Goodbye 2011 - Hello 2012! :)

As this year comes to a close, I am doing what I and probably many people do on this day.... Reflecting and thinking about what I can do differently this year to improve myself, my relationships, and my life. 2011 has been a difficult year for me and I want to do better. Since my mom moved back here in July, I have just been trying to make it through each day and do the things that I need to do. I have lost some of my overall optimism about life over the past few years and I have been disappointed about where I currently am in my life. That being said, I can either continue to be sad, depressed, and unmotivated or I can DO SOMETHING! I choose to DO SOMETHING!! Several things actually.  I am going to focus on myself and my goals. That doesn't mean that I will ignore others - the opposite actually. I thrive when I have other people involved in my life, which is why I invited you all to join in to read my blog, which hopefully won't be too boring! :) It's because I love all of you that I want you to be part of my transformation or getting back to myself. You have all been there for me at different times offering support, guidance, or just a listening ear. (Sometimes questioning me to death (peach pit)! LOL Anyway, I just want to thank all of you for being there for me and for being such important parts of my life!

Anyway, I digress - As I mentioned above, I am focusing on myself and part of that includes spending time with those who are close to me. I know I say it all the time, but I really want to make more time to spend with all of you. That may include incorporating my fitness goals into our get-togethers, so BEEEE READY! :)

OK, So this blog is about food, finances, and fitness. I have been doing lots of bad things in all of these categories to get it all out of my system. LOL. I have been eating cookies and drinking egg-nog(spiked) and I have been getting all of my non-essential spending out of the way! :)  Here is another way I will be incorporating all of you into my finance goal. If we get together at a restaurant, it will need to be at a place where I have a gift card (But I have several options! :)).  My fitness regiment has not been very good this past week either due to the dreaded stomach bug that knocked me out for 2 1/2 days. So, I will start back at boot camp on Monday and will strive to go all three days! Wish me luck! I am starting out the new year with a 3.5 mile run at SUNY (not the 13.1 miles I did last year). I am going with slow and steady to ensure progress, rather than severe soreness.

 I have a half-marathon coming up on March 17th so I just checked out the Hal Higdon training program. The timetable is for a 12-week training program. Turns out that I have just 11-weeks, so I will jump to week two. Here it is:

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Stretch & Strengthen

3 m run

30 min tempo

3 m run + strength

Rest

3 m pace

6 m run

So, my boot-camp on Monday will take care of the strengthen part so I just need to do some stretching on my own, which can be difficult for me. I will keep you posted on my progress! See you all next year! Happy New Year!

Food, Fitness & Finances: Goals 2012

Food, Fitness & Finances: Goals 2012: Welcome to the first entry of my blog! I thought this would be a great way to help me work on my goals for 2012. I named my blog Food, Fitne...

Goals 2012

Welcome to the first entry of my blog! I thought this would be a great way to help me work on my goals for 2012. I named my blog Food, Fitness, and Finance because these are the things that I have the most difficulty with on a daily basis. I exercise, but it is very sporadic and I would like to develop more consistency in this endeavor.  I would like to say I eat healthy, but most of the time I eat on the run and don't make the wisest choices.  I am hoping to change this in 2012. :) Finally, I have difficulty managing my finances and at times spend money on frivolous things or going out to eat, etc. I'm sure that I am not alone in any of these things.  So, what is my plan for change?

1. Fitness - I have joined Fit Boot Camp which meets 3 times per week at 5:30 in the morning.  I started last week and attended one time.  This week, I attended two times.  Next week there is no boot camp on Monday, so I will attend two times and the following week......3 times! I need to develop the consistency.  In addition to boot camp, I will participate in at least one run. Next on the list is to develop a consistent running schedule in order to train properly for the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in D.C. at the end of March with my friend Belynda! :)

2. Finances - This is a difficult area for me in many ways.  I have difficulty keeping track of all my records so things are everywhere! Part of the plan is to organize this system (ha ha ha).  The other difficulty lies in my spending habits. I often spend now and worry about it later.  Starting on January 1st, I am putting myself on a budget (such a dirty word).  I plan to gather together all of my gift cards that I have accumulated or just received and use them sparingly.  I am also going to try to be very careful about any money that I spend and challenge myself to stretch my dollars and be creative.  The gift cards that I have available at this point are as follows: $100 Visa gift card, $20 Panera, $20 Applebees, $20 Dunkin Donuts, $5 Dunkin Donuts, $10 Dunkin Donuts, $20 Target. Also, 2-$20 Groupons for Homestyle Pizza, $40 for Melting Pot.  Let's see how long I can s-t-r-e-t-c-h these gift cards! :)

3. Food - This is probably the most difficult one of the three F's for me.  I LOVE sweets and I LOVE chips and dips and snacks! I also love healthy foods, fruits, and veggies. I travel in my car for my job, so I am often on the go and it is usually quicker and easier to grab something from a fast-food place.  I need to discipline myself to make my lunch on a daily basis so that I can include healthier food choices.  I have been better about making and eating breakfast at home since I need to make breakfast for my mom in the morning. That just leaves dinner, which I need to start eating at home as well.

That's all for today! I have outlined my goals and just need to continue working on all of them.  Wish me luck! :)