2011 looms in the very near future and with it comes a myriad of changes. Two years ago, it was an impending wedding and graduation of my oldest child. This year, it's my own graduation, both kids graduation, a memorial run for a dearly departed friend, and a year without band commitments.
In November, I embarked on an elimination diet to try to get my body back in some semblance of working order after severely damaging it at my aforementioned friend's wake. After 2 1/2 weeks, I felt fabulous and although I felt like I lived in the kitchen, I had no complaints about completely changing the way I prepare and eat my food. However... US Thanksgiving rolled in, and then about half a dozen other celebrations of food and alcohol, and I am now almost exactly back where I was at the beginning of November. The one thing I have going for me this time is that I have been fairly consistent about my running, if nothing else.
Today is Wednesday, December 29th and I have 3 days to get my plan together and in place, ready to go by Sunday January 2nd. I do know this: January 1 and 2 will be dedicated to prepping for school and doing an intense "cleanse" of some kind. I have been suggested a gall bladder and liver cleanse by one, and I also have a 2 day smoothie cleanse I'm looking at.
For now, these are my fitness/health goals for the coming season(s) (because a year is just too much to plan for at this point in my life!):
- Lose 15 lbs (which will simply be a byproduct of all these other goals, but it is a goal in and of itself, so I post it) and keep it off.
- Train and run 2 5ks and a 10k - The first of these (the 5k) will be in March, I believe. The 10k is in the summer (the memorial run for Mahala)
- Cut out alcohol and sugar from 90% of my diet - This should be much easier now that I'm not in a band that gets free liquor everywhere they play ... So, you know, no more than 2 glasses of wine when out with friends, and then only twice a month AT THE MOST!!
- Streeeeeetch 5x a week - one of the things I have missed most in the last 2 months is my daily morning yoga and my weekly, intensive yoga class with the fabulous Heather Turner.
- Strength training 2x a week - I know it's crazy, but we got a shake-weight as a gag gift this holiday season, but I'm actually going to try using it from time to time. It's only 6 minutes... add on 5 minutes of ab work and you have a strength training session right there - see how easy that is?!
