m looking forward to choosing from a whole new menu of recipes next week! bring on the asparagus and other spring goodies . . .

last night, i made martha’s mac ‘n’ cheese. i did make several health-conscious changes, including:

• using whole wheat pasta
• halving the butter
• using 1% milk
• using half low-fat cheddar

and it still came out decadent and delicious. while it still isn’t exactly diet fare, at least my version isn’t as likely to cause the eater to have a coronary on the spot. it made A TON, so i froze several servings for later use. i’m trying to be better about not wasting food! next time, i’d probably halve the recipe.

in the baking dish

on a plate, served with a simple spinach salad for a healthy balance

2 Comments

  • Reply The Happy Runner March 10, 2019 at 7:29 pm

    I don’t know why they have that 20lbs thing on the Shred cover. It’s just such a good overall workout on its own, why does it need the ridiculous claims? I hope you like it! I’ll be interested to hear.

  • Reply Jess March 10, 2019 at 7:29 pm

    The Shred again! It’s everywhere I look! Not sure if I could take 30 days of Jillian.

    I hope ART goes well for you. If your doc says you can run, be sure to ask how your hip should feel during running.

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