Resolutions Check-in and January Goals
So here we are in February. I laugh thinking about me this time last year – 8 months pregnant, so uncomfortable, and having regular contractions. For over a month. I remember being grumpy when people would try to plan things in the last two weeks of my pregnancy because I was obviously going to have a newborn and wouldn’t be able to be there. Ha! Sorry about last February anyone who knows me, I was not myself.
January was successful as far as goals go. My resolution to “Be Present” in 2015 has been mostly successful so far. There have been times where I’ve caught myself on my phone and needed to tell myself, “Put the phone down, do you want the kids to remember you as a mom who played games with them, or was constantly checking her phone?”, but I’m recognizing those moments and doing pretty well with keeping my phone in it’s designated spot while the kids are awake. So part two: disconnecting after they go to bed. This is hard when B travels – I find myself laying on the couch with TV on in the background and scrolling through blogs or Pinterest or Instagram on my phone. What’s the point??
No Spending January was great. As I’ve said before, this mostly comes into play – for me at least – with shopping. Groceries, I just buy what’s on the list that’s needed for meals that week. I fill the car up when it’s empty, but I don’t do an excessive amount of recreational driving – to and from preschool, activities (which are few at this stage in the game – but I know will be a big contributor to gas spending in our future) and to the grandparents on occasion. But shopping – throwing one extra thing in my cart at Target or Costco, or stopping into HomeGoods “just to look” are budget killers. There were plenty of times when I filled my cart online and then had to physically remove myself from the office to remember that I didn’t NEED to buy those t-shirts for Tom this month. Or that, wouldn’t I prefer to buy those jeans after I finished my Whole30 and P90x3 and things fit differently? And honestly, this was a really good thing. I went through all of the kids clothes. Nell has so many (great and my style) hand-me-downs that all I need to buy her for summer are swimsuits and sandals. And if I’d just filled my cart, we’d have too much. The boys are a different story – Tom needs all new clothes for spring and summer, and Peter can wear a lot of Thomas’s hand-me-downs, but that three month difference in sizes makes a little bit of a difference, so he needs a couple things. I spent January assessing our closets and organizing what we had instead of buying more…and it was great! I have a couple house projects I want to put some money into (mostly paint purchases) in February, but otherwise I’m keeping shopping to a minimum again, preparing for spring wardrobe shopping for everyone (and a first birthday party! wahoo!) in March.
My Whole30 was meh this time around. This was my 3rd attempt and I didn’t finish. I knew from the start I wasn’t going to finish, and I was perfect for 21 days. But after my one allotted night of not perfect, I gave myself a lot of leeway. A few things: I weighed myself the morning of our party (B and I turn 30 within a month and a half of each other, and instead of having two parties, we decided to combine it and do it once) and had only lost a pound and a half. And I was discouraged. I KNOW this is why they tell you not to weigh yourself during your Whole30. Self sabotage. I’m back on track – eating Paleo with the occasional treat. There isn’t a good 30 day period for me to redo a full Whole30 until April, and I’m ok with that. I’ll consider it then, but for now, I think I need a break. I’m a big believer in moderation with diets, which is why I like Paleo and the Whole30 – you fill your body up with good, wholesome foods. Nothing processed, no chemicals. And I know that’s healthy,
But my workouts are going great! I am loving P90x3. I need a daily schedule and varied workouts to keep myself motivated. The workouts are challenging, and there are days I dread them, but I also feel like I’m getting back into my daily workout groove and it feels so good. P90x3 is BIG on strength – I am seeing muscles that have LONG been hidden. I feel strong and slim and healthy and over the first 30 days, I lost 2 inches in my waist and hips. I do think the strength and muscle building focus has a bit to do with my only losing 1.5 pounds over 21 days of perfect clean eating. I’ve talked to my BeachBody coach, and we think I need a more cardio based program going forward (T25 or Insanity Max are top contenders for April). I have a little less than two months left of P90x3 and I intend to finish it, but I will be adding running in soon (I’m a fair weather runner – March – June, and then evenings or early mornings July – August, and again September-October) to get my heart-rate up more.
So that’s my recap. How were your Januaries?
