2013: The Year in Review

I think most of us can think back through our lives and recall at least one year that took you by surprise and turned into a year that (for the most part), you are more than happy to bid farewell to. 2013 was one of the biggest rollercoasters of my life and I was happy to bid it farewell. As we rang in 2013, my key resolution was to get back down to my wedding weight. I started to blog with a group of ladies about my weekly weight loss achievements and struggles. I really enjoy blogging and feel it holds me a little more accountable for my actions and has pushed me to achieve my goals. I virtually became good friends with some amazing bloggers along the way as we all worked to meet our weight loss and health goals. I felt amazing when I reached my (initial) goal weight in May. At that point, I set a goal for myself to maintain it as I worked to eliminate my love handles and gain a thigh gap. I worked to achieve those goals all summer and into early fall, but I slowly lost momentum as our fall got busy with trips we had planned. By Thanksgiving, I was barely working out, and my healthy eating habits started to slowly go down the tubes.

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With 2014 upon us, it is time to re-focus! I am not necessarily aiming for a number on the scale anymore. I am still aiming to minimize those love handles gain the thigh gap. :) I'm pushing to get back to my workouts nearly 7 days a week but will set the goal for 5 days a week at the minimum (at least 30 minutes a day).

I want to eat less processed foods. I know this is going to be a huge challenge for me but I need to cut back as much as possible as I truly believe this will help me bust through this cycle that I've been unable to bust through my entire life. I also want to start menu planning at least a week in advance. There was one week in December that I actually planned several meals ahead of time which made grocery shopping so much easier. I need to do that more often!!

Aside from weight loss goals and eating healthier, I have a few other resolutions. First (and this is going to sound so simple), I am going to follow a strict cleaning schedule. I have had the tendency of putting some things off and doing a lot of cleaning at once, but I realize that if I do a little bit each day, it will make my life so much easier! I've been pinning some sample schedules I've found but ultimately am going to write my own cleaning schedule so I do a little something each day to keep up with the house. It's amazing how easy it is to find excuses to not clean. You laugh, but I bet you know what I mean!

What else do I want to do in 2014? I want to continue being the best mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend I can be. I'm working on not sweating the small stuff so much, so I'm hoping to continue to progress in that department so I don't stress so much sometimes. We found a church locally that we are excited to become a part of this year, so I really look forward to getting involved there for our whole family. I want to continue to grow my Thirty-One business that I started in October 2013. My goal is to become a Senior Consultant by the end of 2014. I definitely think that's an attainable goal (I would love to be a Director by then but I think that might need to wait for 2015 --- but then again, you never know).

What are your resolutions? Work for what you want every day! :) Happy New Year!

~Aly

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