Hello February; Goodbye January

I hate goodbyes. I have put it off for a week now though; I won't miss you January, but I will always remember you and the 14 pounds I left behind with you.  January was a really good month as a cold, dreary, put away the Christmas decorations month goes.  It was actually a great month.  I was in the zone with my plan for narrowing the gap of 8 inches on the chest of my Little Rose Jacket.  Oh zone I love you.

Then February hit like a hurricane blowing me around, beating me up, and washing my zone back out to the sea.  Four weeks is all I made it before having a zone meltdown.  How pitiful is that?  So today I am re-reading my healthy momma vs. vacation momma post, remembering my original goals, focusing on the long term, trying not to give up from discouragement over last week, and setting goals for February.

Goals for February...hum.  I have three weeks left.  Three weeks is a lot, and I want to make the most of them.  Goals are tricky.  I want goals that challenge me enough without discouraging me.  Goals that are realistic and attainable while motivating and stimulating.  I need a goal psychiatrist.  I want to focus on goals that I make happen; not goals that are impossible to control.  Example: I can set goals for calories and exercise.  Maybe I can set ranges for weight, but I am leery of setting certain weights.  The last week of January I over-exercised and under-ate.  Still my scale did not move.  If I am doing the correct things I do not want to be stressed if the scale does not move.  On the other hand, maybe a reasonable weight range to lose each month is important so I do not settle for the scale not moving at all.  I just don't want to set scale goals in my head that I am working too hard to meet, or not enough.  

Ta-da: February Goals (or the 3 weeks that are left in the love month)

1. Eating.  I will strive to eat clean.  Keep my calories under 1500 a day.  Report daily calories on blog ( reporting previous days when I post). One day, the Valentine's Date with Hubby day, I will not report calories.  This may or may not be on the 14th (gotta wait in line for my free babysitters around here!).

2. Exercise.  I will exercise 5 days each week.  I will report this when I post.  I will do the 30 Day Shred at least 3 days per week.  I will visit the Zumba class ( oh this one scares me and sends me way out of my comfort zone box).  

3.  Home.  I will clean out my closet.  I will sew Emma Grace's curtains.  

4.  Mind/ Spirit.  I will finish reading 1 book.  I will catch-up on my homework for Revelation.

5.  Family.  We will have at least 1 game night.  I will take my youngest three on a field trip.

6.  GOALS.  I will write my goals for March on or before Sunday February 28, 1010. I am hoping this will prevent me from losing another week to a meltdown. 

Wow oh wow.  That seems like a lot of goals.  I need a nap just to get ready for them.  I will start on none other than the dieters first day of the week...Monday.  Tomorrow.  That scares me a little that I am waiting until tomorrow, but I am determined to succeed this week.  My magic blog.  It seems like if I write and journal my goals here, I might will do them.  So I am putting this week behind me, and focusing on the next three.  Oh, and goal number 3 is probably harder and scarier than the rest.  Procrastination in the closet and curtains area makes me feel like it is a way bigger project than it is.

On an ending note.  Last night was the Valentine's Dance for my three high school girlies.  What a fun night.  Maybe later I will download some photos, but I am blessed.  It was a fun night of pretty dresses, fun flowers, lots of laughing, tons of pictures, and 9 extra girls spending the night making a total of 18 in our house sleeping not so soundly. I wish I had remembered to snap of few pictures of the girls and guys hanging in the kitchen, sitting on my counters, telling stories about the evening, and generally enjoying being a teen.  I guess at 1:30 am my non- teen brain doesn't think clearly anymore!