The journey begins...

Ok, I'm going to get serious about this health thing. I need to sort my shit out.

I am NOT  one for crash diets, quick fixes, or slogging it out at the gym for 2 weeks and then giving up. I can't change my habits that fast and expect them to stick, because I am actually mentally quite weak sometimes and I can justify anything.

Nipping through Red Rooster for nuggets on the way home is ok when I want nuggets. But when I think about it, it goes against so many things I stand for. You can tell how processed they are when you eat them, I'm sure at some stage they USED to be chicken, but they're not now. This crazy stuff has to stop.

I really like food, and good food. So when I look at what we eat, it's actually usually pretty good (aside from ninja stops at Red Rooster). We just probably eat a bit too much, and we eat out a lot. We shop at the markets so very little of what we cook is processed, because we really only buy the raw materials - fruit, veges, meat, milk and bread. Portions need to be controlled, and we need to be a little smarter about things we eat.

I also need to exercise A LOT more. Steve has a naturally fast metabolism, and goes to the gym at work most days - he's lucky he has a more flexible job than I do. As a teacher, I have set times for everything, I can't pop into the gym on my lunch break, I just don't have time. I need to find times when I can do 10-20 minutes of exercise, make it not seem like a chore. I've started the Couch to 5km program, which is pretty good. It basically makes you follow a set routine - run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, for 20 minutes. You end up running more, the longer you do it. The app is pretty good too, it just beeps at you when you need to start to walk/run. I also downloaded the Nike+ Runner app, which at the moment seems really cool. Once I've used it more, I'll review it. But it tracks your run via GPS, times it, and has a bunch of other cool features, including posting that you're going for a run on Facebook, and when anyone likes your status, if you're listening to music, it cheers! So cute.

I signed up for this Fitness for Foodies (FFF) 8 week course, and to make sure I don't cop out, Carolanne is coming with me. It's pretty good value, $139 and for that you can go to 3 group fitness sessions, and you get a weekly email with a bunch of really useful info, recipes, and charts. The thing that has really appealed to me has been the charts. I need to have a routine and it needs to be planned out. FFF gives you a meal planner, a really good shopping list, and an exercise planner. I love these. They're going to go on the fridge! It also has a chart where you can measure progress - your fitness, blood pressure, weight (only if you want to though!), and body measurements. This is also something I need. I need to see progress, benchmarks. These progressive checkpoint sheets are great because they're varied, you may not lose much weight one week, but you've managed to lose some cm's off your arms and can do more sit ups!

I'm also playing netball again on Monday nights, which is sweet! I get to chase a ball around again! YAY!

It's about celebrating the little wins, all the different ones! I don't JUST want to lose weight (though that is a big factor), I want to be fitter, and healthier. I want to be one of those people who enjoys going out running, and needs to do some exercise or they get restless. I'm sure that with all the little things I'm trying to change, I'm hoping to see a different "win" each week.

This is my plan, and I WILL stick to it this time!

New Years Resolutions

Everyones got new years resolutions, so I figured Id better get on the bandwagon and figure out how to make my life, which is already pretty good, better. Im not trying to change the world, just trying to make smaller adjustments in my life that I can keep up.


1) Eat healthier (thats a no brainer after xmas) - more specifically I plan to eat more good quality meat (free range, local, sustainable) but less often as its quite expensive, and focus on seasonal, local fruit n veg. Eat more seafood, try meat free mondays (dunno how S will take that one!). I cant afford to eat this brilliant quality meat every day, and its better for me, and for the environment to eat less of it. Portion sizes must go down as well!


2) Exercise more (also a no brainer!) - which doesnt mean paying for a gym membership and never going, but to make my lifestyle more active, to incorporate exercise without it always being a concious decision - Bike to the shops, go to the beach with a frisbee/football etc, go walk around the lake.


3) Get more balance in my life - do new things, meet new people, see the friends who WANT to see me, keep in touch with far away friends better, make more of an effort with making the house a home. Its easy for both S and I to rely on each other for company all the time, we do everything together and love each others company, but I need to make sure I have a life outside of the life I have with him. Ive let that slip in the last few months, and I need to fix that.


4) Manage my money better - Does this need explaining? Fritter less money away, Id like the money I have to be spent on better things than shit. Better quality wine, less often. Better quality clothes, less often. You get the idea...


5) Use my cookbooks more - I have bought so many... They need using! I have subscribed to Eat Your Books so I can actually find recipes in my little library, and Id like to cook a greater variety of meals using seasonal and different ingredients than I might be used to. As I said in #1, Id like to eat more fish, but I've never really cooked it before, so I'll be relying on my books to help me out!


How do these compare to your resolutions? Do you reckon new years resolutions are a total waste of time because you break them after a month anyway? More importantly, do you guys have any tips on whats worked for you in any of these areas? Love to hear what you have to say!