Happy new year! This year so far has been really fantastic. A lot of little amazing things have happened. Lots of time with friends and family. Lots of new opportunities career wise. Lots of new and exciting stuff that that wasn’t even on the horizon a few weeks ago. One of the most amazing so far was being involved in getting this cutie out of the animal shelter.

This is also the most recent picture of me… so hi!

Candace, my real life friend turned blogging friend, is embarking on a healthy life challenge. She is getting married in May (and I’ll be in the wedding) so she wants to lose some weight and tone up for the big day. She’s started this healthy lifestyle challenge with a list of things she wants to accomplish this year.

Here’s her list of what she wants to accomplish:

• 365 day food log: I will track everything I eat and drink for a full year.  While doing so, I will note changes in my mood, complexion, and weight.
• Eliminate sugar from my diet:  Sugar is an addiction!  I have been eating so much chocolate lately and processed foods so I feel completely yucky right now.
• Eliminate dairy from my diet: I have been suspicious of dairy as the cause for my skin problems.  When I finally eliminate dairy I hope to see some improvement on my face!
• Learn to pre-prep healthy meals for the following week:  Eating healthy seems so overwhelming.  you really have to dedicate time and energy to accomplish your goals.  learning to pre-prep for the week should help me keep myself on track.
• Learn to cook “clean”:  Processed foods seem like poison.  And yet I keep putting them in my body!  It’s time to learn to eat clean and figure out which foods may be causing skin issues, pain, allergies, bloating, etc.
• Discover how different foods cause my anxiety and sometimes that depressed “blah” feeling:  I have had some serious “blahness” this past week.  I am pretty sure it’s because I haven’t been exercising and eating right.  I’ve noticed bad foods give me anxiety.  The food log should pinpoint those!
• Learn different exercises to tone up my body: I know how to exercise but every body is different.  I really need to learn the right exercises for my body type.
• Figure out ways to eat clean or healthy on a budget:  It’s so cheap to eat bad.  Surely there has to be a way to eat healthy and not break the bank.
• Discover great nutritional tips for a healthy lifestyle:  This challenge isn’t a diet or a temporary fix, this is a lifestyle change.  I want to live a healthy life.
• Drink more water: Some days I hate water.  I know sinus issues and skin issues may be solved by drinking more.
• Learn to eat healthy foods in season:  It’s winter so what do I eat?  I feel like I am lost in the grocery store when it comes to eating seasonally.  I hope to learn more about eating seasonally through out this year.

Candace is working with a weight loss coach and challenge group which should be pretty cool. You can follow her blog over at My Life Unboxed.

I’ve decided to adopt some of her goals as my own because they are things I want to do too! Over the holidays I definitely indulged in too much tasty food and drink so I packed on a few pounds of holiday weight. I think it will be good for me to refocus on my goals in this area of life.

• Eliminate sugar from my diet:  Sugar is an addiction and forever my vice. I know sugar affects me negatively but I ate way too much of it over the holidays and let it slip into my every day diet. I’d like to remove added sugars and sweet desserts from my diet as much as possible this year because I know it makes me feel my best.
• Learn to eat healthy foods in season:  While I enjoy vegetables and eat relatively healthy, I don’t eat seasonally. I hardly even know what’s in season unless I see a crazy high price tag on fruits and veggies. I’d like to eat food that is in season and grown locally so I plan to utilize farmers markets and maybe a CSA this year to cook and eat more foods in season. 
• Figure out ways to eat clean or healthy on a budget:  I’ve got some big things to save up for like buying a house so my food budget is one area that needs to be cut. This year I’d like to work on eating clean and cooking healthy on a budget. A small budget. When I’m eating my best I tend to be very generous at the grocery store so I’d like to figure out a reasonable budget and still eat very well.

Most of this is about food! Honestly that’s because I’ve really nailed down exercise over the last couple years. I love working out and don’t have to force myself to the gym – it’s a wonderful release and happy place for me. If I don’t exercise for a couple days I just don’t feel like myself. I also have lots of activity in my life like walking juju and playing recreational sports.

Food is the one area where I’ve always struggled and still struggle. It’s the reason why I’ve lost 50+ pounds, but not 100 pounds. So this year I’d like to focus on these three things and see if that makes a difference in getting to my specific weight goals. I’ve got a number in mind for this year and I think it’s very achievable. I’m hoping the pictures of me and Candace from her wedding in May are amazing!