2011 is officialy here.

I rang the new year in quietly. I started the night with close freinds at a party, then migrated to another freinds home for a quiet night on the couch and some time with the hottie. I've been recoupertating from the worst case of strep throat I've ever exoerinced and find myself still loosing energy faster then I care to admit.

I have a few goals in mind for 2011. Some of them will sound familiar, others are new due to lifestyle changes over the past year or so.

So without further adue, my goals for 2011:

• Pay off 1/2 my credit card debt.
• Increase my emergecy savings ballance.
• Attepmt (hopefully enjoy!) snow trail riding.
• Increase snowbaording skills (get off that damned bunny hill and onto the green trails!)
• Try freestyle skiing (specifically jumps and drops.)
• Become an AMC certified hike leader.
• Hike at least one local mountain / peak a month.
• Try backpacking (hiking with camping equipemnt, etc.)
• Road riding: increase distance to 50+ miles, work on standing / grinding gears, look hot in my spandex :)
• XC trail riding: go clipless (requires an investment in new shoes / pedals), overcome my fear of log rollers, be able to climb up rocks / rock surfaces, overcome frear of skinnies.
• Freeride: increase drop size, learn how to huck, start hitting small ramps!
• Downhill: get off the green trails! Pick up speed.
• Become a size 14 again!

I think every single one of these goals is very attainable for me.

See this pic? It's my new friend. It is a reminder of my goal. Right now its about baby steps, so that I accomplish my goal the right way. I've been continuing to do well. I have upped my exercise to almost daily. At the gym I am running on the treadmill, pretty much every other day. I have my Yoga class on Wednesdays. I just signed up for a belly dancing class once week for 6-weeks. Then on the 'non-treadmill' days I am doing some other form of cardio. Today I tried the StairMaster. I hadn't been on one in what seems like decades. I plowed through it like a trooper, although it was boring as hell. I'm eating fairly well, with the exceptional mountain of chocolate needed to tame the evil PMS monster. After the gym today I loaded up on some healthy snacks for the work week. Tomorrow I am going to start looking at some local 5ks in May. I am really getting excited for this!!

I loathe the idea of New Years resolutions. Why do we need a new year to start anything? What is wrong with today? I find it just to be a form of procrastination... hmmm, how much food can I cram in my belly for three more days? How lazy can I be? How many drinks can I have, etc...

Now, making goals to accomplish thought the year... I am cool with that. That is what I am doing. Here is my list of (realistic) goals for 2009:

• Loose 25 pounds. This boils down to two pounds a month. Realistic I believe. Especially once I start working out again regularly, it should come off at least at that rate.
• Speaking of working out... I want to get back into running again. Before April, I want to be able to run at least 3 miles on the tread mill. When the spring comes I also want to begin running outside, maybe I'll be able to run the same distance outside as well. My ultimate goal will be to spend next summer running 5ks as much as possible.
  
• I need to work hard-core on eliminating my debt. Maybe I will work through a debt consolidation program. I just learned of some programs established by the major credit bureaus. I'd be willing to work with one or two of them if I can somehow get my debt paid in full over the next year.
• More financial stuff - I need to have more of a savings cushion established. I don't want to have to rely on credit cards should an emergency come up. I make a decent living, my rent is minimal, I have no more excuses. Time to treat my finances like a grown-up.

I think that is good for 2009. How about you? What are some goals you may have?

Heather blogged about an American Heart Association sanctioned diet. It is a rather strict diet, consisting of around 1200 calories per day, for three days. Not only is it low cal, but it appears to be quite lean, and consists of food combinations that are supposed to be successful on a chemical level.

I’ve decided to give it a try. No silly, not this weekend. But in the near future. I chose May 6-8th to be my dates. I have to wait until after my next peapod delivery, so that I actually have the food in the house, and I refuse to go to the grocery store until I can get better at grocery shopping.

The diet can supposedly help you drop 10 pounds over the three days. I am assuming there is a detoxification process that will be going on. The diet states that you can repeat it four times a month, ultimately loosing up to 40 pounds in one month. Now, I realize this is crazy, and I don’t want to live on a diet as limited as this, but I think that if this is successful, I can repeat it again in late May and once again in mid-June.

I was just playing around with number, and if I am successful at this, and even loose only 5 pounds per try…. Well, I just might be able to go to England weighing 180-185 pounds and possibly being in a size 14 again.

Ahhhh…. Just the thought of that is heavenly.

Jenera’s post from yesterday and some conversations of recent are continuing to give me a kick in the rear.

