No more figgy pudding!!!

Okay, so I don't really know what figgy pudding is, but I know I don't want to eat it - and I don't want to eat about 90% of the stuff I've been putting in my mouth over the last month, but I can't stop myself!!! :)

It's usually about this time of the year when I go, "Gheeze, Stacy. You are so unfit and so sloppy!" And then I get all bummed out about how I could have been in awesome shape if I had worked out more or if I had just learned to control my eating, etc., etc. - I trust you all know the drill.

Anyway, I am officially announcing to you all on the World Wide Web that I am serious about "feeling great in '08!" (ugh, that is so cheesy!) Honestly, I HATE making New Year's resolutions, but this year I'm going to do it because January 1st also happens to coincide with a really convenient time in my life to make some discipline changes.

Here's my plan:

1) I'm not into crash-diets, so my goal will be to eat less and eat better. I want to be HEALTHY - I want to have a strong, healthy heart and I want to be able to run away if somebody were to chase me. :) Therefore, I am planning on limiting my intake of sweets/unhealthy fats and replacing those things with MORE VEGGIES!! I love vegetables - I really do! So why shouldn't I eat them instead of cake? ; )

2) I am joining a gym. I was a member of Gold's up until last January and I didn't renew because I was so busy with school. I'm thinking of joining 24 Hour Fitness so that I can work out with my buddies Tasha and Darcy. Accountability is KEY to getting me to work out consistently!

3) I am going to continue in my new healthy sleeping habbits. As of late, I am proud to report that I've been getting about 8 hours of sleep per night and not taking naps during the day. I have felt energized and awake all day until about 8pm when my body realizes that bedtime is around the corner. I am hoping that by adding exercise, I will be energized even more - all the way up until when my head hits the pillow!

4) More water! My sister-in-law Beth is a water champ! She has recently inspired me to get back to drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. I drink coffee in the morning with soy milk and I often have a glass of red wine in the evening with dinner, so my plan is to fill the rest of the day with water only. I am one of those people who loves to get a soda when eating at restaurants, so this is going to be a challenge for me when I'm out, but I will make it work. :)

They say that setting goals is a really imporant key to success so, while I don't want to reveal the amount of weight I'm hoping to lose, let's just say I'd like to go down two-three clothing sizes. I am hoping that by June, when we're in San Diego shooting Jeff and Rebecca's wedding, that I will have reached my goals. Jeff & Erin Youngren are going to take some pictures of Stan and I for our 5 year anniversary, so I am hoping to be in tip-top shape by then!

Why, might you ask, am I sharing all of this with you? The answer is simple: now you know what I'm doing, so I HAVE to do it! :) Seriously - accountability is such a big deal for me in every area of life! If I've told somebody I'm going to do something, it is so much more likely to be done.

So, starting January 1st, I am on a quest for true physical health and well-being. Will you join me? During my 5 month quest, I plan on telling you about my progress on the blog and also sharing tips for what's working and what's not working for me so that hopefully what I learn will help you out too! :)



My first tip: Get thyself to a Barnes and Noble ASAP and purchase "You: The Owner's Manual" by Dr. Oz. I bought this book for my dad for Christmas (don't tell!) and read over half of it in one night - I couldn't put it down! It has all kinds of great tips on things you can start doing now to increase your life-span. The book is really funny and it's full of really awesome pointers on getting healthy. I am about to graduate from Nursing school and I was surprised by how much this book taught me!

One of my favorite quotes in the book about flossing your teeth:

"If you find that you're in a hurry, remember: only floss the teeth that you want to keep."

Merry Christmas Eve!

Love
Stacy