Strong Resolve

I have learned not to tussle with new year’s resolutions. We are rarely ever able to keep them, and they usually involve challenging ourselves to make changes that are so unrealistic or so large that they are unsustainable. That being said, last January I started this blog and resolved to live a healthier lifestyle; not just to lose weight and become skinnier, or to go on some diet that I would quit after two weeks, but to be and feel healthier, through small, long-term changes to the way I live my life. While being fit is a journey that truly has no end, this is how I decided I would measure my success at being fit and healthy back on January 2nd:

I want to be fit and healthy, but what does that mean to me? It means:

• I don’t get winded climbing the stairs to my office or running around fixing IT problems
• I can bend over to put my shoes on without cutting off my air supply
• I can finish a 5k in less than an hour
• I can at least fit in the dress I wore on my anniversary last year
• I can fit in the pants I wore when I started dating my husband 🙂

I can proudly say that after running another half marathon, going to the gym over 166 times, burning over 63,188 calories, running five 5ks and improving my time with each one, coming in second place for a fitness challenge and then in first place for another, and eating way more healthy meals cooked at home that I have in previous years (I even reduced the amount of money we spent on dining out – sweet!), I have accomplished everything on that checklist! (Except for fitting into those pants – they are tiny! I’m not sure that I will ever be there, LOL.)

What does that mean for this year? It means I need to define some new measurements of success for 2014. Aside from generally feeling healthier (more energy, more strength), it helps to have some way to keep yourself in check, or to at least have some goals to work toward. And it’s important that the goals be attainable and require just a bit more effort than what you are already putting in.

Being fit in healthy in 2014 means:

• Doing more regular pushups at the gym – no more knees!
• Improving my 5k time to less than a half hour (just under 10min/mile)
• Finishing the Spartan Sprint without having to do burpees for more than a couple of obstacles that I can’t complete (this one could be tricky…)
• Going down a pants size (no more being stuck in a size that requires a belt because the next size down is too tight!)
• Eating out even less & having more options on hand for the nights we are feeling lazy (time to revitalize the Take Out Tokens)
• Bonus: being able to do ONE pull-up

Are these goals attainable? Absolutely! Continuing to go to the gym 4-6 days a week as I have been (and pushing myself harder through the laziness that comes with summer fatigue and the holidays), as well as continuing to plan healthy weekly menus in advance (you can see my menus as they change week-to-week on my Pinterest) will keep me on track. Will I slip up? Definitely. I am not immune to bouts of sadness, de-motivation, exhaustion, etc… But that doesn’t mean I won’t work hard to stay focused on being the healthiest I have ever been.

In 2013, I managed to go to the gym from May through August, a time when I have historically given up completely and gained a ton of weight. In 2012 alone, I gained TWENTY POUNDS during those months, which I am still trying to shed (though I do focus on body fat percentage and not on weight as measurement of my progress). This was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I didn’t go as often as I wish I had, and we got a bit lazy in December (only partly due to my busier work schedule). But that leaves me room to improve in 2013.

How did you measure success for your fitness journey in 2013? How will you measure it for 2014? As you consider these questions, don’t dare put “go on a diet”  or “go to the gym” as absolutes on your list – this is practically planning to fail. Instead, challenge yourself to some attainable goals such as running your first 5k, improving your 5k time or running a longer distance race. Challenge yourself to go on a difficult hike you’ve never attempted before. Make it a goal to bring lunch to work at least 3 days a week. And set goals that have nothing to do with improving your fitness, but instead are for enriching your life (read more books, volunteer in the community, etc…). Work on your bucket list and pick a few things you think you can achieve in 2014.

Or maybe, challenge yourself to do nothing at all but make better choices for yourself in the next year. We are always improving, always reaching to make ourselves better. This will happen with or without “resolutions”.

Thanks for following me in 2013. I hope you’ve enjoyed my journaling, my advice, and my recipes. I hope you’ll stick with me in 2014, too.