Joining the Fit Club!

First off, I am SO excited that it's a new year. I've got a good feeling about this year, and maybe it's just optimism, but I have high hopes for 2012. I plan on doing a new year's resolutions post sometime this week, but for now I'm going to focus on my health and fitness goals. Why is that? Because I'm joining the It's a Crafty Life Fit Club. Every Monday I'll be doing a post about how I'm holding up with my fitness and health resolutions. Let's hope I'm not admitting how much I'm slacking.

So here it goes with an introduction to my other Fit Club members.

Picture from NYE this year

Every year I make the same standard resolutions to work out more, and eat healthier. This year, I want to get a little more realistic and a little more specific with my goals. I was pretty consistent with working out more in 2011, but I also realized that if I want real results, I might need to make a few more changes. Hence goal #1:

Follow the 80/20 Rule

Let's be real, I'm not going to completely cut out Mexican food or bagels any time soon. That's the beauty of the 80/20 rule, 20% of the time I can give into my cravings. But the other 80% of the time, I want to start making some changes to my diet. I want to eat more of these things:

And less of these things:

I want to switch that Friday donut breakfast (yes, we get free donuts at work on Fridays. That's gonna be rough), for a healthier yogurt. Have some cottage cheese for a snack instead of a bag of chips. I know my metabolism is only going to slow down with time, so I want to start making these changes sooner rather than later. 

Get to the gym 3-4 times a week

Ideally, I'd like for this number to be 4-5. But like I said, I want to keep these goals realistic. I know that there are some weeks that I can only get to the gym 3 times, and others that I get there 5 times. So as long as I get there as often as I can (the bare minimum being 3 times) and get in a solid work out each time, I know I will see a difference.

Lose 5 pounds, and keep it off

Again, I really would like for this number to be 10. Maybe even more. But I'm keeping things realistic here. As the weeks go by, you can be sure that I will keep you posted on my progress. If I do as well as I hope to do, that number will definitely be more than 5. And finally, the most important goal:

Be happy with my body

Believe me, this year I am serious about making some progress in various areas of my life. I plan on making these changes, and enjoying the results. But I also want to realize that even at my current weight, I am happy, healthy and beautiful. Body image is something that so many people struggle with, myself included. So this year, I want to do my best to rise above this. I want to work hard to keep up with these goals, but also appreciate the body that God has blessed me with. 

2012, bring it on!