I’m a few days late to the party with this post, in terms of New Year’s resolutions, but this resolution is actually one I started a few weeks ago with regards to a new health and fitness journey, even what with Christmas taking place. I don’t usually choose to have ‘resolutions’ as such, but I do often choose a ‘word’ or ‘theme’ for the coming year, and have done for the past few years (you can read these here, here and here over on my other blog). This year’s ‘word’ is ‘consistency’, perhaps somewhat at odds with everything going on in the world right now and the ability to be consistent, but you’ll have to hear me out once I’ve written my upcoming post on this!
One of the main goals I want to achieve when it comes to being consistent, along with a few work-related ones, is being consistent with my health and fitness. Over the past couple of years, I guess since Arlo was a baby, I’ve gradually felt more unfit and more unhealthy. Our diet as a family is generally pretty good in terms of making healthy meals, but I’d gotten into the habit of snacking too much, scoffing too many carbs, and drinking too much alcohol. The latter is the subject of another future blog post, but to cut a long story short, I’ve decided that alcohol really doesn’t do me any good anymore (no matter much fun it can be sometimes!), and it also has impacted over the years my ability to maintain a consistent diet and sense of well-being (hello, hangover munchies!). As a result of my decision I haven’t had an alcoholic drink for over a month, including Christmas, and I already feel amazing! Feeling sluggish or hungover has also impacted on my consistency when it comes to exercise, and hoping that now I’ve cut alcohol out, I’ll be on my way to maintaining a healthier lifestyle and consistent fitness journey. It sounds drastic but I’ve convinced it’s the only way to make a difference for me, and so I can be consistent with exercise and what I eat. Put it this way, I’m not one of those people to run off a hangover!
I am not overweight by any means, but the pounds have definitely crept on over the years, and I know it’s because I’m not always looking after myself properly. At my lightest in recent years I was about 8st 12lbs, in about 2013/14 when I was running around after 2 toddlers, but this has very gradually crept up by a stone and a half. I would love to lose a stone this year, but more than anything I want to have loads more energy, something that I definitely have more of when I don’t drink and eat less carbs, and to also feel good in clothes again. I love fashion, but haven’t felt that good in my current wardrobe (too tight!), yet I don’t want to buy anything in the next size up either.
I’ve started running and going on long walks again, something I really enjoyed in the last lockdown, and although I know the next few months will be harder, what with the darker mornings and evenings and colder weather, I know that I always feel better once I’m ‘out there’.
I realise that it’s so easy to start new resolutions and not finish them, but something feels different this time, and I believe that by writing this down, it will hold me more accountable to actually sticking to a consistent healthy lifestyle. I’ll be updating the blog at the end of each month to track my fitness journey progress.
Despite everything going on in the world right now, I actually feel 2021 will be a personally positive year for change, and I can’t wait to see a difference! You’ll be able to catch up on here, my very own personal fitness blog!
Do you have any health and fitness goals for 2021, or are you just in survival mode right now?!
Read some more of my health and fitness posts over here