It's All About Goals

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I'm happy to say that I did not gain any weight over the holiday. But to be honest, I was a little afraid to get on the scale and I put it off for a few days. I exercised the whole time I was gone for Thanksgiving (except for a couple days when I was at my parent's house). One morning I even got up early and went for a walk by myself. I watched my portions and only had a small bite of dessert on Thanksgiving day. I did, however, have two pieces of birthday cake. It's kinda difficult not to when your daughter has two birthday parties! Ha! But each time, I made the allowance by watching what I ate the rest of the day. I did not feel deprived at all. I thoroughly enjoyed my daughter's birthday parties and Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends. But as much as you watch what you eat and try to make the best choices, it's always harder to stay true to your eating habits when you are at the mercy of someone else's cooking and have to eat out way more than normal. And that is why I was apprehensive.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to re-evaluate and set some new goals. If you remember, my first goal was to lose 30 pounds and I've done that, plus I've lost another two pounds. I've been thinking about not only how much weight I want to lose but other areas that need focus as well. Here is what I've come up with...

Long-term goal - lose 30 pounds by April 30 (my 29th birthday). It took me six months to lose the first 30 and I want to try to lose the next 30 in only five months. I had some setbacks in September and the first part of October and that kept me from reaching my goal sooner. Once I reach this goal, I will have to evaluate my body and see how much more weight I need to realistically lose. I'm guessing anywhere from another 7-12 pounds.


Short-term goals - 


1. To lose another 5 pounds by the end of the year. 
2. To have lost a total of 12 pounds by Valentine's Day. A loss of 12 pounds will put me at the exact weight I was when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter.
3. To start back strength training at the gym. I had to stop when I broke my finger. I've been hesitant to start back since my finger still bothers me. The specialist said it could be up to a year before I no longer have pain in it. It's time to get over it and get my body where it needs to be. 
4. To work on my tummy, most specifically my abdomen area where I was cut for the C-section. They have to cut through muscle so that area needs a LOT of strengthening. 
5. To get more consistent with my running and to run another 5K before my birthday.


Can I say, that it feels so good knowing that this year is almost over and I'm nowhere near the person I was at the beginning of 2011? I can't remember how many years that I made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight only to have fizzled out before February. This year, I didn't make a resolution. I made a lifestyle change. I have to constantly decide to be healthy, to work hard, to eat right, to exercise self-control. As my friend Clara has said, "it's a slippery slope." Check her blog often. I know she's supposed to be doing a post on that very subject!

Here's to meeting old goals and making new ones!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica