Be A Healthy Writer in 2012

I've been working really hard to lose weight I'd gained as a result of a Thyroid malfunction. It hasn't been easy and many of my readers have watched me slowly lose the weight over the course of 6 months. In addition to losing 19 pounds with 11 pounds to shed, I've also increased my fitness levels. I have worked out hard and the results are showing in a firmer and more toned body.

As a writer I am very sedentary because it requires sitting in front of a computer screen, whimpering on occasion, and writing in a fixed position. Sometimes I don't want to leave my fictional world to go to the gym because I'm so involved in the story I'm crafting. Sometimes I am unable to leave my writing to take a full hour or more to workout because I have a deadline to meet. Sometimes I don't want to workout just because I'm feeling lazy. But I do. The greatest challenge for me is when I have a deadline.

No. I am not published yet, but I have deadlines. I enter contests to put myself into that position. I hold myself accountable and treat myself as a published writer because once I am published I will have to meet deadlines all the time. There is no time like the present to hone the skill of meeting a professional deadline.

But I must take care of myself. Here are my strategies for protecting myself from a widening derriere and writer's bloat in 2012 particularly when I am in deadline mode.

*Go to the gym and vary my workouts. I attend Zumba and Pilates classes as well as use the weight machines.
*When in Deadline Mode, force myself to get up every hour and move for 15 minutes. This can be stretching, dancing in front of the TV to a music channel, or doing Max Capacity. You can access Max Capacity here.
*Walk. I've discussed this with a writing buddy. We plan on alternating houses every week and writing together. We'll set the timer for 60 minutes, then when it beeps we will walk for fifteen. We'll talk while we walk.
*Get the Fitbit. You can learn more about the Fitbit here. I plan to walk 10,000 steps a day. This will hold me accountable to remaining fit and strong.
*Pay myself a quarter for every workout. A healthy writer is a strong writer. This all contributes to my writing fund which pays for writing activities.
*Look for unique ways to ramp up my fitness levels by doing Wii Dance Programs and attending different classes which challenge my strength and flexibility.
*Feed my body healthy foods so I can increase my health and brain power.

What are your plans for staying strong and healthy in 2012? Do you have any tips for me? I'd love to learn all about it!

A Cat on My Lap and A Day to Refocus

Well I think I've discovered that the weather really distracts me from writing. It's rainy and cold out there and all I want to do is hunker neath the covers and read a book. Writing? Bah humbug. And I have a ton of goodies still to make... by myself because my daughter is swamped with school work and finals and recitals and the list goes on.

How will I ever do even one hour today? But I will. This blog is the first step into the writing forest. At some point I will write for one hour this morning.

The only thing suffering is my exercise routine. I joined a gym to go workout there on crappy days like this--group fitness starts at 8:30am. But I haven't gone since the week before Thanksgiving because the day just sucks if I break up my morning. And the main reason I joined was to make new friends. Ha. That hasn't happened. Nobody really talks there. Well one person did approach me, but it was to give me a pointer on how to stomp more quietly on my step ... so much for making new friends. She didn't even give me her name first!

Maybe that is why I am not going to that gym.

Or maybe I am just a lazy von lazerson type person because I am tired, I have a sinus infection, and all I want to do is sleep on cold, nasty rainy days. The fact that I write at all at this point is already a minor miracle.

So, grumpy and tired, and lazy to boot. But I will write my hour today. I will!