2015 Goals Series: Reach my Goal Weight

This post is part of the 2015 Goals Series, where I'll share my goals for the year, why they are important to me, and how I plan to accomplish them. You can follow along here.

inspiredhomefitness

Hi there!  Thanks for joining me for part three of the 2015 Goals Series.

So far I have shared a summary of my goals for 2015, and focused on my goal to blog here every day. Today I want to look at another one of my goals:  to reach my goal weight by the end of the year.

I'm sure this is on the minds of many at the beginning of the new year.  Frankly, losing weight has probably been on my goal or resolution list every year of my adult life.  I think it is an admirable goal.  I think everyone should strive to be as healthy and fit as they can.  It just helps you enjoy life more.

I have been slightly overweight for most of my adult life.  It all probably began when I got my first job, had my own money, and started ordering from Domino's Pizza.  Oh, the freedom!  My weight began to increase slowly, and I didn't really pay attention, other than occasionally needing to go up a size in my jeans.  Amazingly, that did not sound any alarm bells for me.  

My need to lose weight and get healthy culminated near the end of 2010.  I was at my heaviest, unhealthiest, and unhappiest.  I was close to 250 lbs. (I'm 5'8" in my head, and 5'7" in the doctor's office), but most troublesome to me was my declining health.  Suddenly I was on several prescription medications, my knees were giving me problems, and I was seeing a cardiologist.  I had enough trouble dealing with my dress size of 20, but I was not ready to start feeling old at 45.

So in 2011, I started researching gastric bypass surgery.  My brother had gone through it a few years before, with great results.  My husband went through it the year before.  I knew the ins and outs of the surgery, but I wanted to make sure it was right for me.

Towards the end of 2011 I made the decision to move forward with the surgery, and in March 2012 it was done.  Fast forward to today -- I'm 40 lbs. lighter (I was down 55 lbs., but have gained some back) and am definitely healthier (no longer on prescription meds, heart is fine, but the knees still click and creak).  But, I want to lose the 15 lbs. I've gained back, plus another 25 lbs. or so to get to my goal weight.

So, one of my goals for 2015 is to reach my goal weight of 165 lbs by the end of this year.  It's important to me because I want to be healthier, happier, and more confident.  I think they are the cliche reasons, but they really ring true for me.

How am I going to do this?  I'm so glad you asked!  Here's my plan for achieving my goal:

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. 
• Weight myself every Sunday and keep a record to make sure I am on track.
• Avoid fast food and fried foods and limit sweets.  All of these are my weakness.  :(
• Use Fitbit to monitor activity, food, and water intake.

I'm most excited about my new Fitbit, and will be doing a review on it in the coming weeks.  It's proving to be oh so helpful so far, even on day three of my journey.  I'm really excited and motivated, and am really confident that I will easily meet this goal.  Sharing my progress here for all the internet to see doesn't hurt, either.  

Do you have any weight loss or fitness goals this year?  What are you doing to stay motivated?

I appreciate that you stopped by to check in with me.  You're awesome!

2015 Goals Series: Daily Blogging

This post is part of the 2015 Goals Series, where I'll share my goals for the year, why they are important to me, and how I plan to accomplish them. You can follow along here.

Kristina B

Hi there!  Thanks for joining me as we continue with my 2015 Goals Series.  

Yesterday we started with my reasons for setting goals for 2015 in the first place, and shared a little bit about what hasn't worked for me in the past.  For the next several days, we'll explore each goal individually.  

Today we'll delve into my goal to publish a daily blog post.

I've had this blog for a long time -- since April 17, 2010.  There have been several attempts like this one to jump start the blog, but over the past four years I have published only 89 posts.  I immediately start to chastise myself for that, but no more.  This is a new beginning, and you know I love new beginnings!

In order to really solidify this goal, I took some time to really think about why it is important to me. Why do I feel the need to publish a blog post every single day?  The answers to that are pretty clear to me now.  

I want to develop the habit of writing every day.  

I want my Muse to know that when I sit down with my laptop and cup of something hot, I mean business and am ready to work.  If I leave a day or more in between writings, then that just leaves the door open for skipping another day, and then another day, and then before I know it a month has gone by.  They say that it takes 21 days two to eight months to develop a habit.  If I'm able to keep the daily writing thing going for twelve months, I should be set!

I want to practice the craft of writing.  

