The holiday season is upon us y’all and that means holiday baking will be in full swing very soon!  Plus with all of the holiday treats, parties, and temptations, I figured it would be the perfect time to challenge myself…and you.

2018 is just 8 weeks away, and you may already have your resolution planned out for the 1st of the year. But why wait? I say we start living our best, healthiest life now.

I mean nothing crazy…just a jump start to living your life to the fullest.  If you have ever made any sort of lifestyle change, you know that it does not happen overnight.  It is a process…a gradual one with many mistakes.  For most of us it is a learning experience about ourselves.  It is takes a lot of effort.  And some failures.  It can be trying, but in the end, I think it is worth it…I know it is.

While I try to keep up with my healthy habits, during the festive holiday months I lose almost all of my willpower. I tend to let the busyness of the season overshadow my discipline. Preparing meals and working out take a backseat to baking, entertaining family and friends and of course shopping!

I know it’s not easy…there are presents to buy, cookies to bake, and decorating to do, but there is always time to make room for a few healthy habits each day.  Make even the smallest change, not an excuse.

I invite & encourage you to join in! I believe we all will feel 100% better when we ring in the New Year. Even though we may be stuffed, sugar-faced, and maybe even hungover, we won’t spend the first day of the New Year feeling overwhelmed with how much weight we need to lose, or how many bad habits we need to change.  We will already have a head start!

Making a healthy lifestyle change is an unending and gradual process. So it’s important to have a plan.

Here’s my plan:

First…write down and vocalize 3 REALISTIC lifestyle changers for healthy habits and post them somewhere I can see each day.  If your goals are right in front of you…it’s harder to lose sight of them. I’ll probably put mine on my cell phone…a cute holiday wallpaper!

• To live a balanced life…mind, body, and soul.
• To feel/achieve physical and mental fitness.
• To have a positive outlook on myself at all times.

My goals for the next 8 weeks:

• Eat balanced meals with 3 fruits and 3 veggies a day. (Ugh! Not a fan of many fruits. I’ll have to get creative!
• Drink 75 oz of water a day (half before any other beverage daily…not counting my morning tea).
• Train 5 days with 2 active rest days per week (15,000 steps/day).
• No restrictions. Have a treat when needed.

Accountability is extremely important…as a matter of fact it is one of the strongest tools in your healthy toolbox.  On that note, I’ll be tracking my habits and creating better organizational habits as well such as meal planning, scheduling my workouts, and keeping my house clean! It kind of seems trivial but simple things can make a world of difference.

During the next 8 weeks I’ll be posting weekly workouts. These workouts will give us ideas and variety so that we don’t get bored…boredom leads to sabotage…at least for me.

Let’s end 2017 strong and start 2018 living the most out of life!