If your HEART is in your DREAMS, no request is too EXTREME!

I feel like I’m starting to say this every month, but I can’t believe how fast time is flying; it’s January 10th already! The start of a new month and year is a great time for reflection and goal setting. A time to be totally honest with ourselves. Despite me having this blog, a blog following my journey to a healthier, fitter me; Despite working out and eating healthily on and off, I have gained a stone since October. Ironic, isn’t it?

October 11th, 2014 *the most magical day of my life* I got married!!! Which brought cake, alcohol and treats. That was closely followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, and EVERY person in my family having a birthday which brought even more treats and indulgences. Many of us gain a few pounds over the Christmas period, with us vowing  to undo the damage and get in shape come January. However, for me December for people like me (teachers) comes weeks off which in turn means lying around all day in an attempt to stay warm. On the outside I appeared fine, but on the inside I struggled to find the motivation to care or look after myself once again. I sought comfort from the temporary highs that junk and sugar-laden foods provide.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t constantly gorging on bad foods for 2-3 months. I still did my healthy food shops and still worked out....occasionally. But I no longer had the balance right. I ate too much, even when I ate healthy foods and I wasn’t consistent with my workouts. My metabolism slowed, my appetite increased, my cravings were relentless and my motivation weakened. That leaves me here, where I am today; Sitting pretty at a stone heavier than before the wedding.

Sure, I don’t like what I see in the mirror, I don’t like taking full length pictures, I don’t enjoy clothes that I did a few months ago and my trouble areas have become slightly troublesome. BUT I do not hate my body and I refuse to beat myself up about it. How I have felt and reacted these past few months have been a learning curve. The way my body looks right now IS temporary and I have the tools and knowledge to improve my body. So, here’s what I’m going to do:

1. EAT CLEAN

I will eat clean, wholesome, unprocessed foods with one cheat meal a week where I will eat whatever I want. This is what works best for me, my body loves and needs good, clean foods and my sanity and social life need a cheat meal to help me keep on track and not force me into becoming a hermit. I find it easiest when I have a meal plan and I shall be writing my own. I know how to eat healthily, I know what I like to eat and I know what I can afford, so I’m taking charge.
P.S. Don’t worry if you’re just starting out, or are not sure how to eat healthily. I want YOU to know that eating healthy isn't about being PERFECT. It's not an all or nothing deal.

2. SWEAT IT OUT

Whilst you can lose weight by eating healthily alone, you can’t get a sculpted, toned or fit body without working it out. Up until this point I have been focusing on toning up whenever I workout. Now, I am going to focus on building muscle. I want to maintain what I have worked hard to get to but I would like to shed the layer of fat that I accumulated over the holidays while shaping and building my muscles. In essence I want to turn my body into a lean machine! I will be upping my weight training from practically zero, to 3-4 times a week to start off with, whilst still doing cardio and body weight strength training, focusing on increasing my strength.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO MY EMOTIONS

I have allowed my emotions to control my head and used them as an excuse when I ate badly. “I feel tired, I need a sugar hit”, “I feel like crap, so I'm not going to workout tonight”, “I can’t be bothered to cook, let me order takeout”. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like this sometimes. But, eating the right foods will give us consistent energy throughout the day, working out will give us endorphins and being prepared with healthy, nutritious foods will ensure we won’t reach for the takeout. I am going to work on getting the balance right so that a genuine want takes the place of a craving.

4. BLOG!

I started this blog as a way of tracking my progress, keeping me accountable and sharing what I learn with you beautiful people. However, I am not a hypocrite so I will never blog about nutritious smoothies and salads whilst I’m eating a greasy pizza. I believe in practice what you preach. On top of that I work a full time job and blog as a hobby and often find I don’t have the time to blog. However, just as I make time to workout, to cook and to see friends, I can make time to blog. Besides, sharing my progress with you guys will keep me on track and help me to feel like I’m not doing this alone.

So there we have it, I may currently not be in the best shape I've been in ever but I'm certainly not in the worst shape I've ever been in. I am finally ready to stop leaning on the self-destruct button and become the best I have ever been. What are your goals/plans for 2015?

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The first day of a new year is special yet it holds no magic.  We resolve to be better, do better, and wake up tired and, often, hungover.  We commit to healthier lives on December 31st and spend the evening having fun, but not truly being kind to our bodies, and we find ourselves at IHOP for a New Years brunch nursing a raging headache.  

The first day of this new year is special.  It truly is.  We dedicate this year as our year.  We will be healthier.  We will be happier.  We will get out of debt, make more time for family, finally do a mud run, volunteer more, lose twenty pounds, be nicer to people, quit smoking.  We will make it happen this year.  After nearly two months of taking an extra cookie, having that third glass of eggnog, skipping that workout, we are ready to take charge and make real changes.

You should always have goals.  You should always keep your dreams close.  Resolutions are critical to improving ourselves.  It's true that most people will not keep their resolution.  We make the same resolutions year after year without ever succeeding.  We continue to make those same goals because they mean something to us.  We truly want these changes in our lives and yet, we continue to fall short.

I've had the same resolution for years and then in 2014 I made a specific and manageable goal.  A target I knew that I could easily hit.  This goal, be positive every day, was easy.  I'm not much of a Debbie Downer but there were times, a bad day, someone cut you off, etc. that it was tempting to just see the negative. I didn't, though. I made it 365 days being positive about something. What I found is that there is ALWAYS something to be POSITIVE about and it makes me a better person. I have other goals that I want to achieve.  However, now they seem a bit more accessible because I've actually kept a New Years Resolution from start to finish.  

Yet it holds no magic.  January 1st is just another day.  It is a day when plans are made and goals are set but the day is still only a day.  I woke up this morning later than I wanted, sore from yoga class, and puffy from a sodium rich dinner.  My house still needs cleaning, the trash still needs to go out, the litter box still needs to be scooped, and the fridge is empty.  Nothing in our life changes so drastically from December to January that makes this day any different from another. Yet, we expect amazing things to happen today.  We expect to wake up and feel better.  We expect that we'll actually want to get the juicer out of storage and give our bodies amazing food.  We expect to be happier... but it's just another day.  

Debbier Downer, right?  Not at all.  We are responsible for everything that happens in our lives.  We are responsible for filling the fridge with food, we are responsible for cleaning the house, we are responsible for making our resolutions, and YOU are responsible for achieving it!  There is nothing magical about January 1st aside from it being the ultimate Monday.  I'll start on Monday, we always say.  Well, here's your Monday.  It's the Ultimate Monday.

If your goal is to get fit, then go to the gym, pop in a video, and workout!  If your goal is to eat better, pick up an apple.  If your goal is financial, be it getting out of debt, paying off a car, or anything else money related, get on the phone with your bank and creditors now.  Making a resolution is great but you must take the next step.  Be present in the process.  Don't sit back and wish it would get better. Actively make the change.  And remember, there will be problems.  You will make mistakes.  It will be hard at times.  If it were easy you would have done it already.  Stay positive.  You've got 365 days to make 2015 absolutely amazing.  Start today and be proud of the changes you make.  Take responsibility and be the best you that you can be.  Happy New Year!!