Life Lately: Exercise, Diet, and Connecting with Others

Baker Beach

We're heading into the weekend and I feel more and more like it's summer, with the balmy weather and long days. Last weekend I had my first real beach day (as in, sitting out in the sun, not hiking to/from the beach) and it's just what I needed. I've had so much on my mind lately, here's some of what I've been up to:

I tried Zumba for the first time and it was really fun. Not sure how I missed the initial phenomenon, but doing it now is good because the music is fun and makes the time go faster. (I don't like a lot of actual workouts, but I like the effects.) My office gym is offering free group classes for the next month so I've decided I should go to at least one during the week. On weekends, I've been going to Pilates and just bought a new pass for the yoga place that I like. I don't have any hikes planned soon so I should probably get on that.

Coincidentally, I jumped on the Whole30 diet bandwagon and have crossed the halfway mark (it's basically 30 days of even cleaner Paleo). I've never done a real diet (I gave up on a juice cleanse on Day 1) but lucky for me, a couple friends were also doing Whole30 so the partnership and accountability really helps. Honestly, the first couple days without bread and added sugar were worrisome, but since then I've felt great. Of course I still psychologically want pizza and the like, but my body doesn't crave these foods like it used to. I thought it would be tough to go without alcohol as well, but the truth is my hangovers just kill me now that I'm 30. And knowing how great I feel without all this in my body is going to make me avoid the unhealthy stuff more (if not totally, since hey, I still like french fries). The diet's also made me be better about food prep and cooking at home rather than relying on take out. At the end of the 30 days, I'm supposed to start reintroducing the ingredients that I temporarily eliminated and see how my body reacts so I can make longer term adjustments to my eating practices.

In terms of mental practice - Have you ever sought advice from someone and come out feeling lighter and more confident about a given situation? I had some good business/career conversations with folks in the last week or so, and they helped me think through some challenges I'm facing. Not much else to share on that, just that it's good to reach out to others, they usually are more than willing to help.

Finally, I have never successfully been part of a long-term book club, and I actually don't think I know anyone who has. A couple friends at work and I were joking we need to have an 'article club' since we already share good news articles with each other, mainly on tech and overall business and finance. Here are some recent articles I found interesting:

Tory Burch on owning her ambition: Fortune
What's behind Facebook's success: Wired
Tech companies with the best engineering talent: Fast Company

Individuality and the School Uniform (harkens back to my recent post!!): The Billfold

Recent photos from around San Francisco:

Baker Beach

El Techo

Smokestack

Smokestack

my mocktail at Smokestack

April Wrap Up

Well, last month felt like a blur. There were milestones to celebrate with friends: birthdays, a baby shower, and I kicked off May with a wedding of dear friends last weekend. April started with Easter weekend, and ended with watching the team my husband coaches win against their biggest rival in the last game of the season. (Then May started with watching them win their league championship, in double OT!) My favorite activities in April included volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club (an event I set up through my office) and seeing The Book of Mormon. And in between all these things there was work and sleep and such...

personal photo

A Number (Thirtyish)

April at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

This month marks my half-birthday, which maybe isn't a big 'thing' but I remember using it in college as an excuse to party. This year, it marks a six-month countdown to turning 30. I remember being 25, living in Washington DC and going to drinks after work for someone's birthday. It was their 30th and they asked me if I wasn't anxious about turning 30. I shrugged and said something like, "Nah, I don't see a reason to be... plus that's a long way off." Welp, those five years have come and (are almost) gone!

A lot's changed for me since then. Some changes were big milestones (grad school, moving cross-country, new job, marriage) but I'm sure there are many more changes that have been subtle and slow-burning. So when I turn 30 it may not feel like much of a change from today, but compared to 25 (and especially to 20!) it's huge.

I still don't see a reason to be anxious, but I do find myself more reflective on aging recently:

Joe Heller

True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!”

—Kurt Vonnegut

The New Yorker, May 16th, 2005

http://www.fastcompany.com/1737273/kurt-vonnnegut-having-enough-reminder-no-asshole-rule

"Take the compliment." Life Lessons from The Good Wife.

Why Women Should Watch The Good Wife

Note to self.

dannijo:

Ready, Set, 2014!!! #WordsOfWisdom for the New Year XxD&J

New Years resolutions: focus on January

A friend of mine shared this article & I liked the following tip, which I’d never considered before: ”Focus on making January great - forget the rest of the year for now.”

The way I see it is this lets you gain momentum while being mindful of all that you hope to accomplish. If you decide on some goals and accomplish them in the first month of the year, you’ve done well. For me, January will be a time to set myself up nicely to accomplish things later in the year.

New Years resolutions: focus on January

Please and Thank You

Please and Thank You

My problem with these convoluted, inspirational lists is that they offer no real value…

Over at Salon, Mary Elizabeth Williams offers up a few rules for being a grown-up that are much more pragmatic and attainable. Her advice boils down to taking care of yourself and not being a douchebag.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/11/adulthood-is-made-of-budgets-soup-and-manners.html

http://www.salon.com/2013/11/18/5_rules_for_being_a_grownup/