Resolutions...and a new Me?

It's that time already! I can hardly believe it, but Christmas is over, and my sis Renee is long gone as are Mike's parents. Luckily, Mom's famous potato soup is still here (or was until this evening) and my house is still festively decorated for the holidays. If only Renee was here to take it all down for me.

The past two years, 2008 and 2009, have been full of incredible change and life-altering moments with the births of our two sons, Mason and Max. We couldn't be more blessed or more happy to have them in our lives.

This year, I'm looking in a new direction as I think of new year's resolutions. While I'd never consider trying to "return" my boys, I wouldn't mind returning a few of the extra pounds they've left me with. I'm done having babies and ready to lose the weight and feel energetic again. This is why I've decided that 2010 is the year I take my body back!

I've come up with a formula to help track my progress and keep me motivated. My blog will continue to focus on my family but will also be the journal for my resolution.

Here's the deal:

I want to lose 30 pounds by January 1, 2011. This means losing 2.5 pounds per month. I've also broken this down into quarters since it may not always come off at the same rate. My quarterly loss goal will be 7.5 pounds. I've heard it's often easier to lose at the beginning, but harder once you get closer to your goal weight so I might have to try to get ahead of my schedule at some point in case that happens.

How I'm going to do it:

Plain and simple - exercise and eating habits. For exercise, I pay for a gym membership I am vowing to justify and a treadmill in the den I like to use. I'm going to have to be creative since I have a 6-week-old (the c-section is healing nicely) and a 20-month-old. This will probably include workouts of dancing to sesame street songs and pacing the room holding my baby at 2 am. As far as eating habits, I'm not one to go on fad diets or completely cut anything out of my diet (yes, including dessert) but I am a firm believer that natural foods and portion control are your best friends.

How I'm staying motivated:

As if trying on my pre-pregnancy clothes isn't motivation enough, I think it will be satisfying to have prizes for myself as I reach different levels in my weight loss journey. I haven't decided where these will be or what they will be...so stay tuned.

I'm excited to begin the journey to "Take My Body Back". I hope you won't mind my honesty in the ups and downs as I go, and I hope to hear from you along the way.

Happy New Year!