#Gratitude this January

If you read my New Year post you’ll know I intended to make fitness a priority this year. Looking back this month I did manage to make a start and that’s the first thing I’m grateful for.

I finally seem to have found a decent exercise routine

It includes three days of yoga, one day of Zumba and one of Pilates. I’ve grown to like the mix, though I am finding it hard to pick up the Zumba steps because by the time I go back next week I’ve forgotten much of what I learnt. But then that’s fine, after all Zumba is more about having fun than getting it right. Besides, I raise a laugh or two each time I go out of sync or stop midway to puzzle out a step and that’s wonderful because more laughs mean more endorphins for everyone around. Right? We always come away smiling after the sessions.

That’s something to be grateful for.

I’m enjoying Pilates too

..and I’m happy to report that I can more than keep up with the others. I’ve totally maxed it with my plank (not the shoulder plank, just the regular one) at which I’m the best in the class. I cannot tell how very good that feels considering I’ve never been ‘best in the class’ at anything at all! (I have to confess that we’re just three of us, but still best is best) all thanks to being consistent with yoga. ‘You have a strong ‘core’ pronounced the instructor,’ making me glance at it right away only to bring home the fact that I had too much of it!

My maids are my new partners in fitness

They have taken turns to go on leave, the cook’s been away for almost 20 days now. However, that meant I was more active and that the house was cleaner (yeah I’m better at it than my maid). Also since I was forced to spend more time in the kitchen I’ve been making healthier meals. I tried a simply delicious mushroom soup prompted by my sister. I shall share the recipe one of these days.

In other happy news

The twins’ school opened

early this month, which meant I had more free time and could get started on editing a brand new manuscript. It’s turning out to be a lot of fun. There really is happiness in finding fault with other people’s work, specially if it earns you money along the way!

The kids made me proud

N brought home a bronze medal in handball. I was there to watch the match and it was a pleasure to see her shoot not one or two but three goals. Oh I was proud!


H got home positive diary notes. I didn’t even know teachers did that these days. I got notes on two occasions saying he’s doing exceptionally well in a particular subject. That was gratifying.

My parents came over

… from Lucknow bearing boxes of laddoos and other goodies. The icing on the happiness cake this month was that I had 10 days of adult conversation within easy reach. It’s a luxury, you know. With the Husband away and my work from home status if I do not make the effort to seek out a friend, sometimes days go by without a heart to heart conversation with an adult. Oh of course I call the Husband and my sister or mum pretty regularly (everyday, actually) but it’s not the same.

Also having a nag of a mum who is super fit herself (an hour of yoga and an hour of walk every single day, seven days a week) meant my fitness stayed right on track.

So that’s what my January looked like. A satisfactory start, I’d say. Though I still have to work more on my diet and that darned evening walk which I’m just not able to make a start with.

How did January treat you?

 

Linking up with Vidya’s Gratitude Circle

Also linking up to Shirley’s Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday 06

 

28 Replies to “#Gratitude this January”

  1. It’s fabulous that 2018 is off to a good start. Great going, Tulika. I seriously need to get my act together for my walks. I so agree regarding the adult talks. it’s the same with me, with AG in school and KG on a work trip.
    Have a wonderful February!!

  2. This is a lovely post, and yes the link from the comment on my blog post worked fine! Well done! I’d love you to share this link at my Link Party. I hesitate to use the word Party, as I only usually have one or two guests! I’m hoping the idea will catch on. If you return to my post Thankful Thursday #6 you’ll see at the bottom of the post, on the left side, a small blue button that says Add Your Link. Click on that and follow instructions and you’ll have a button appear with a link to this post. Hopefully, others will then be able to follow you there.

  3. So happy to hear about the fitness routine Tulika :).. something I am struggling with at the moment so I can appreciate the effort that it takes all the more! And congrats on the plank 🙂 !!
    Lovely to see your January had a lot to be thankful for, here’s to an even better time ahead.

