A lot of my goals for this coming year are perfectly reasonable and I feel good about tackling them, finishing them, and crossing those suckers off, but there are some that will be pretty damn tough, that I'll really have to buckle down and become dedicated and smart and focused to accomplish.
Like:
#50: No frozen lunches for the entire year. I eat far too many Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones meals. They're easy, they're cheapish, they're relatively tasty. I mean, for the ease and calorie count, they're exactly what someone losing weight and working full-time could want. But low-calorie doesn't mean healthy and a frozen meal is not a whole meal. Hard to grasp, at least for me, but it's time I start eating healthy, delicious, whole-food-filled lunches. (I'll be taking a lot of these great tips and suggestions into consideration.)
#2: Run a half-marathon. Training is going to pick up next week, and that's not just a physical commitment, but a time commitment, as well. I'll have to complete more morning and weekend runs and I'll have to run more in the blistery, yes-it-gets-cold-in-Texas weather. Running has always been equal parts joy and pain for me, and I think training is about to teeter into the MORE PAIN! zone.
It'll make that finish line fucking fabulous, though.
#30: Go wtihout meat, alcohol, and sweets for longer than I did last year (meaning 2010). I'm giving up all three for the entire Biggest Blogging Loser challenge, and while I'm not too worried -- I mean, it's not forever, and there's still plenty I can enjoy like CHEESE -- I still know it'll take some serious self-discipline to get through.
#31: Go without tv for a month. This is the hardest thing on the list, hands down. I watch a lot of tv and while I don't feel even remotely guilty/lazy/silly about it, I still know this is going to be tough, tough, tough. It's something I enjoy quite a lot and something that seeps into my day job, although not as much as it used to.
Now, we limit the amount of tv Kyle watches -- which means we usually flip on our brain-sucking programming after his bedtime -- and I don't think it hinders us from doing a ton of other things (exercising, cooking, quality time as a couple, socializing with other people we like), I do wonder how ridiculously clean my house is going to be during this month.
I bet you're wondering WHY I'm doing this, then. Well, just like a dozen or so things I've tried over the last year: I just want to see if I can.
We'll see!
AHHH!
#49: Dress up more for work. I work in a very casual office, but I'm almost thirty, and I should really dress like a put-together adult more consistently. It'll be tough -- my wardrobe doesn't scream put-together adult -- but I can do it. (I hope!)
#65: Keep the house cleaner than years past. This may mean: HIRING A HOUSEKEEPER but, more likely, it'll mean: GROW UP, JENNIE.