Nutrition Goals

Sorry, I took a little hiatus the past couple of days. We are looking for a house right now and that is consuming all my thoughts and time at the moment. I feel like I'm eating and sleeping houses. It's not a fun process!

I realize I really need a plan before I just abstractly take on this nutrition challenge. First, what do I want to accomplish and how will I measure the results? Next, how will I go about reaching these goals? What will be the time period? And how will I reward myself for my success?

Goals:
1. Lose 2-3 lbs and maintain wt
2. Lose belly fat, tighten abs and back, lose an inch at least
3. Tone arms, legs, booty
4. Run a 1/2 mile without feeling like death, eventually 1 mile and then 1 & 1/2
5. Have more energy

How I'll measure:
1. Take current weight and weigh-in weekly (Saturdays)
2. Measure current waistline and take measurements bi-weekly(Saturday)
3. Measuring goal of rest of the body will be more subjective
4. Time a first half-mile run and record time on calendar along with discomfort levels and record again in 2 weeks (Saturday), once 1/2 mile is mastered, move to 1 mile
5. Record daily food intake on calendar and corresponding energy levels

How will I meet the goals:
1. Make dinner menus, finding recipes low in calories, fat and sugar and adjust and substitute healthy choices wherever possible. (Try to find items low in cost from ads and that correspond to foods in the pantry.)
2. Make a grocery list for healthy food choices for breakfast, lunch, snacks and recipe items for dinner.
3. Eat 3 normal meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also 2-3 small snacks daily such as fruit, cereal, veggies, yogurt, crackers, etc and perhaps light ice cream or small dessert 2-3 times a week included in the snacks.
4. Drink from a water bottle all day long, trying to get 64 + ounces daily.
5. Work out at the gym at least 3x's a week including 30 min of cardio and weight training 1-2 muscle groups each time, changing the muscle group each day and not resting a lot in between reps and machine or free weight changes. Do ab workout every gym visit and change the exercises each time, duration about 10 min.
6. Go to bed by 10 PM and get up at 7 AM in order to get enough rest.

Start Date: Monday, Feb. 22, 2010. I'll take my weight and measurements Monday morning. Go to the gym and time my 1/2 mile and record feelings. I'll start logging my food intake and energy levels on this day. Today, I will make a menu for the week and go shopping for groceries.

The great part of this diet is that I can make this a permanent change. But for measurement sake I will make my goal to attain these goals by the last Saturday in April. Of course, for others trying to do weight loss 2 months is not a goal I recommend as a standard time line. I only have a few pounds to lose and some tightening to do so a time line is very individual. After I had my last baby, it took me about a year to lose the 40 lbs that I gained.

Lastly, just for fun, a reward I will give myself, for meeting my goals, is a spa treatment of my choosing and a new pair of jeans!