As you saw in yesterday's summary, another one of my goals is to finish writing my novel.  These days I can't even pretend to put together any kind of coherent story, because I'm so dreadfully out of practice.  Writing every day, even if it's not related to my novel, will eventually prepare me for getting back to my novel.  Practice makes perfect!

I want to share my knowledge with others.

I have learned a little about a lot of things in my forty-plus years on this Earth.  A lot of what I have learned has come from the internet.  I really love to share what I know, and if the information I have to offer can help just one person, I will be a very happy girl!

Finally, I want to build a community.

I'm not the only one who has learned a little about a lot of things.  We all have, and we all have information to share and contributions to make.  I would love to build an online community of friends who are interested in similar things.  It will be hard to resist all of the growing and sharing!

My plan for accomplishing this goal is pretty simple.  I'm going to write here every day.  Don't worry, I'll work hard to provide interesting content, although I hope you'll forgive me for the occasional meaningless ramble thrown into the mix.  I do have an extensive list of posts and topics under my belt, which is great news!  I will try to develop a bit of a schedule so you'll know what to expect and when, but that won't be written in stone.  I believe it's good to shake things up once in a while!

So, there you have it.  I'm really excited about starting out fresh, and I'm feeling really motivated. And this is post number three under my belt.  Only 362 to go!

How many of you have a blog?  Do you have any tips for keeping up the momentum?

Thanks for reading. :)

2015 Goals Series: A Summary

This post is part of the 2015 Goals Series, where I'll share my goals for the year, why they are important to me, and how I plan to accomplish them.  You can follow along here.

angietorres

I am so happy to be writing this post.  I'm happy because this year I made the choice to think about the things I want to accomplish, and then was motivated to actually write them down.  This time last year -- not so much.

First I'll go back to 2013.  In 2013, I made grand plans for my annual goals.  They were well thought out, and well planned, and I had good intentions.  Very good intentions.  But something happened.  I don't even know what.  I let life get in the way, I guess.  I didn't stand up for what I wanted to do, and I didn't protect the time I needed to do it.  That's not to say that anyone stopped me.  That was all my doing.  I got lazy.  And then I got busy.  And then I was motivated, but too busy to catch up.  And then I was depressed because I couldn't catch up.  And then, I just gave up.

So last year, in 2014, I decided to take a different approach, and did not plan out what I wanted to accomplish.  I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself.  I had become quite busy with work and family and all of the stuff that goes with it.  I didn't want 2014 to end the way 2013 did -- me feeling depressed and sorry for myself because I had not accomplished anything.  So I figured I would just let things happen.  I had an idea of what I would like to do (like, everything on my list from 2013, and then some), but I told myself I would just fit it in when I could.  You know, when things slowed down, or when I found some spare time.  Well that just didn't work at all.

I've always know that I am a list-oriented type of worker.  Ask my husband.  The two of us grocery shopping together always ends up with someone getting mad (usually, that would be me).  When I shop, I have to have a list, in order by store sections, and I cross items off the list as I go along.  If it's not on the list, it doesn't exist.  My husband, on the other hand, prefers to just zip all around, going here and there, picking up this and that... it drives me insane!

Lists provide order for me, and organization, and something to strive for, and something to cross off so I can see what I have accomplished.  I don't know why I ever thought I would complete any of my goals without having them written down.

That brings us to 2015:  a fresh new start.  I love fresh new starts!  It didn't take me long to prepare my list of things to do this year.  They've been up in my head, poking at me and nagging me for two years!  And this time, I decided to share them with you, just for an extra dose of accountability.

So, without further ado, here are my goals for 2015:

• Reach my goal weight
• Read twelve books
• Finish writing my novel
• Publish a daily blog post
• Declutter our home
• Regularly maintain our household
• Develop a consistent meditation practice

In this "2015 Goals Series," I'll go into detail for each goal.  I'll explain why I want to accomplish it, and share my plan for how I will accomplish it.  I'll also post a monthly review of how I'm doing, so you can follow along as I'm being the most productive I've ever been.  It'll be fun, I promise!

Do you have any goals or resolutions for the coming year?  If you do, I'd love to hear about them. Please share them in the comments below, so we can cheer each other on!

Here's to a productive and fulfilling year ahead.  Let's get this party started!

Happy New Year 2015!

nicolebeaulac

Hello again, and Happy New Year!

Can you believe it's 2015 already? It seems like Halloween was just yesterday. Our poor Christmas decorations haven't even had a chance to get warm! Time flies by faster each year.

