New Year's Resolutions



"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." ~Maya Angelou 


Now that we are officially three months into 2011(can you believe it?!?), it is the perfect time to check in on the progress we've made on those resolutions. I usually have a list of 10 intentions for the new year, but this year I decided to try something different. I decided to focus on one or two things each month, whether it be improving or trying something new. January went great, as it usually does. I was inspired and ready! Bring. It. On. I challenged myself to practice 3-4 days of yoga each week and drink green smoothies and fresh vegetable/fruit blends most days of the week. I worked really hard on yoga for a month and drank green smoothies almost every morning, which I discovered I LOVE! Then somehow February snuck up on me and the fire fizzled a bit. I was off to South Dakota to visit family, then it was Valentine's day (which brings chocolate, lots of chocolate), then girl scout cookies arrived (I ordered a few boxes from my co-workers niece, then ended up with a few from my cousins and a few more boxes from my sister-in-law)...you know, the usual tempters that cause you to sneak off that health wagon. But no excuses, it is March now and time for me to jump back on! Sometimes it is tempting to give up after a few bumps, but please don't. We have the power to accomplish anything we desire. Whatever it is you are working towards, you deserve it. If you've failed a few times already, start over. We only have today.

Since my move to Seattle last July, the pounds have slowly snuck up on me. I've thoroughly enjoyed trying new restaurants, finishing everything on my plate, not always choosing the healthiest option, ordering desserts and trying new beers/wines.  All of this is ok in moderation, but throw not working out into the mix and I am bound to gain weight. Oh and did I mention I started baking again? I enjoy nothing more than baking on rainy afternoons.  But having plates of cookies, brownies, quick breads and cupcakes around is extremely dangerous, for I have an incurable sweet tooth. To top it off, my hubby isn't much of a "sweets" guy so this leaves more for me and somebody has to eat all those morsels before they go bad, right?? Time to ♪check myself before I wreck myself♪ :)

When I was in college for dietetics, we had to practice the diets that we would be advising our patients to follow. We had to count carbohydrates so we would understand what we were asking of diabetics, eat 1200 calories a day for those needing to lose weight (the worst), $5/day for low income families (extremely challenging), heart healthy, gluten-free, etc. Lately, there has been a lot of buzz around Weight Watchers and I realized I have no idea how it works. A lot of people turn to this program and I decided I wanted to understand it. For the next 3-months I will be trying to follow their plan.  It has already proven to be a bit challenging for me to switch my thinking (calories, protein and fat to "points") but so far I think it is a great program. I love being able to add my own products and having the freedom to create my own recipes. I'm not sure if I can keep up with it perfectly for three months (or even a month for that matter) but I am going to try. Thus far, I've learned 29 points allows for a lot less food than I would normally eat. I have found myself hungry and wanting to come more than my allowed points. Luckily, they add in those weekly bonus points which average out to about 7 extra points a day. These lovely points allowed me to have that 5 oz glass of red wine and 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate chips the other night. :)

Another focus this month is finding a volunteer position. I was going to do "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" but the supervisor told me it could take up to 3 months to find a match and it is a big commitment (at least one year, preferably two). Plus, they don't typically have a lot of kids from my area. In the past I've learned that in order for me to keep up with something, it has to be close. Therefore I'm looking into the YMCA which is only one mile away from our house. Plus, it relates more to my degree. They offer cooking classes for families and sports camps for kids. I would love getting involved in both of these areas. I left a voice mail with the volunteer coordinator and will hopefully hear back from them soon.

Alright, it's Friday and I got paid today. It is time to get out of the house with my pup and get some much needed grocery shopping in before I head back to work for the weekend. Enjoy the simple things....

"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone. Do not be troubled by the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."