New year, New Goals, Update on 2011 Goals

Another new year another batch of broken resolutions? I don't really do resolutions, but I do have goals for every year. I have found that if I take the time to put those goals into writing I am much more likely to achieve them. When I was in jr. high, I read a couple of things that have really stuck with me about having goals, setting goals and then achieving them. The first one;

The problem with not having goals is never knowing whether or not you have achieved them"

I think that is a great thing to remember. I have found in my own life that having goals that can be achieved really does help me feel more settled. When that goal is achieved, I have a greater sense of accomplishment. Feeling accomplishment helps me to be happier too and I have a better send of being grounded and present in my life not just floating through trying to get by. 

Here were my goals for 2011. After each one, I will give an update.

***I am going to continue the changes that I have made. I also want to implement these changes throughout the rest of the year too. 

I did pretty good with this one. I have become more aware of the foods I eat and have eliminated some foods altogether that I know are just not good for me. And after learning how bad they were for me, I could not even justify eating them to satisfy a craving. 

***I want to continue my quest to be at a healthier weight. 

I kind of had a number of 50 pounds as a goal for the year. I did not quite meet that goal. I lost 44 lbs but through the holidays I have gained about 7 lbs back. That still puts me 37 lbs lighter than I was last year. I am not going to feel like I failed because I was short of my goal. I am going to celebrate those 37 lbs, enjoy my new clothes and continue to work on reducing that number. 

***I would like to lose enough weight that my doctor will take me off my blood pressure medication.

I am not there yet. I do have a family history of hight blood pressure, even among relatives that do not have weight issues, so I know that there is a possibility that this will not happen.I am not going to feel like a failure on this one either. I know I am getting to a healthier weight and if I still have to take blood pressure medications I will know that I have been doing what I need to be healthier and if that included medication, so be it.

***I would like to become more aware of where my food comes from and try to incorporate as much local food into my diet as possible.

I am pretty proud of this one. I joined a CSA with a local biodynamic farm this year and we really enjoyed all of the fresh produce that we received. I learned how to cook some new things like diacon radishes and swiss chard. We were amazed at how much better some things tasted. I don't thing either of us has every gotten that excited over fresh corn before!  

***I want to cook from scratch as much as possible so that I know exactly what is going into my food. I am pretty good with this one, but I know I could do better.

I am really doing a lot better in this area. I have learned to make BBQ sauce, salad dressings, different versions of hummus and a lot of other things that I used to buy without even thinking. I would like to get even better with this because I really do enjoy making things that way.

Another goal that I made after these was to participate in a 5K. I thought that was on the original list, but I think it was one of those that I thought would be too hard to achieve. BUT I DID IT!!! My goals for participating was to finish, preferably in under an hour and to not be the very last person to cross the finish line. But I would have just just as happy if I had finished. I met those goals and I can't tell you what a sense of accomplishment that was for me. If you have read my blog before you might remember my struggle with my body image and how I felt about my body due to my back problems. If not and you are interested, some of those blog posts can be found here. Basically my body's limitations prevent me from doing a lot and I was so focused on the "I can't". Finishing this 5K was a huge I CAN and I DID!!!!

So my goals for 2012 are:

***Continue learning more ways of a healthier lifestyle

***Learn more vegetarian dishes that feel like meals instead of just side dishes. I don't plan on becoming a complete vegetarian, but I do want to consume a lot less meat. I will still be eating cheese though. 

***Participate in another 5K, beating my last time. Even if only by a second or two, I want to get a little faster.

***Make sure to take the time to plan my meals. I do so much better, both with my weight and how much money I spend at the store if I take the time to plan. I have gotten away from that a little, and can tell a difference. I have gotten to the point that I can do it pretty quickly, but it more than makes up for the time because I only have to think about meals once. this is especially helpful with lunches.

***Continue moving to a healthier weight. I have that goal of 50 pounds again this year, but I will celebrate every pound that is gone. 

***Find more ways of being active in addition to "exercise time". If I can do that, I think I can influence Kip a little more since he really does not like to exercise. But for me, it also gives me extra calorie burning.

Anyone else want to share?