Out With A Smile, In With A Cheer!

As 2014 comes to a close, I keep hearing ads on the radio about 'Going Out With A Bang!' parties and such. Well, you know what? I don't go out with loud, obnoxious noises. I'd like to think of the end of the year as a time to tie up loose ends, and plan for the (immediate) future. A lot of this has to do in part with some serious reflection on my personal wellness, thanks to the last class I took. (By the way, I totally rocked my finals with a B- and an A-!)

As I take a look back on 2014, I realize it was an absolutely wonderful year, and much less stressful than the years before. Yes, even with a new baby, 2014 has been relatively relaxed. Any serious stressors came from my own mis-planning, and situations were resolved easily. I found my limits, and respected them. I even discovered a passion for something that I didn't know I'd even like. All in all, 2014 was a good year.

There were things that I let go to focus on others. I let my personal health go to focus on work and school. All the baby weight that I tried (and was pretty successful with) to lose came back with a vengeance, and my body has been reacting to the extra weight. My family's meals have become more of the 'open box, throw in oven' type, and I've never liked that. Essentially, I traded my time for convenience.

So, I knew that the new year would bring a fresh starting point for me. I knew I could do it, but I wasn't going to make any resolutions. Oh, no. Those things are bound to fail the second you make them. What I wanted was a goal. Goals have clear, concise instructions, and feasible timelines. I even gave myself little rewards for each goal met! I didn't say 'Oh, I'll just lose 50 pounds and be good!' No, that's not truly realistic in my world. But I could lose at least 20. I gave myself a main goal, and then broke it down into each month.
I'll give the example of my weight loss strategy.

Main Goal: Lose 24 pounds by March 31st

January: Lose 8 pounds (2 pounds a week).
-Reward: Pedicure (Not something I get often)
February: Lose 8 pounds (2 pounds a week).
-Reward: $10 to spend at Bath & Body Works (Since Baby Girl's skin has gotten a little more tolerable of fragrances, I can start wearing my lotion again. Yay! Just can't do the perfume/lotion combo. She breaks out something awful)
March: Lose 8 pounds (2 pounds a week)
-Reward: New Yoga Pants!

Because each month has its own goal to attain, I don't have to be pressured to lose all the weight quickly. And my rewards are very affordable! I believe this is the best way to do things. Because I'm still breastfeeding, I simply have to look at my caloric intake, what is the makeup of those calories (is it an apple or a slice of apple pie?), and changing my eating habits back to something healthier!

I have two other goals for the year as well. First, completely dedicating myself to my Yoga again. I loved that I was so at peace and my body felt healed through Yoga. I follow a wonderful gal named Adriene who does wonders with her Yoga practice. She teaches to find what feels good, instead of focusing on being perfect, which I love!

CLICK HERE to get the Foundations of Yoga series to start your own journey!

And last but not least, I made a goal to change the eating habits of my home...again. Gone will be the days of quick snacks and chocolate for desserts, (because Christmas gave us a LOT of chocolate this year) and back to homemade goodness and fresh food! You already know how I feel about my bad romance with the grocery store. So, the pressure is on! But not so much that I have to stress over it.

I know all of us want to change with the new year, so how do you plan to do it this year? Baby steps, Mamas. Take baby steps, and remember that your babies think you're perfect as you are!

Namaste, God Bless, and have a wonderful New Year!