The Year in Review (A Project ESCR Post.)

I am so fired up for the new year and everything it has in store. In 2010 I made serious strides in my overall wellness and I plan to keep that ball rolling!

Remember good old Project ESCR? (Exercise. Sort. Create. Read. You can click on each category to read my thoughts on each. Apparently, I never found it necessary to explain "Create.") I pretty much stuck to this all year, completing a task in all four areas at least five days a week I'd say. It was sort of cyclical--sometimes the sorting took the forefront, sometimes the exercise, you get the idea. But all four parts really needed to be addressed regularly for my happiness to remain in balance. Here's the year in review.

Exercise. I began 2010 following the 8-week "Wellness Journey" class at BPC. I cannot recommend this enough. Lisa Cohen, a certified personal trainer, spin instructor, yoga instructor, scrapbooker, and home chef, is phenomenal as a leader and motivator. (And let us also remember she, like me, was once a Girls on the Run coach. And we have the same china pattern from Villeroy & Boch. So obviously I was bound to adore her.) She helped me set a lot of healthy habits in place, not just an exercise regimen. By May, I had joined the local gym and hired a personal trainer. In September I started Weight Watchers. (Going to actual meetings. The new program--points are not what they used to be at all--is amazing. So much healthier in terms of real-life sustainability than the old program.) The results? So far I am down about 12 pounds of fat, I've gained at least 2 pounds of muscle, I've lost 2.5 inches off my belly and 3 inches off of each thigh, and my VO2 max has gone from 36 ml/kg/min to 49 ml/kg/min (40 or greater is desirable for me). I feel strong and healthy. I've tossed my size 14 and size 12 jeans and am back into my trusty 10's with an occasional foray into the Land of Size 8. My total cholesterol is down 16 points, though it wasn't in a dangerous zone to begin with.

Sort. Biggest accomplishment in this arena is the full-on unpacking and sorting of all the crazy boxes in our garage. Those of you who know the Gutsy Family's tendency to ignore unopened boxes each move should be particularly impressed. This winter we are thoroughly enjoying parking both cars in the garage. No more scraping out the cars on icy or snowy mornings!

Create. You all are pretty much abreast of this one. I took a slew of online classes from BPC, Shimelle, and LOAD. Creating layouts (over 100 for the year) and honing my photography skills make me hyper aware of all the many, tiny blessings of every day. I really enjoy my life.

Read. I read or listened to 23 books this year. This is about 20 more than 2009, I kid you not.  Embarrassing for an English Literature major to have lost touch with her beloved books, but it's back, baby, it's back. I am currently enjoying The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. So far it is completely satisfying. I am thinking that The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Princess Academy by Shannon Hale will be near the top of my 2011 reading list. Young Adult books, I know, but they come so highly recommended.

Will Project ESCR continue in 2011? You betcha. But with a few enhancements and modifications. More soon.