countdown

Well, it happened. I walked in to Target today and was assaulted by the horrendous site of swimwear! Isn't it bad enough we have to suffer through this cold and dreary weather without being reminded of all the warm wonderful sunshine we are not feeling on our suntanned skin?! Cruel, I tell you, just plain cruel. Add to the longing for summer, the ghostly specter of how we will look in those bathing suits, after 4 months of comfort food and depriving our potato bodies of sunlight and I think we have grounds for a lawsuit. Don't you?

But it was a wake-up call to the countdown. I have exactly 33 weeks until I leave for Italy. And I plan to wear a swimsuit on the Italian beaches. If that doesn't put the fire under my buns to get working out, I don't know what will. 33 weeks is a good chunk of time. If I lost only one pound a week I would be feeling pretty terrific by take-off.  So that is my modest goal. Just one little pound per week. I shouldn't  have to do anything radical to reach that goal. Just eat a little healthier, a little lighter and get to the gym or outside to get some activity a few times a week. Easy right? We'll see. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

16 Hours Left

There are 16 short hours left until I pull the plug. I am spending the morning, watching a little TV (of course) decompressing from a fairly stressful week. I will need to find some new ways to decompress in the coming weeks and months. Let's see...bubble baths are always a winner. I think Qi Gong and Yoga will be my next line of defense. These are both things I've neglected over the last year that I think will make a big difference for me.

On a different note, preparing for the new year is of course about adjusting ourselves for the future, but also about reflecting on the year we've just completed. 2009 has been a good year for me. At the beginning of the year I made a vision board- a tool to focus my intentions and goals. 

On it was a picture of wonderful healthy foods-I wanted to improve my eating habits. This year I did the Raw Food plan for 2 months. 2 months eating mainly fruits, veggies and nuts. Yay for me! This year, I've decided to do about 2/3's raw. I think it's a balanced and doable. And with my tv-free hours I will have time to try those new raw recipes I've wanted to learn.

Also, I had listed travel. This year I got to travel home to California to see my family. And I went to Monterey and San Francisco. I got some great shots in the city and at the beach.  Then later that summer, I went to the gulf coast to camp at the beach. That was an incredible trip. Probably one of the best vacations I've ever had! And then in the fall, I took the kids and grand babies to Disney World. What fun!

There were lots of other things on the vision board. Some I made progress on and some I didn't. But overall when I look back on the year, I feel a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the life I live and the friends and family with which I am blessed. And I have such a sense of hope and excitement for 2010. Now to work on my vision board for this year. Hmmmm....i hope I can find a big enough board!