The Goals, The Wills, and The Won'ts... No New Year is Right Without Them

It's definitely that time of year.  The time that the ornaments are all put away, the house is cleaned up from the disaster fun that hit on Christmas Day, and the thoughts of new year resolutions and goals start to poke out their heads.

It's apparent just by walking in to all of the retail stores.  No longer do you see the pretty Christmas displays, oh no, they are replaced with work-out DVDs, exercise equipment, and weight loss aids.  The stores cash in this time of year....it's the one time of year you can find just about any weight loss accessory you've ever wanted. 

I, like many other people this time of year, are making a goal list.  Not a list of resolutions, because my goals are all related to the same thing:  Losing weight.  If you want to call that a resolution, fine, but everything that's coming with it are not resolutions.

I told you all yesterday that I plan on looking back at the girl I was last year.  The girl that lost over 60lbs.  The girl that went from a size 24 to a size 16.  The girl that put herself through a military style boot camp.  The girl that went from not being able to walk 15 minutes to a girl that ran two 5Ks.  The girl that I wasn't this year.  I also told you yesterday that even though this year has been a major flop in the weight loss department, I really needed the failure to make me realize how much I wanted to lose weight.  It also helped with creating the list of goals that I'm going to share with you now.  I learned a lot this year.  I learned a lot last year.  Now, I have the opportunity to put the two years together and mash them in to what will hopefully be the year that I fulfill my weight loss dreams.

So, without further ado, here are my goals for 2012:

• I want to lose a significant amount of weight
• I want to run two 5Ks - the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in April and the Cancer Challenge in July or August (can't remember when it is)
• I want to end the year in a size 12

That's it.  Those are the goals that I have for the year.  Of course, there's more to it than that... but those are the major goals I want to achieve in 2012.  You'll notice I said a significant amount of weight versus putting an actual number up there.  There's a reason for that, and I'll get to it here in a few.

In order to reach those goals there are things that I have to do.  I'm calling them The Wills. 

• I will eat healthy
• I will plan my meals each week
• I will exercise regularly
• I will learn to love strength training as much as I love cardio
• I will reward myself for my efforts and successes
• I will continue to blog daily about my successes and failures
• I will be honest with myself and everyone I share my successes and failures with

That's it.  Again, pretty simple right?  Now it's time to discuss the Won'ts.  The things I refuse to do because I've learned my lesson and they just didn't work for me.  These may surprise you a little, but stay with me...I'll explain.

• I will not set a goal amount of weight to lose
• I will not count calories
• I will not set any deadlines on my progress
• I will not be participating in any online weight loss challenges
• I will not be joining any gyms 
• I will not make any excuses
• I will not give up

Now that you've read my won'ts, are you a little confused?  Well, there are valid reasons I chose to list each one of these things. 

First, setting a goal weight is kind of setting myself up for failure.  Having a deadline or a certain amount to lose in a certain time frame causes stress - and then I start to feel like a failure if I don't reach that set goal.  I'd rather leave myself open, and bask in the successes - no matter how small they are. Second, I really don't have a set goal weight in mind anymore.  I'm not sure the exact weight in which I feel is best for me.  I don't know if I'll know when I get there - but having an open door makes a lot more sense.  Maybe I'll be happy when I get down to 150, maybe I'll be happy at 160, maybe I'll want more than that... I just don't know, and I'm not going to know until I start seeing the small progress.  Make sense?

The counting calories thing?  Well, if you've read my blog for a while - like over a year - you'll know that I have never liked counting calories or logging all of the food I've eaten.  Last year, I had the most success with planning my meals out in advance and sticking to that plan.  I planned based on a 1 protein: 2 carbs ratio that was introduced to me in boot camp.  I focused on portion control, and that worked for me.  As soon as I started logging all of my food and counting all of my calories, I started stressing....and I didn't like it.  Not happening this year.

In regards to the weight loss challenges and the gym....well, looking back on my history with both of those things I realized that they caused more harm than good.  No offense to the challenges, I loved participating - but it kind of works hand in hand with the deadline pressure.  Pretty much every online challenge I've participated in, I noticed that I finish weighing the same or more than when I first started.  Not sure why, but it's a trend I don't want to get wrapped up in for 2012.  If I'm participating in a challenge, I'm in a competition to lose the weight - and I don't want to feel that pressure.  The gym memberships were always great, at first, but then they fizzled out - and I wasted money.  Being that I have to be very thrifty with my money this year, I'm going to stick to the vast amount of work-out equipment I have at my disposal in my house and on the streets around me.

Lastly, the excuses.  Boy, have I had my share of excuses this year.  The number one excuse going to not being able to find a teaching job this year.  Well, boo freakin' who. This next year, win or fail at finding a full time teaching job:  I'm not letting it be an excuse.  Instead, I'm going to try and channel some of the anxiety that job hunting brings and take it to the track.  If my memory serves me correctly, I got through the toughest and hardest part of school by releasing my stress while running....that's what I should have been doing this year, but I didn't.  No more excuses for me.  It's either put up or shut up...and you know I won't be shutting up any time soon.  That leads to the not giving up.  If I can still have the willpower to try again this next year after the awful year I had this year, then I know I can do it.  I just know it.

Alright, so there you have it.... the goals for 2012.  I have to admit, it's kind of psyching me up and getting me ready.  Just two more days. 
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Till next time. ;)

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