You Say You Want a Resolution?

With 6 days left in 2014, many of us begin looking back on the year that's passed, and start looking forward to the year that's ahead.  I'm no different.  For the past two years, I've handwritten my resolutions and goals for the upcoming year in a journal, and at the end of each year I go back and evaluate whether or not I accomplished what I set out to do.  But the truth of the matter is that from the time I write those goals on January 1st until the end of the year, I rarely look back at them,  no matter how many stickers I use to make the page more appealing, which means in most cases, I haven't come close to achieving the things I set out to do.  I decided this year something had to change, which motivated me to post my resolutions online this year (accountability, anyone?!) and check in on them at the end of every month.

These are my reflections...

2014 was an amazing year for me.  I feel like I learned so much about myself, my husband, and most importantly, what I want out of life.  We bought our first home, brought home our crazy puppy Winston, and settled into our new life with Jay out of the military.  I struggled with a major loss of energy for much of this year, I let stress and negativity seep into my work and home life (buying a house...eek!), and by the time the school year started in August, I was weighing in at my heaviest weight in 6 years.  (Side note:  I think these three things all have to do with another.)  On the positive side, I made so many new connections this year with people I've met through different experiences in Florida, I spent time a lot of quality time with our parents which I was missing when we lived on the west coast, and I found one of my favorite places to be - Siesta Key.  

So here they are...

What do I want to see myself achieve in 2015?

1.  First and foremost, since it affects so many other areas of my life, is to GET FIT.  I've accepted the Insanity Max 30 60-day challenge, so my first step to achieving this goal is to complete the entire 60 days of this workout.  (48 days to go!)  

2.  The obligatory weight loss goal.  I'd like to be back to my "fighting" weight, which means I have about 25 pounds to lose.  In July I'll be standing up in the wedding of one of my oldest friends, so I would like to see this goal realized by July.  That means I'll need to lose about 4 pounds each month leading up to it, which is totally realistic.  (But if I reach it sooner, that's cool too.)  This will require meal planning, COOKING AT HOME and consistent exercise.  I have a tendency to do a great job for a few weeks and then fall off completely.  Being persistent and staying consistent will be my biggest areas to work on!

3.  Be outside and in touch more.  Yes, I want to unplug.  This is becoming one of those cliche resolutions, I know, but I want to have more face to face conversations, spend more time away from the TV and computer (ironic that I'm starting a blog) and more time in nature rather than looking at it on a screen.  I want to catch up and reconnect with old friends and make more memories.  Because there's nothing worse than being at an event or on a beautiful hike and seeing more people experiencing it through their camera lenses than with their own eyes.

4.  I want to do more of what I love.  I want to drink a cup of tea in the morning, end my day reading a book, cuddle up with my dogs, kayak on a Sunday morning and make time every. single. day. to do something that makes me smile.  Life gets way too busy and stressful sometimes and we forget to put ourselves first.  (This means I need to learn to say NO.)

So there you have it, and if you're following my journey, I'll be revisiting these goals the last day of every month.  I can't wait to see the progress I make on becoming better this year.  

What are your top resolutions for 2015?

To Scrooge or Not to Scrooge

It might seem a little crazy that I'm starting my fitness blog the week before the new year.  Why don't I just blow this week off and start fresh on January 1st?  Stuff my face with Christmas cookies and enjoy the holiday?  Well, this is the perfect topic to start my journey off with, because this is the key to my downfall or my success.

In the past, I've tried so many different methods to lose weight...you name it, I've tried it.  My most successful attempt ever was tracking my food with Weight Watchers in 2009 - I lost 26 pounds in 4 months.  But as wildly successful as I was, I use the word "attempt" because once Easter hit, I indulged in all the treats I'd been denying myself - pound cake, cookies, chocolate, chips and dip - and I reversed all the hard work I'd put in.  It wasn't a total lifestyle shift for me because it was something that I could only maintain temporarily and a simple, single special occasion (one that I don't even particularly love the food associated with) through me completely off course.  But I learned a big lesson about myself and the holidays: holidays are always just around the corner, so you need to have a game plan to succeed through them, not after them.  And when I have no self control and I see my goal slip further away from me with each bite, I don't enjoy the holiday - in fact, I become the sitting-in-the-corner-mad-at-the-world-so-don't-you-dare-try-to-talk-to-me guest.  Yep, I'm the self-loathing Scrooge.

                                           Photo cred:  http://www.stjohnec.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/scrooge039-web.jpg


Keeping myself accountable through this holiday is how I can avoid becoming the biggest Scrooge of all.   This blog (hence why I'm starting today!) and my challenge groups will definitely help keep me in check.  So how do I plan to push through this week?  Am I going to avoid all of the treats?  Absolutely not.  I know that when I pressure myself to be perfect, I fail.  Miserably.  So let's shoot for progress.

Here's my plan for holiday happiness:
1.  Think it through.  I'm going to think through all the treats I'll come across and decide which ones I'd be sad to miss, and which ones just really aren't worth it.  At my family's get together, I know my mom's cookies will be plentiful and delicious.  Being a hardcore peanut butter lover, I have to have a peanut butter blossom, or two, or three.  But the other cookies I can do without.  At my husband's family's, I'm not sure what the menu will entail for dessert, so I'll scope them all out before I touch anything and decide which would be worth the splurge.
2.  I have to workout.  Breaking a sweat, especially in the morning, changes my whole outlook on food.  I start asking myself questions like, is that really worth a half hour with Shaun T?  Or more?!
3.  Remember what the season is about.  The holidays are not a time carved out to get fat, even though most Americans will gain between 5 and 10 pounds this holiday season.  Gaining weight can happen 365 days a year!  The holidays are a time meant for making memories and spending time with people you love.  That's my focus - quality time with people (not food!).
4.  Drink water first.  If you make a rule that you have to drink another glass of water before going to the food table again, you'll be sure to visit the bathroom more than the snacks.

Here's my game plan for a truly happy holiday.  What's yours?

Photo cred:  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wn_Jc4Ipe1E/UMMlvYXbA4I/AAAAAAAAA2U/bGje6x1QiVE/s640/32.jpg