Good Job

It's rare to tell yourself that. Especially when you know you have not reached your goal but still pat your back and say, you are on the right track- Great Job.

I realized it, this past weekend when a friend commended Sumit on being fitter than before. I am proud of him. He has been good with his Getting Fit business on the Fit Bit. But he was not happy since its far far away from his goal of 15K steps every single day.

Learning from this, I am taking a step back and appreciating my self- Good Job.

I met my walking targets most days past week on the Fit Bit.

I recently joined a Yoga Studio and went to class 4 times in a week.

I made a few better choices. For example, ordering salad instead of pizza. I actually walked past from my yummy bagel place and ordered oatmeal for breakfast instead. But yes, I did enjoy a fair share of cake and cup cakes.

I have woken up at an ungodly hour of 5:30 am to make it to my class before kick starting the day. Whist V was in her class, me as a chaperone decided to talk the hour in the passage looking like a fanatic. But oh well. I did meet my target of steps!

For me, I don’t have a specific goal with this Getting Fit stint. I just want to be more active than I really am. I don’t think the jeans are any looser or the tummy is any bit in. Or better yet, I have not lost a single pound. But you know what, I am proud of myself. For just getting off my hinds and moving.

So good Job- Garima`

The lesson learned by a daddy-daughter moment

I have had the Fit Bit on for a while now. V has been nagging me let her wear it for One day. This Sunday, I caved and said- Fine wear it.
The whole day, she excitedly kept tapping to see how well she was doing. She would keep checking on how Sumit's Fit Bit progressed as well. She would walk at a place while we ate food. She was running a patio on a crisp afternoon just to see the five lights of Fit Bit.
We returned home after a long day, and she excitedly went on the Fit Bit app on my phone to realise, she is 590 steps away from her goal of the day. She was super tired, but was keen on completing the steps.

Looking at her tired face, I mumbled to Sumit, let her be. Its okay if she does not finish it.
As usual, she overheard us and was like- I want to feel the 'buzzing on hand'. Once you complete the daily goal, the Fit Bit vibrates and on the wrist it feels like a buzzing sound.
Sumit was super supportive of her and much to my dismay encouraged her to finish the goal. Now in reality, 590 steps is two rounds end to end in my apartment. We have one long corridor. But I was super tired myself and could only imagine how tired V was.
To motivate and encourage V and Sumit headed to the deck. In two minutes I heard sqeals of laughter and delight.

I run up to the deck to realise its V who felt the 'buzzing' on her wrist and completed her goal.
She was delighted and Sumit was happy to see that. She kept saying, 'I finished my steps on the firt day I wore it, yeah'. She hopped to her room and slept with the broadest smile.

I, well I learnt a very important lesson. To complete a goal sometimes is as important to start it and the journey to completion is as memorable and fun as you make it.

I ate at the BEST Chicago Restaurant EVER!

Name: Wall Ball 

Location: Very convenient. Lots of parking and best of all, its easily accessible.

Ambience: Kid Friendly yet nice. There were candles on  our table with mood lighting. But at the same time, there was enough light for the kids to play with the table toys handed out at entrance. 

Food: There was lots of variety, ample vegetarian friendly food and spice level completely customized to our taste buds. As Sumit said, in one word: 'Delicious'. The menu was simple to read and the server was lovely in explaining all our options, how its made and above all the healthy part of the meal. Apparantly the menu is hand written by the server every Friday. How intresting, talk about keeping it fun and fresh.

The best of all, the drinks. Sumit ordered a Mango Lemonade. It was a lovely fizzy lemonade with fresh basil and a raspberry in the middle. The server explained, its freshly plucked Basil leaves. Yumm!

Service: Top of the line. No other way to describe it. The server/ waitress was super friendly. She was knowledgeable and happily helped Sumit make the right selection. The food was brought out promptly and in very creative service style.

The server was interested in playing with the 8 month old Little Lady. The server got kid friendly fruits and cheerios for the Little Lady to play with and eat.

At one point, Little Lady was super tired and Sumit wanted to leave, but the server volunteered to hang around the high chair and entertain the baby.

 What can I say, it was the best Friday Night restaurant experience for us a family. We are contemplating making it a weekly tradition. It is the perfect way to unwind from the week, have delicious and well served food and above all, its a restaurant experience which is very relaxing!

