As I shared in a previous post, I’m turning 40 on April 1st and I’ve gained 10 pounds since moving from  New York to California a few years ago. We’re coming up on 3 years, and that 10 pounds is holding steady! I go up, I go down. But I always keep hovering around that number.

Though it took me a minute, I finally got it. It made sense, given that I walked everywhere in Brooklyn often pushing a double stroller with two kids in it in addition to my regular workouts, that I was burning more calories on a daily basis. So ok. I know why the 10 pounds are there. And I know I have to up the cardio or drop the calories to start getting it off.

But its the holidays!!

I love the flavors of the holidays. And yes, I admit it, the treats. I like the treats.

I also want to get this 10 pounds off!! I find it uncomfortable. And did I mention I’m gonna turn 40 in April?! I want to feel great!

But I don’t want to miss all the fun either. I’m supposed to be living life. 

So here I am with this dilemma.

I made it through Thanksgiving pretty well. I didn’t indulge daily in the barage of deliciousness that was available at all times. However, I am still enjoying the delights from my vegan Thanksgiving 2 days ago! I am of course being reasonable about it and not gorging myself with abandon.

Now I sit here facing the month ahead. Less than 30 days before we do it all over again! I know that I…me personally…am not going to be able to put in the big exercise push during this time before Christmas. I also know that January is going to come very soon, and I AM going to up the intensity of my efforts. So my concern falls to doing the least damage during this holiday time, while still being able to fully enjoy the festivities.

Basically my goal is to hold steady.

That sounds like I won’t be doing anything but that is entirely incorrect! Just doing my normal workouts, and eating my regular non-diet diet keeps me at this weight. So I have to be conscious of my food choices to account for the extra goodies I am most definitely going to be eating!

The best way I know how to make things really happen is to establish a plan. It gives me a reference to look at when I start having questions as to where I am and what to do next.

When I establish goals, I am careful to always be honest with myself.  I mean,  why base your plan on traits that are not truly yours, but on the idealized version of yourself. Really you’re just setting yourself up for failure.

You could be a person who knows that realistically its going to take you 30 steps, instead of 20 like your friend, to reach the goal. Your friend is one of those impulsive go getters. But you are more of a slow and steady type. Be honest with yourself and take into consideration that behavior when creating your plan. .

I’ll go first. Here’s how I see it going down for me.

January Jumpstart

January 4-9, 2015

 

3-Day Juice Cleanse

Things are starting off with a juice cleanse for sure! Whenever I feel like my eating is out of control, I like to do a cleanse. It gives me a sort of Reset. I not only come out of it with a more reasonable appetite, but I also come out wanting to replenish my body with healthier foods. Win, win.

*Note- I usually drink about 6 – 12-16 oz juices a day. You can make them yourself following a program like those created by Jason Vale that lays out carefully chosen juice combinations, or just order a package through a local juice store or companies like Blueprint  or Cooler Cleanse.

Raw til Dinner

To maximize that momentum, but slowly add back my regular diet, I will follow with 3 days of eating raw until dinner. Raw doesn’t have to be boring either. Everything you see below is raw!

The Chocolate Coconut Fruit Dip, Cinnamon Cashew Date Milk, and Hummus are all totally raw. (I promise I’m going to post the hummus recipe soon! And ignore the crackers. They are not raw, they were just in the picture. Although you most certainly could get raw crackers.)  With the Date Caramel, Peach Pie Breakfast Oats, and Chia Pudding you will just need to make sure to use a raw, non-dairy milk, not something heated and processed. For example a fresh nut milk.

But don’t be fooled. You can gain weight eating raw treats too! Nuts and coconut are high in fat. Just be reasonable and remember your goal.

Focus on whole fruits and vegetables, fruit and veggie smoothies, nuts, and soaked grains. Then at dinner, its business as usual… Usual being a healthy whole food, plant based meal.

It will be a challenging week as I am sure to feel the twinges of discomfort when my bad habits are abruptly removed. But more importantly, it will be a week where my body gets to be flooded with nutrients, and my mind has the opportunity to shift towards deeper contemplation of my food choices.

Do more YOGA!

This is actually something I want to start immediately. The benefits I feel when I do Yoga are many and varied. It is calming, centering, and feels great! And I am more aware of my entire body. Again, this is good for many reasons, as you might assume, but in this particular instance, it will be a wonderful compliment to my  intentions for the new year.

On the other side of this ‘Jumpstart’ week I expect to be more in touch with my physical body and more considerate about what I eat. Believe me, after putting so much effort into eating a clean diet, it makes you pause before eating junk again. Its like tracking mud into a freshly cleaned house!

The 12 weeks that follow…

This will take another ‘plan’. I’ll assess the situation after my jumpstart week and create a realistic set of goals that I can actually maintain. But as always, it will focus on whole foods, lots of plants, regular exercise and trying (as I have for the last 30 years) to drink enough water!

Look, I know that ‘a month is plenty of time to make progress’, and ‘its just about shifting your priorities!’ And I probably really could drop a pound if I really focused. But I know me. Its all just too much.

With the kids and their holiday shows and performances, visits to and from family members,  gift-buying and holiday dinner preparing added on to my already busy life as a mom, I will lose it! I will be grouchy and irritated, which then makes me SUPER bossy. I will feel emotionally overwhelmed and the snowball of ‘Bad’ will roll all over everything!

Or…I can make a plan that is realistic for ME and helps me to stay on the path to achieving my goals.

I choose the second one.