Dare You To...

Happy New Year!


New Year, New Goals, New You, right? Although it's just an arbitrary date, this is the time of year many people, myself included, often like to view as a clean slate, a time to start anew, a time for plans and resolutions and goals.  If you've got a resolution in mind, click the following for tips on setting smart goals, tricks toachieving them, and setting non-traditional resolutions.

And, a bonus tip: make sure to look back to see how you did along the way and at the end! Don't make a resolution and forget about it.  Put it somewhere you'll be constantly reminded to make it happen, and then, when the year's up, you can know you gave it your all.

Looking back on 2014:  Last year, I made three "focus" resolutions for 2014, and I'm fairly pleased with the outcomes!  Time-management is a constant struggle for me, but I've certainly made greater strides in mono-tasking in order to successfully get things done.  My posture did improve a …

Hello, friends! How is your holiday season going??

Last month, I dared you to move on Thanksgiving, and I'm pleased to report I heeded my own advice.  First, I helped my mother in the kitchen with the chopping of manyyyyyy colorful veggies.  Later on, I was able to spend a decent amount of my holiday playing with my cousin's adorable two-year-old!  His energy was contagious and I found myself out of breath more than once just following him around.  I moved around, ate my vegetables, and enjoyed time with my family, so overall it was a happy and healthy holiday.


The morning after Thanksgiving, I even went to my old favorite Spinning and yoga classes! It's always fun to visit and work out with my first and favorite instructors.

I've successfully continued easing back into exercise, but what about easing back into BLOGGING?  Hellooooo, please forgive me for my neglect!  Sure, I've checked in with a few fun dares (have you tried sunchokes yet??) and some cool events…

Hey friends!

Today, June 4, is National Running Day!  Dare you to lace up and RUN in celebration!  

Why run?  Here's why and how I got started.  To answer the question this year of "Why I Run," I'll simply say that running makes me feel alive, and gives me something to work toward (hint, hint, big news below...)

Where?  Dare you to find a group run.

What else?  Dare you to pledge your miles!  You can put today's miles toward a charity at http://www.runningday.org/.

How am I celebrating?  I signed up for a race!Eeeee! 



Background:  after taking a fitness (and blogging...) hiatus for the spring semester (as indicated in January, I was stepping back from intense and frequent training while I added new work-related stressors to my life), I'm finally ready to dive back in!


Recently, with the weather improving, I'vedusted off my Garmin, gone out on a couple runs, and really enjoyed hitting the road again.  My friend, Jen, let me tag along as she trained for her f…

Psst, did you enter The Calorie Myth book giveaway yet?  Click here to learn more about the book that is released today. 

With 2014 beginning, so too begin many New Year's resolutions and goals.  What are yours?  Are they "SMART"?

As a refresher, S.M.A.R.T. goals are...
SpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTimed
Whatever the topic of your goal, making sure it's "SMART" will help you make it a reality.  Learn more in my original "Set Smart Goals" post.
What are your goals for 2014?  

Other Dare You To tips for your resolutions:
Set non-traditional resolutions, or try small resolutions#1 Tip: Dare you to write them down to make them reality!Use the Lift App to help establish new daily habitsKnow the difference between Setbacks and Failure - don't give up! You've got a year.  Also, it's okay to change your plans.  Don't beat yourself up if new circumstances arise.Once again, make sure your goals are "SMART"!  And then continue t…

I've done less goal checking-in on the blog this past year but I've certainly been setting and keeping track on my own.  Time to look back and reflect on some of these...

In May, I joined the Runners' World Summer Running Streak, vowing to run at least one mile each day, from Memorial Day through Independence Day. I thought it'd be a good way to get back into running after some time spent focusing more on strength, and it was. If you followed along on DailyMile, then you know I achieved my goal, logging at least one mile daily for those 39 days.

Did it get me back into running? Somewhat. As I mentioned before, I found that running outside in suburbia or parks is much more enjoyable to me than city streets. Most of the miles logged did, sadly, take place on a treadmill, but I didn't mind it so much. I would jump out of bed 10 minutes earlier than usual, hit the treadmill for a quick mile, and then start my day feeling awesome, because I already ran a mile!

Th…

Happy August!  I'm setting some goals for the month, and dare you to do the same.  My goals are in three categories: work, budget, and CHOCOLATE! I'm giving up chocolate for August (have already been successfully weaning off) in preparation for doing my second, more thorough 21 Day Sugar Detox in September. Hold me to it!

What are your August goals?

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Now, for my NYC-locals, there are some great events coming up!

