Healthier Me 2011

So, I may as well announce to you all that I signed up for this 8 wk challenge. I paid $15 to be a part of it, earning points for each day I follow the plan to be in the running for the "pot" at the end, and also be in the drawings for fun weekly giveaways! yahoo!! It's all about estabishing healthier habits, and not so much about losing pounds (although, of course I am hopeful that will naturally follow).

The actual HealthierYou2011 blog has gone private to allow participants a closer, more private venue to post about success, motivation, and challenges. But, just so you know what I'm up to (and added accountability), and in case anyone wants to join in just for fun, here is the plan:
(I'll probably post about it at least once a week to let you know how it's going)

Week 1 (January 10th - 16th): Start Keeping a Food Journal! Each day, write down what time you wake up, the time you eat, what you eat, how much you exercise, how much water you drink and what time you go to bed.

Week 2 (January 17th - 23rd): Continue journaling. Cut out all sugar, junk food, soda pop, and fast food!

Week 3 (January 24th - 30th): Continue all above. Eat 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day.

Week 4 (February 1st - February 6th): Continue all above. Exercise 30 minutes per day, 4 days per week.

****For the remaining weeks, the point structure will be the same as Week 4, only with extra bonus points possible as listed below.

Week 5 (February 7th - February 13th): 1 bonus point possible for drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day for the entire week.

Week 6 (February 14th - February 20th): 1 bonus point for taking supplements each day as recommended on the packaging for the entire week.

Week 7 (February 21st - February 27th): 1 bonus point for starting your day with "Quiet Time" every day for the entire week.

Week 8 (February 28th - March 6th): 1 bonus point for getting at least 7 hours of sleep every day for the entire week.

So this week I started the food journaling. It's helpful because every time I think about eating, I have to ask myself, "do I really want to write this down?!?" and it makes me stop and think before I eat. Novel idea, eh?? haha. ;)

The hardest part, by far, for me is going to be cutting out all sugar. I can do without treats and sugary snacks. But things like not adding cinnamon sugar to my oatmeal?!? yikes. I keep thinking of more and more things I will need to do without. And I will definitely need to be more vigilant.
Wish me luck!!

(and just so you know, we got a treadmill. We got a pretty good deal on a nice one that can withstand Zac's heavy mileage. So. I am very very happy about not having to walk out in the 7 degree weather with nasty winter air-pollution inversion. Plus, treadmill + podcasts = happy me time. :))

(ps - just a note of explanation: can't walk outside with podcasts or I end up getting slower and slower. need a beat to keep the pace up. But the treadmill automatically keeps a pace, so I can listen to talking. so there you go.)