Monday, January 12, 2009

And the year begins...

For some people, the year begins on January 1st. Not for me. The first day of the year starts on the first day of the semester, which for me is today. I could use this post to rant about the ten pounds I gained over break (and the three of them that I already lost), but I won't. Instead, I'm going to take the time to put some 2009 goals out there.

1) Live Healthier: This includes eating better (which I did not do over break) and going to the gym consistently. I've decided to join a new gym this year, the student rec center, which I tried out last night. I love it. It is bright and airy, which my old gym wasn't. It also has a bunch of classes and new things (climbing wall anyone?) that I want to try out. I want healthy living to be exciting, not mundane.

2) Try one new recipe a week: I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and there are always these great recipes in there that I rip out, but never get around to making. Seriously! They fill a binder up on my bookshelf. It reminds me of that Queen Latifah movie "Last Holiday": She had this book of possibilities, which included recipes she never got around to making. That's me. I think they look scrumptious, but I don't really know. So, I'm going to try one new recipe out a week and share it with you!

3) Focus on my weight loss goals: Looking back on 2008, it was a good year. I lost 30 pounds (before I gained back 10 of them). But, in looking at my weight loss record, I lost 20 pounds between January and May... and then gained and lost and gained the same 10 pounds from May to December. What the heck? I think the second half of the year was pure laziness on my part. I ate what I wanted, didn't track, didn't do much of anything regarding healthy eating. Instead, I wanted exercise to cover it all. I know that doesn't work. So, instead of saying the cliche "2009 is the year where I lose the rest of my weight", I'm going to say that 2009 is the year where I pay more attention to what goes in my mouth.

4) Run a 5K: Oh, you'll be so disappointed. I didn't run the 5K on New Year's Eve. First, a couple ice storms disrupted my training. Trust me, I walked over to my aunt's house one day and realized how many people DON'T clean their sidewalks (after I fell on my booty a few times... no worries, it has plenty of padding). Then, a couple (okay, a couple dozen) cookies disrupted my training. THEN, one of my very best friends from college came to visit me and left on New Year's Eve at 2PM. The race was at 1. Notice the laziness? Oh, well. 2009 is the year I will run a 5K. I promise! I even got new running shoes!

5) Be Positive: Sometimes I get really down about my weight loss progress. But you've lost 40+ pounds, you say! Yes, you're right. I did. And I've kept it off. However, thinking back to that May-December 2008 trend I had, it really sucked. So, I'm going to focus on being positive about this journey I am on. I'm going to think about all the things I'll be able to do with my new body. (5Ks? Skiing? Shopping for cute clothes without worrying about size?) I'm in the process of putting together a vision board to help me on this journey as well as some other more personal goals I have.

So, there you have it. A new year brings about new chances and new beginnings. We can dwell on what we didn't do in the past, but it's so much easier to just look to the future.

10 comments:

ptg said...

Your goals sound amazingly perfect, and what a great way to start your new year. :o)

Marcie said...

Best of luck in the new year with your goals. You'll do amazing...just like your 'now' photo. I can't get over how much you've changed! =)

Bella said...

Good luck with your goals, they all sound reasonable. In fact, a few of them are almost the exact same goals I made for myself for 2009, including the one new recipe a week.

Hope your first week back to school is a great one!

Hazel said...

I'm going to focus on most of the same things you are! I'm really proud of you for maintaining your weight loss though...that is a big challenge and shows you have changed your life! I also want to run a 5K this year and work on trying more recipes.

Angie Eats Peace said...

Great goals! Best of luck with them.

carla said...

I love how your goals are BROADBROAD and yet specific (if that makes sense).
Setting yourself up for success perfectly.

will you be sharing the recipe experiences? (oh how i love dana evans AND that movie :))

Anonymous said...

I love how you aren't focusing on losing the rest of the weight, rather what you put in your mouth. Focusing on making life changes will help deliver your ultimate goal. Don't deprive yourself. One of the best things I did to lose my weight was have one splurge meal a week. May have been breakfast or dinner or desert. I usually went out for it and only ate half of whatever I got. I didn't feel like I talked the week and I didn't feel like I was depriving myself...which usually would be how I tanked the week :)You learned a lot in 2008..you'll see that more and more in the coming months. Keep up the great work. You have always been my motivation!!

Unknown said...

If you want company at the climbing wall, let me know. I'd love to get back to it!

DaDivaStreet said...

Wishing you well with your goals! I put on 8lbs over the holidays & am re dedicated to getting them off. I too will focus & stay positive!

RooBabs said...

This is going to be a great year for you, because you are so smart about things. I love your goals- that's a great idea about the recipes (I used to be so much better about that, but I don't know what happened).

Too bad about the 5k- but you don't want your first experience to be miserable. And ice storms and lack of training will definitely put a damper on things. No worries, there are plenty out there waiting for you (I'm doing a half-marathon this weekend, isn't that crazy?)