Our New Year's Day has been relatively quiet and relaxing. We all slept until 9:00am (it was much needed, and delightful), did a little shopping, and watched college football. John and I made a commitment to fitness by purchasing Fitbits, so once we got them configured and working properly, we went out for a thirty-minute walk. That was a huge accomplishment for us!

The rest of the evening will be quiet as well. The husband and daughters are on their laptops playing various games, and I am fine-tuning my goals. I'm feeling more motivated than I did this past year, so I'm taking that as a good sign that I might actually accomplish something!

One of those goals is to be more present here on the blog. I have lots of plans for this space, including sharing my goals, and reporting on my progress on a regular basis. That will help me hold myself accountable, but I hope it will also help someone out there follow their own dreams and accomplish great things!

Well, that's it for now. I hope you have a very happy and healthy 2015!

Why Spring and Summer Are Not My Favorite Times of the Year

ganzoman

Almost everyone who knows me is aware of my love for Autumn and Winter.  I'm well-known for my "snow dance" that begins late in the Fall, and my constant tracking of any Winter weather that even hints at stopping at my doorstep. 

It's also true that I love the change into all of the seasons.  The transition from Summer to Fall is my most favorite, because we get some relief from the hot and humid days, and it's the coming of the cold, holiday season. Fall to Winter, as I've said, brings the chance of Winter weather.  It also brings my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Winter to Spring brings fleeting relief from the cold and dreary days and the possibility of me being warm.  Spring to Summer is not much of a transition in my neck of the woods, as they are very similar as far as temperature goes, but I do like the change of scenery -- trees are fully dressed in their grown-up leaves, and the pollen is gone.

For the most part, though, Spring and Summer are my least favorite seasons.  Here's why:

1. I don't like pastel colors.  They're all over the place in the Spring -- in Easter baskets, in fashion, and in cosmetics.  Blech.
2. I don't like showing so much skin.  It's not a body image thing, or a religious thing.  I just don't like it.  If I could get away with it, I would wear sweaters and turtlenecks year round.  I'm uncomfortable in my bare arms and blinding white skin.
3. I don't like bugs.  They bug me.  (See what I did there?  :) )  I can't enjoy sitting outside in the evenings without being pestered by mosquitoes.  And being outside during the day means dealing with ticks and gnats and wasps and bees.
4. I don't like to sweat.  Yes, I adore being warm, but there's a fine line between being snuggly warm and dripping with smelly sweat.  And I don't like crossing that line.

Yes, there are things that I do like about Spring and Summer, but for the most part, I don't enjoy them.  I've already begun my countdown to Autumn 2014.  It's on September 23 -- 153 more days -- in case you're wondering.  :)

Do you have a favorite season?  What do you like most about it? 

Until next time, be well.

What I Learned During My Facebook Sabbatical

the.comedian

Hi there!  Happy Easter!  I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying your Easter weekend.

This day means several things to me: 

1. It's a day to celebrate our Risen Lord, and to be eternally thankful for his greatest sacrifice.
2. This day symbolically means (for me) the beginning of the Spring/Summer season.  It's not my favorite time of year, but that's for another blog post.
3. This year, today is the end of my sabbatical from Facebook.

This post is to reflect on my time away from Facebook, and share some of the things I have learned.

First, full disclosure:  I did visit Facebook four times during my time away.  Three times to wish loved ones a happy birthday, and once to accept a friend request and look at the photos of her sweet baby boy.  Each of those times, though, I quickly did what I intended to do, and did not stray to look at my wall or any other posts.

Now, on to what I learned!

Most importantly, I didn't really miss it all that much.

Sure, there were times when I missed checking in with some friends to find out how they were doing and what they were up to.  And during the first few days, I had to stop myself from the habit of opening Facebook first thing in the morning.  But after the first week or so, I didn't really think about it.  Instead, I wrote in my journal, or read my favorite blogs or books, or read the news.


I CAN do something for more than seven days!

