My Holiday Health Challenge

I keep gaining and losing the same 5 pounds.  This has been happening for the last several years.  It's frustrating.  Aggravating.  And after life stresses, this last trip to Disneyland, and my car needing four tire rims and tires, I'm on the upper end again, just in time for the Holiday's!  Yay!! :P

Enough's enough.

I'm tired of it.

I research, get good ideas, and when my plans start working a fall is close behind. Self sabotage? Perhaps.  I've mused over the possibilities.

Regardless of the reasons it all comes down to this: It's the Holiday's now, with Halloween around the corner, pumpkin goodness everywhere, Thanksgiving and Christmas close behind, and I don't want to face New Year's Day with goals I can start now.

Why not start the New Years on a positive note?  Better yet, what if I can actually lose those first 10 pounds that would lead me to positive growth in 2020.  Hindsight's 2020, what about a little foresight, pre-hence?  (How many times are we going to hear that hindsight is 2020?  Especially going from 2020 to 2021?)

So this is what I'm going to focus on, these main six things.  It's going to be a roll out.  A process.  Somethings will take immediate precedence over others as these new habits form:

1. Walk 3-6 miles a day, 15-30 miles a week.  Cardio is important.  This isn't too crazy.  Getting those steps in and it's also easy on the joints.  Walking on the treadmill really is a good workout, especially when you start throwing in inclines and intervals, and I'll finally catch up on some shows and listen to all those audible books I've downloaded.  Win/win.  Cardio isn't just good for building endurance and helping the heart, but it's also a powerful tool for mental health and the mind.
2. Strength train 2-3 times a week, allowing one to two rest days in between.  Two times a week building up to three, mixing it up.  I have resistant bands and basic free weights, plus a ton of DVD's focusing on different styles.  Maybe I'll try a new one each time, or keep to one for a few weeks before moving on.  Keep it interesting. (I'm working the treadmill, so I'll need it.)  Strength training and toning helps with metabolism, burning calories at rest, also builds endurance, and is just positive all around.
3. Get to bed before 11:00 pm!  Some people are night owls, I'm not.  My mind works better when I get to bed before midnight and wake up before eight.  And since I don't drink coffee I have to get my hours.  Plus good sleep = greater control over cravings and keeping cortisol levels down, which is important to weight loss.
4. Drink lots of Water.  Self explanatory. 
5. Increase fiber/magnesium through natural foods, not supplements.  Not going to get too much into this, but the majority of Americans aren't getting enough of both.  They're found in the same foods, a lot of foods that get demonized by modern fad diets.  Fiber is good for bowel health, sustaining a feeling of fullness, and combating sugar spikes.  Magnesium is brain food, good for mental health, good for muscles, and also helps the body with calcium.  
6.  Have one treat day a week.  ONE!!  I have a sweet tooth.  I love sugar.  I probably just like the serotonin/dopamine/whatever spike.  But this is my Achilles heel in weight loss.  And I'm not allowing artificial sweeteners of any kind.  Done the research, haven't found one I'm okay with, but really it's the principle of the matter.  Creating self control.  Man, if I can just conquer this one thing alone I'd see major improvement in the next 2 1/2 months.

And bonus!!

• Keep a gratitude journal
• meditate/visualization 

It's a long list.  That's why I'm building on it and not going full out immediately, but if I can conquer these six points plus two bonuses I would be in an amazing place by New Years Day.

I'm not going to keep blogging about this challenge, but on New Years day I'll let you know how I'm doing, positives and/or negatives.  But I'm aiming at positives!!!