Where I'm Going

It's taken me a few blogs to try and get to this point of laying out my plan for a better and healthier me. I realized last night that I'm really just trying to find my "writing voice," something I last possessed in high school, when I wrote numerous short and creative pieces per week. I've also learned, in retrospect, that I did my best, most detailed work when I was sad, and it shows in the short stories I completed. Teenage angst made for stellar writing, it seems.

My journey starts for real this week as I undergo finals, inarguably the most stressful week of the semester, before settling into three weeks of winter break. I have three areas of concentration: Food, Fitness, and Mental Health. 

FOOD

• Whole foods and no processed crap!
• At least 2 Nalgenes (64 oz) of water per day
• Increase veggie/decrease met consumption
• Cook at home for 18 of 21 meals per week
• Cook and plan ahead wherever possible - batch cooking, overnight oats, etc.
• Keep alcohol consumption at 1-2 drinks per week
• Practice restraint with the upcoming Christmas cookie baking spree!

EXERCISE

• Hikes outside as weather allows (OR snowshoeing if it ever snows!)
• Weight/strength training - work on large focus areas 
• Make it to the gym 6/7 days per week
• P90X Ab Ripper X 3x per week
• Shoot for losing 5 pounds over break - take measurements and pictures every Monday

MENTAL HEALTH

• Read each night before bed (I already have a book - The Distant Hours by Kate Morton!)
• Purchase one magazine of choice per week to get new ideas about fitness or healthy recipes
• Soak in a hot springs at least once during winter break
• Go sledding/have a snowball fight/act like a kid again
• Find opportunities to help or give to others whenever possible
• Buy myself some new bath products and nail polish and have a home "spa day"

Today wasn't especially fabulous - the boy and I are both sick and trying to stay afloat by self-medicating with DayQuil tablets and LOTS of orange juice as we study our little butts off. I'm going to cook us up some delicious Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew (and maybe this cornbread!) so we can power through this very windy and cold night while hitting the books. Tomorrow the real journey begins...can't wait to chronicle it right here!

xoxo

amanda