The second and most amazing thing I learned is that if I focus hard enough, I CAN do something for more than seven days!  I have always believed that I have a very short attention span, and that belief was based on facts.  I almost always lose interest in things after a few days.  There are many examples of this, but the one I like to regurgitate most often is the fact that I've never been able to use the teeth-whitening strips for more than seven days.  (If I'm honest, I've never been able to use them for more than three days!)  But here's the thing:  Your mind will do whatever you tell it to do!  If you tell your mind that you can't do something for more than seven days, well, your mind will abide by your wishes and not let you do something for more than seven days!  It's quite amazing, really.  In the case of my Facebook sabbatical, I told myself that I would stay away for 40 days, and I meant it.  It was important to me that I follow through with it.  (The fact that I posted on Facebook that I would be away for 40 days helped tremendously.  I had to be accountable!)  And because of my determination, I was able to do it without too much difficulty.

Go inward, share less.

Those who follow me on Facebook know that I've been going through some hormonal challenges.  And the reason they know that is because I've shared my hormonal outbursts on Facebook!  That's not cool.  There are some things that should not be put out there on the internet.  What I have learned (or was reminded of, really, because I already knew it) is that going inward in meditation is much more healthy than spreading grievances outward.  Going inward and reflecting on what I'm experiencing helps me to eventually deal with it, and learn about myself.  Going outward just makes me look like an ass.

Intimate relationships are more valuable than superficial relationships.

I don't mean to say that I consider my Facebook friendships to be superficial.  I value that reconnection with old school mates and work mates.  I love reading snippets of their lives, and seeing pictures of their families and adventures.  But there's a lot to be said about spending time with human beings face to face.  There's so much more to be learned from that intimate interaction than from reading status updates.

It's good to take a break.

The definition of addiction is "the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity."  Before my sabbatical, I believe I had become addicted to Facebook.  I say that with all seriousness.  Facebook had become the first thing I thought about when I woke up in the morning, and the last thing I thought about before going to bed.  I felt the need to share every aspect of my life with my Facebook audience.  I no longer took the time to experience life through my own eyes, but instead focused on how to share the moments with my friends and followers.  Not cool, people.  Our life moments go by in a flash.  If we don't take them in and let them give us joy and knowledge, we are missing out, for sure. 

It's more fun to live my own life than to read about others'.

The last major lesson I learned, but certainly not the least meaningful, is that it's much more fun to live my own life than to read about the lives of others.  I had started to become envious of my friends.  They were having much more fun than I was.  Why couldn't my life be as cool as theirs?  Well, folks, I answered my own question.  I had to get my nose out of the Facebook community to realize that my life can be fun and cool and meaningful if I just live it.  Just LIVE IT!

I am really proud of taking the initiative to step away from Facebook for forty whole days.  It sounds simple enough, but it wasn't until I took that time off that I realized how it had consumed my life in more ways than I realized. 

I'll be rejoining the Facebook community today, after I upload this post.  But my time there will be purposefully limited.  I don't want to fall back into old habits.  There's too much to be done in this life; too much to be experienced.  I'm going to take in every moment that I can!

Until next time, be well.

On the Words That Wouldn't Come

Sharon Drummond

This is how blogging, or writing in general, has been working for me:

Voice in head:  "Oh wow, I just thought of a great idea!  I'll bet others would be interested to know this!  I'm going to write about it."

Five days later (because I totally ROCK at procrastination)...  sits down to write post...

Voice in head:  "That is the dumbest idea I've ever heard.  Why do you think people would want to read that?  Just give up already."

This has been my writing life for so many years, including tonight. 

I can remember the days when I couldn't write or type fast enough to get all of the words out of my head.  And they were good words, in my humble opinion.  Certainly better than anything I've written lately.  And I didn't even have to try.  The words flowed like a river clear of any boulders or tree roots to hamper the path. 

These days it's hard to even form the words in my head, and those words that do form just don't want to come.  They are very stubborn words.

I think part of the problem is that I try to write for other people instead of myself.  I am constantly thinking about what others will think when they read what I've written.  I wonder what they will think about my words, and what they will think about me.  Even my journaling has succumbed to those thoughts.  So, now the words don't want to come, for fear of being judged or ridiculed or ignored altogether.  I don't blame them, really.  That's a horribly harsh environment for such fragile little words.

So, you can consider this blog post to be a sheet of lined notebook paper containing a few handwritten words, crumpled up into a tight ball and tossed at the trashcan.  (It lands just short of the trashcan just to mock me.)  I could just delete what I've written here, but I think I will leave it.  This is, after all, my personal blog, and I want it to be a chronicle of the hard, frustrating times of my writing life.  Because once that first novel is published and displayed in bookstore windows, I'll think back to days like this and just laugh and laugh...

Until next time, be well.