  4. Wow! Your fitness regime is inspirational and awesome; after Raj and prob Rachna, you are the 3rd person whose so much into fitness. I need to look up Pilates – your mix seems just the right thing as I get bored so damn easily with just one thing or a routine thing.
    Hope you have a rocking february.
    Your writing style is so carefree, I love reading your posts for they make me feel like I am chatting with a friend! 🙂

    1. First up – thank you for that compliment!
      I’m not really in Rachna’s or RajLaxmi’s league at all. I keep falling off the fitness wagon with great regularity and have barely managed to clamber on this year. Oh and the boredom is deadly, which is why I’ve mixed up my routine.

  5. I am so glad that you had a wonderful January, and made progress on your fitness goals. Don’t worry about the diet, it will happen too, one thing at a time. 🙂

    I am doing good on strength training, but terrible on cardio, mainly because the elliptical at home bores me, because that’s the only thing I’m relying on for cardio. I definitely cannot consider going out in the freezing weather, so a walk or a run outside is ruled out. I can however go to a Zumba/Pilates class, but that would also require me to get out and drive there, and I just cannot get myself to get out in the current weather. So I am looking up YouTube for Zumba routines, but only finding 3-4 minute ones, so as of now I’m doing 3-4 of them to do atleast 15 minutes. How long are your Zumba sessions?

    1. Oh I know about the ‘boring’ bit. I find I get easily bored these days. Considering that consistency is the most important factor for sustained fitness boredom spells disaster. Tough luck with the weather. I almost feel guilty for not exercising outdoors, it’s so perfect here. Our Zumba session lasts for a little less than an hour. I guess we’d be exercising for about 40 minutes. The warmup, cool down and the gap between songs makes up the other bit. Next time I’ll check how many routines we manage – should be somewhere between 7 – 8.

  6. So wonderful, Tulika. Seeing your post and Rachna’s and Rajlakshmi’s updates on fitness, I realise how I’m not at all taking care of my body and health. The sad thing is I don’t even find the will to work on it. The only exercise I get these days is running after M! Inspire me, please!

    1. I can well imagine considering how much you have on your plate. Maybe you could consider a post dinner stroll or even a walk with M in the park. That should be good enough for now, till she grows up a little bit.

  7. It is one happy post which sent me chuckling twice and I will definitely tell you where exactly. One where your maids becoming partners in your fitness regime. I imagined them to join in your exercises at home or atleast keeping count of how many seconds you can hold the plank 😀 And that bit about finding fault with other people works 😛
    Congratulations for staying in tune with your fitness goals and for the kids’ achievements. I saw the photo of laddoos on FB and wished my parents to visit me bringing with them their gajar ka halwa.
    Adult talk, we have talked about it once. I am glad you had lots of it in Jan. Happy February to you

    1. Ha ha I can just see my old maid standing by counting as I do my toe touching! You’re funny Anamika! By the way – they’re still away so my fitness routine continues. I hope you get that Gajar Ka Halwa and that you keep burring it off faster than you eat it.
      Happy February to you too.

  8. That’s a lovely post Tulika.Getting started is the hardest part with exercise.I am sure you will stick to it superbly

  9. I am still in search of a fitness routine for myself, but congratulations you found yours. And congratulations for your kids achievement. I too am joining in the gratitude circle this month.

  10. So happy that you have found a fitness routine that you are enjoying and most importantly being regular with. I cracked up on the finding faults with others’ writing especially when it pays. 🙂 I saw those delicious laddoos that your mum brought with care from Lucknow. It is my home town but I haven’t been back there in ages as I have no relatives left there. But I have such fond memories of the place.
    Glad to know that you had such a good time with your parents. And gosh, what an inspiration your mum is. My dad is somebody similar. He keeps a diligent fitness routine and is my single biggest motivator.
    Glad to see your gratitude post, Tulika. Wish you a lovely February.

    1. Isn’t it tough to keep up with moms and dads such as ours? There was a day when I wasn’t feeling like going for yoga at all and yet I made myself go because I knew she’d nag me like crazy. It was easier to tell the instructor to go easy with me :-).

  11. Such a gratifying post! Yay to the fitness! Super glad for you.

    Hugs to N and H on their achievements. Kids are amazing at making us feel proud of them 🙂

    I so hear you about the adult conversation bit. We need that more often than we realise.

    Best wishes for a fab February 🙂

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