setting goals

The office was dead today. Glad it was only a half day. I saw this on another blog that I follow, and decided to give it a try for myself. It is about setting fitness goals. If anyone reads this and wants to post their own answers, please do.

1.This Christmas I am going to indulge in (meaning enjoy, without guilt, a reasonable amount of) Christmas cookies. The key work there is "reasonable". I will have to focus on my goals in order to not go overboard. However, if I can keep everything "reasonable" in the next few weeks, I will have no reason to feel guilt. And, I'm also going to indulge in the snow for as long as it lasts. I definitely plan on either running or snowshoeing on this long weekend. Several times.

2. It is my goal to stay away from any foods that I really don't like anyway. I'll only partake of the things I will truly enjoy, which will make them more special. Sometimes I will try a dessert to see if I like it or eat it just to be polite. But I really think my slender husband has a better grasp on this, even if it is less polite. He just eats what he likes and leaves the rest.

3. Over the holiday, I am changing my exercise goals to start over. I have been off the exercise wagon for a few weeks now. I ran this morning, and I want to get going again with aerobic exercise 3x a week and strength training 2x a week, and if I can fit in a 3rd strength training, all the better.

4. The way I will remind myself to make good choices over the holiday is use my WW tracker. It is the only thing that works. If I have to write down what I'm eating, then I have to acknowledge what I'm eating, how big the portion is, what ingredients are in it, and ask myself if I really need those extra calories. So, I'll have to carry my tracker in my pocket. Being in my purse, it is easily forgettable.

5. My favorite ornament on my tree is... We do not have a tree. My favorite Christmas decoration is a quilted snowman wall-hanging that my mom made for me a few years ago. Although, I am a slacker, and I haven't even hung that up yet. Everything is still in the attic. I also like the cut glass & wire snowman candle holder that is on my piano. I like it so much that I left him out year-round.

6. Of the progress I have made so far, my favorite thing is...
This is a hard one. Probably my favorite thing is buying new clothes in smaller sizes and the amazement when I can put on a 12 or 10. But there are many great things about my fitness progress. I have so much more energy than I used to; I accomplished my goal of running a 10K and then went on to finish a half marathon; my medical/hormonal problems have subsided; I can handle stress better (not perfect, but better). Actually, now that I mention it, finishing the half marathon was about the best feeling in the world. Incomparable. Overwhelmingly satisfying.