Fitness Color

Winnie sent me a link about my fitness color. I had no clue what fitness color meant. I felt like she was sending me one of those surveys at the back of Teen magazine to discover what color lip gloss suits you best. I took the quiz and I was a Green. Here's what it says about me:

Greens are highly attuned to and observant of the physical world around them. Their profound attention to detail and their outstanding orienting skills influence all aspects of what they do and when they do it. Minimalists at heart, their demeanor is understated, quiet, and unobtrusive. In groups, Greens tend toward the background, preferring others to take the lead in social interactions.

With their reserved demeanor, they are quiet observers of the physical world. Nature is their nature. Their natural physicality inclines Greens to maintain a baseline of fitness, which they prefer to do outdoors or through activities of daily living, such as yard maintenance, parking a mile from their office, or using the stairs instead of elevators.

Incorporating a regimented training program into their lives is unlikely to happen without a specific purpose—such as getting in shape to fully enjoy a favorite outdoor activity, or achieving a prized goal, like being part of a climbing or backpacking expedition. In these cases Greens will use gyms and equipment to increase their stamina for an outdoor challenge that is important to them.

When they are training for such a challenge, Greens have clear cut objectives. Many say that the preparation process—including assembling the gear, analyzing risks, or preparing for climatic changes—is interesting and exhilarating. A fitness center or trainer who could provide information relating to these training goals would add value.

I don't know how true all of that is, though some aspects hit the nail right on the head. Their description makes me seem like a tree-hugger, and I am not a tree-hugger.

You can take the quiz yourself here.

Excuses

It has been weeks since I last exercised. I bought my new shoes, wore them once for my morning exercise routine, and haven’t put them back on since. My excuse this time is that Scott and I have had several houseguests and that I don’t want to wake them in the morning. This past week it was Rob from Montreal and his friend David. Last week it was Matthew from New York.

The living room, where our guests stay, is separated from my room only by a pair of French doors that don’t provide much in terms of soundproofing. I don’t want our guests to hear my huffing and puffing, my stomping on our hardwood floors, and my coming in and out of the front door as I leave the house at 6am to jog around the neighborhood. I’m just that considerate.

But, it’s been throwing off my exercise routine and I am not getting more fit by being considerate, or coming up with excuses so that I can stay in my warm bed a little longer in the mornings. So, now that Rob and David are gone, I’ll be back on the more fit, less fat exercise bandwagon tomorrow morning. Sara, however, is flying in from New Orleans to visit this upcoming week. We’ll see if consideration wins over fitness when she arrives.

Splurge

I have been splurging. As much as I tell people and myself that I am not on a diet—I am on a more fit, less fat plan—I have been consciously making decisions about what to eat and what not to eat. For a few weeks, I was adamant about limiting myself to 1500 calories and counting those calories (yes, I know I said in my first post that I wouldn't be writing about counting calories but there's really no way around it). For breakfast I would have one slice of wheat toast (90 calories), one tablespoon of peanut butter (90 calories), one banana (60 calories); for lunch, a mixed green salad with one hard-boiled egg and dressing at (250 calories) and an apple (60 calories); for dinner, brown rice with chicken and broccoli (400 calories) and an orange (60 calories).

But, the last week or so has had several days that have not been good more fit, less fat eating days. Last Friday, I went out for happy hour with my coworkers where I had three slices of an appetizer-sized pizza, a margarita, two vodka sodas, and a shot of Frenet. On Monday I had dinner with Greg at Blue Plate, where we had a delicious meal of rabbit with a cream sauce, chicken with sausage and clams, tuna with fava beans, an arugula salad, and a bottle of red wine. We followed that with drinks at Doc’s Clock (three vodka sodas for me). This past Saturday in Sonoma with Scott, Rob, and David, I had three pork tacos, tortilla chips and guacamole, and a margarita for lunch, one third of a giant turkey shawerma for dinner, and two cups of a mysterious drink with beer, vodka, and lemonade concentrate and a Jell-O shot. And, on Sunday I had dinner with Bill at Little Star: three slices of their deep-dish pizza, a green salad, and a glass of their wheat beer. I don’t even know where to start counting all those calories.

Today, I’m back at my more fit, less fat eating plan: a cup of non-fat yogurt, a salad with egg, and wild rice with chicken and zucchini. I’ve got calories to watch and not consume.