Now presenting – GOALS FOR APRIL (not to be confused with April)

• Continuing to drink 100 ounces of water a day. I do a great job with this Monday through Friday. Now I need to work on the weekends as well.
• Exercise will be broken down into a few components.

1. I will begin taking Yoga classes at a local studio. I am going to start with once a week for April. As a sneak-peak into the future, I want to bump this up to two or three classes a week in May (maybe even later in April.)

2. Continue walking, but more frequently, and add some distance. Once a week I am going to walk the “big loop” close to home, which is about 5 miles.

3. I will go to the gym and sweat it good three times a week. The other two days I will walk for 30-45 minutes.

• Calories – I have started a trial of eating closer to my basal metabolic rate. I had a trying few days, so I cannot confidently say if it is working or not. I am going to continue to take this approach for two more weeks. If I see results I am happy with, I will continue. If I do not see such results, I will switch back to the 1500-1550 plan I was previously on.
• Check-in on my progress regularly, meaning that I will use this blog as my opportunity to food journal and keep myself honest on this plan.

As a reminder to all, especially myself, in less then 90 days I will be in England. Obviously I won’t be sporting a bikini…(and who would in cold and rainy England!) but if I could be a size 14 (I am currently a 16) I would feel extremely accomplished.

I’ve found a few items to entice me. I’ve decided that once I am a size 16, I am going to spoil myself with these three…. (approximately 10-15 pounds from now)

I’ve chosen Tuesday to be my weigh-in day. I’ve been incredibly tempted to hop on the scale over the past few days, but I have resisted the urge. Tomorrow morning, right when I get up I will have my first “official” weigh-in. I did weigh myself about 10 days ago to find out how much damage was done over the holidays, but other then that… nothing else.

I am hoping for some good news. If I can get back to my December 1st weigh by the end of January, I will be pleased.

I did it; I met my goals one day in!

Wooohooo!

6458 steps were registered by my pedometer yesterday. That did not include the 100 or so additional steps I raked in while not wearing it. It was not difficult to accomplish, especially considering I did a Walk Away The Pounds workout for one mile…. Gotta love FitTV on Demand.

So now my plans are to average 6,000 or more steps every day. On Monday I will increase my goal to 7,000.

The diet went ok yesterday, I consumed 1543 calories. The website I use, www.myfooddiary.com yelled at me for not consuming enough breakfast calories and not meeting my water consumption goals. I will work on today these two things today. I guess I’ll have some cereal for breakfast and make sure to drink two of my 32 ounce cups while in the office.

I’ve got a low fat turkey chili cooking in the crock pot. I added some beans, chili peppers, tomatoes and a whole pile of spices. That will go nicely with a little melted cheese on top and some whole grain Texas toast…. Yummy dinner, here I come!

Ok, off to have another good day!

Ok, ok, ok…

I know. It’s my turn. I refuse to call them “Resolutions.” I strongly believe we don’t need January 1st to accomplish anything… there is nothing wrong with today. I don’t care if it is 10 pm and you are getting ready for bed… your diet can start right then and there.

Anyway, see, I got off track already. Here it goes

1. Loose Weight / Mass / Fat – whatever you want to call it. There are a few goals in this category… included are:

• Loose at least 25 pounds
• Decrease body fat to under 30%
• Get into size 14!!!!

2. Organize my life, both physically and mentally. Mental organization by planning overall, plan all my meals / menus, plan out and schedule all my housework as well as keeping that social life in check. Organize physically by getting my spaces cleaned up and in order, i.e. office, kitchen and my part of the bedroom

3. Buy a new clarinet and begin playing again. Look for a local symphony / band to play in. I played for years and truly loved it. When I left UConn, I put my clarinet down and never picked it up again. Now that it is (gulp) ten years later, life is calmer, and I am making time for my priorities I want to begin playing again… but first I must buy a new once because my old one mysteriously disappeared about 7-8 years ago. Although I do still have my alto sax and oboe lying around….

4. Read more!!!! I used to be an avid reader, but I have seriously slacked off in the past... hmmm.... 8 years?!?!?! I don't have school as an excuse anymore. I need to read at LEAST one book per month. Here that??? At least one per month!!!!

5. Finish straightening out finances. Over the past few years I have been cleaning up my finances. This is the year to complete that task. 700 credit score… here we come!

6. And on a shopping note… make some minor changes at home (Keri, I know that you understand this one!)

• Buy an area run for living room
• Buy an ottoman for living room
• Buy new lamp (reading lamp) and alarm clock for bedroom