1. A special event is taking place at the Reebok CrossFit 5th Ave:

This Sunday, August 4, head over to CrossFit 5th Ave, where Team Dangerous is putting on "throwdown WODs", with all proceeds going to the MS Society.  It's $10 to join in on the CrossFit fun, and they'll also be sharing pamphlets and information about Multiple Sclerosis, the MS Society's, and information about upcoming MS Society events.

The event will run from 1:00 to 3:00pm, and there will be post-WOD festivities taking place after.  Go check it out, have fun, and support the…

Dare you to LIFT!

No, I'm not talking about weights, although you should be doing that, too.  I'm talking about the smartphone app called LIFT, which helps you achieve your goals--whatever they are!


Upfront, I'd like to say that this is not a sponsored post in any way, shape, or form.  The folks at "Lift" don't know who I am, and the app is FREE for you and for me.  I just think it's a fantastic tool for ANY goals you're looking to achieve or habits you're trying to establish... whether they're in the realm of health, hobbies, work productivity, hygiene, taking time for yourself, for family, doing chores in your home... you name it!  Lift can help you do it.

First, you select what behaviors you'd like to establish.  You can choose from the many listed habits that others have committed to, or create your own.

Next, you check in!  Every time you perform an action or take a step toward your goal, you tap to check it off.  Each time you check…

My 21-Day Sugar Detox: Two weeks down, one to go!  

Since I started on January 1, I confess that I've ever-so-slightly fluctuated in my adherence.  Week 1 was outstanding.  It was fresh and new and I was turning down sugar-laden food and drink like it was nothing. Then, Week 2 caught me with... not even caving to suggestion but simply giving in to my own temptations, my own crankiness and whims, maybe simply because I could.  I made a couple choices that I am not happy about, but they taught me about myself, and now I continue on.

Each morning, I receive an email from Diane Sanfilippo, creator of the 21-Day Sugar Detox, in which she offers some words of motivation and some tips for simplifying the task. This week, one email contained some words that really spoke to me:


Yep, that's exactly what I needed to hear.  A setback means I slipped up, lost focus, got lazy, and made an undesirable choice.  It was not me "giving up," and it may not have furthered my goal, but a …

All workweeks should be 3 days! Who agrees?

A new year, and some new interesting articles to share with you!

Looking back on 2012 and beyond 2013, Mark Bittman offers thiscomprehensive overview of health-related current events, news, and trends in The New York Times Online.

Water, Coconut Water, or Sports Drink -- Which is best for you? Brad Gouthro helps you choose.
Mark Sisson asks if you're eating these important supplemental foods.  I've got about a third in my diet... dare me to try the rest?

Whether you're making this common interval training mistake or simply want to take your workout to the next level, Dr. Ray Hinish has the trick to get the most burn out of your high-intensity interval training.
Looking for some new recipes?  Jenn has you covered, with colorful recipes, from A to Z!

Or, check out Balanced Bites if you're interested specifically in15 egg-Free Breakfast Ideas.
More news on negative effects of fructose (which is in SO MANY PROCESSED FOODS) via Gre…

Happy New Year!  My 2013 resolution involves having a different focus each month, and that begins with....

January: New Year Nutrition.

Really, before I tackle any other goals and focuses, I need to feel good, first, right?  That's why 2013 will start with the inside, which, of course, starts with food.



Step 1: Return to Paleo

I've gushed about the paleo lifestyle before, and I've shared my personal experience going paleo to "mostly paleo," and yet, in spite of my conviction that it is incredibly healthy and yields undeniable positive results, I've fallen off the wagon.

This fall, I got busy, and tired, and just sort of consciously gave concessions for a while, going beyond just 80/20 or "flexible."  In that craziness, I also came to rely on sugar for energy.  My poison of choice?  Chocolate-covered almonds, cashews, and blueberries. It was a temporary sweetness, that soon left me feeling foggy-headed.

Just as I discovered last spring, the food I eat …

It's December 31, and the New Year is upon us!  What big plans do you have for 2013?

I've got some big plans and SMART goals, but I'll be tackling those on a monthly basis, so my focus is honed and strong.  But are you setting year-long resolutions?  If so, I dare you to make them small. 

First of all, keep up your existing goals!  The new year is an arbitrary day to begin, but it does feel like a fresh start, so we like to put all this weight on the new day and the new year.  There's nothing wrong with that, as long as you don't ever not set or fulfill a goal just because it isn't a new year or a Monday.  

For year-long resolutions, I think small is the way to go.  Keep it simple!  I think of resolutions less as a big goal to be "attained" and more of a vow to improve something about yourself or your habits.

Last year, I resolved to make my bed every morning. Done.

This year, I'm setting some similarly small resolutions.  One is to quit che…