 Here is a picture of the lemonade with our server:

Haha! Yes, the server was Vedika and the Chef: A La Moi.

The not so little Miss V, prepared the menu with the price, took the order, commanded the chef to make it look pretty and above all- it was her wonderful idea.
We had a memorable time at : Restaurant Wall Ball (The server: V gets to choose the name!)

 

So to more Friday evenings in the BEST Chicago restaurant EVER.

Plan for next installment:

Chef: Sumit

Server: V

Customers: Little Lady and Me

Dating of a different kind. Really?

A not so new concept- Girl friends
A not so new concept- Mom Friends

A revelatory concept to me- Mom Dating

No I dont mean 'dating' in its true sense. But mom dating.

Let me elaborate:

Kids have play dates. You schedule these really (really) hoping that you get along with the moms. If you do next steps is play dates as a family. And now you really (really) hope that dad's, if siblings exist all get along well. This whole thing is what I call 'Mom Dating'. And if the family gets along well, chances are you will move to the next step- Get sitters for the kids and the parents go out together for dinner/ drinks/ concerts whatever catches their fancy.

 Hence my revelatory concept: Moms scheduling play dates for their kids in order to 'date' other moms.

This dating is completely different: Its more for moms to have mom-time without feeling like moms. Its for moms to have talk about more things than just 'ballet classes, reading levels and latest kids fad'. But there is no rolled eyes, if you include the 'latest spillage that the kid had on your purse' while you were talking about the NAS Sale.

Kids are likely in similar age group- you will have similar issues at hand, similar victories at hand and above all- for moms, similar frustrations.

This dating becomes imperative. Kids have a good time (They are not in your hair). You have a good time (Since you can let your hair down). See its a win-win situation

In complete disclosure, Have I done the above? May be but without being aware of it. So far its been one of three things for me:

1. We were friends first and so the kids automatically hung out together all the time.

2. If my friends didnt have kids we still hung out all the time, and the kids played with aunts fav. teddy bear.

3. Kids were friends first (or as my 5 year old would say 'She is my BEST friend ever') and the moms hung out enough to realize there is more to us than ferrying the kids around between activities and cursing traffic!

Hence Mom Dating, tread lightly, you don’t want to be a stalker!

And another update on the Getting Fit business

 Notice how I call it 'Business' since sadly it does take more of my time 'thinking' about it than I would like.

Two weeks ago, I had made a promise to keep up by 10 K a week and sadly health was not the best (See I already am giving excuses) But in all due honesty, minus the days when I preferred to not move if I didnt have to, I did do my 10K. Every Single day.

This week however, is better. Better because Sumit being hugely disappointed in me, re-set my goal to 8K steps a day. And I am meeting it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I know I should be happy, but sadly I take it with a pinch of salt, since I am not 'pushing myself'. Oh well, small steps as they say, or in this case I should say- Lots of Steps!

What am I doing differently besides walking a little more than I used to?

1. Having a whole some breakfast, I know its counter intuitive to talk about getting fit and then say, oh I have a bigger breakfast. But trust me, its helping. I dont know how, but it is, since I am not cranky come lunch time. And above all, since I am waking at an un godly hour of 5:45 nowadays, the bigger breakfast keeps me sane.

2. Finishing off last meal by 7:30 pm. It helps that this week is Paryusan and I should not eat after sun set anyways. But its helping. How- This I can answer. Late dinners = Evil Sin! and Point 1: Heavier breakfasts comes in handy, since well how to say it--I am famished!

3. More water. This is easy for me, since I love water and trust me I can down a lot. But I am now making a conscious effort of skipping my afternoon coffee and substituting that with more water. I have skipped coffee 2 out of 4 days. Hehe! So thats 50% reduction ya'll!

And besides that nothing.

Sumit however is doing a lot more and I am proud of him. He takes most of his meeting walking. He will try to walk minimum 12K. He is trying to substitute all snacks with fruits or smoothies or more fruits. And above all, he is resuming tennis or will walk for his weekly volley ball game or will go and play more basket ball in the evenings.

See, now I feel super bad, since compared to all of the above, I am doing hmm nothing. So I guess him reducing my goal to 8K should be slap on the wrist.

Ouch Ouch Ouch

So the saga of the 'Getting Fit' business continues.

A friend asked me recently, whats so great about 'Fit Bit' and I honestly responded: It shows you what a sedentary lifestyle you lead.