I Am Not Going On A Diet

This year my New Years resolution is not to go on a diet, its to make a lifestyle change. 2017 is a big, huge, exciting year for me and I want to be able to embrace it fully, and take photos I will be excited to show my grandkids one day. Diets are easy. Lifestyle changes are hard. I want to share the start of this journey with you. Keep reading, and if you want, feel free to join me.

Let's start with what a diet is:

A diet is a "special course of food" to reach an end goal. Sure, but I don't want to do this to lose 20 lbs (though that would be nice), or in order to look good for a photo. I want to do this in general, moving forward. What I am talking about is a lifestyle change to live a more healthy life. Here are my goals for this year-- I suppose you could call this my path for levelling up to full adulthood.

On Food & Exercise

I commute. I get home. I'm tired. I want a snack. I have dinner. I get on my computer, and at some point I fall asleep. I forget to pack my lunch. I end up in the caf. Mmmm the pasta smells so good. I sit down at my desk. I scarf down the pasta. I hardly have time to enjoy it. I work more. I leave tired. I get on the train to see Stuart. I'm starving. We go for dinner. Let's split an ap? Mmmm that brownie looks good. We should go for a walk. What if we just hang out on the couch?

When I was in university I loved going to the gym and challenging myself. But then one summer I moved away for an internship and when I came back life got busy, and suddenly I was too busy for the gym. At about the same time I sort of just stopped closely monitoring my food, and eventually some clothing got a bit tight, and unflattering, and I just sort of started reaching for other things to wear. I think part of it came from the growth in my beauty blog. I mean, if my face looks good, does it matter if i have another cookie? But it has really dawned on my that this is a big year. Between moving in, and working towards our wedding there will be a lot of photos taken in the next two years. And add to that the fact that I want to have kids, and to do that I want to be a healthy weight, there really is no time like the present. 

On Monday I am going to weigh myself so I know where I am starting. I just got back from the grocery store and I picked up everything I need for my first round of meal prep for 2017. I will be making Greek Salad bowls with chicken and lemon potatoes. Today I signed up for a 6 week long boot camp at a gym by my work. My goals are simple. I want to take a full body shot in a pretty dress when I am in London this summer, and proudly post it to my Instagram. That's my 6 month goal. Next December when we are back in Cuba I want to take a photo of me in a bikini at the beach, and again proudly post it. I don't know what number that looks like, but if I had to guess, maybe 50 lbs? My goal isn't to hit a number on the scale-- its to reach a feeling. I hope that makes sense. My boyfriend is joining me in this, and we have a few names for it: The Anti-Insulation Campaign, Eat Less More More and Move Less Eat More (ironically).

I am planning on sharing my progress on my YouTube channel, so if you haven't already, please subscribe. 

In short: Way less desert, less carbs, more chicken, more veggies, less Diet Coke, more green tea, more movement.

On Being Present

One thing I really learned on this trip to Varadaro was how much I use my phone and what a habit it it. I had it on airplane mode all week but would still open my usual apps before realizing that nothing was going to happen. It was good to check every night for a bit, but even better to fully connect with Stuart while we were away. I also realized how much I enjoyed reading. With that in mind Stuart and I were thinking that when we are out running errands together that we could leave our phones at home, or in the glove box in the car. I also want to get back to reading-- my goal is 1 book every other month. The VIA rail wifi is so spotty that my plan is to read while I am on the train to see him rather than scroll Instagram for three hours.

On Spending

I am really good at spending money. Like, really good. If shopping was an Olympic sport I would have three gold medals. One cool thing about how much my blog has grown is that I now don't really have to buy makeup. My goal is to pack my lunch 4 days a week (5 would be golden) and to generally cut back spending. I just purchased a boot camp package, and I am getting a haircut next week, but other than that the plan for January and February is a low buy.

I guess that is a long and convoluted way to say that this year I want to really take control of my life. I have an amazing boyfriend. I have a great job. I have so much to be proud of. I want to improve a few things. I can't wait for this next year of adventures-- LA, Europe, moving in, and all of the beautiful things that come along with it.

What are your big plans for this year?