January 01, 2019

My Goals for 2019



I know that a lot of people think that New Year's resolutions are cliché, and like I recently wrote in my post about my weight loss plans for 2019, I happen to love the fresh start of a new year. Setting goals is exciting! Sometimes I get a little too ambitious, but I think it's better to aim high than to just tell myself I probably won't reach my goal anyway, so why bother trying?

I hate to make a "resolution" to lose weight this year, but I really want to get back to a comfortable weight for me. I feel my very best in the low 130's, but anything under 140-ish is comfortable. It's so frustrating to me that I let my weight climb into the 160's in 2018, bringing me to my highest weight since 2010.

I'm not nearly as focused on the numbers as I used to be, but I want to get to a weight where I don't feel self-conscious of the gain. I think that would be about 140. My "goal weight" has been 133 for years, but I don't necessarily want to aim for that particular number anymore. I just want to feel comfortable and fit into my clothes. If I can get down to that weight, I'd be thrilled--but I'm no longer training for races or anything, so it might be too challenging. And I'm okay with that.

Anyway, my first goal for 2019 is to get my weight down to about 140, if not 133. I wrote about my plans for how I'm going to be doing this in a previous post.

My second goal is a big one, and I'm kind of excited about it. I'd like to do a year-long experiment: no alcohol.

There are a lot of reasons why, including keeping a stable mood, reducing anxiety, helping with weight loss, and lots of other things that I am curious about. I've read quite a bit lately about the benefits people feel when abstaining from alcohol, and it inspired me to give it a try. I think that a 30-day challenge or even a 90-day challenge might not be enough time. And since today is the start of a new year, I thought, "Why not aim for 365 days?"


I wasn't going to announce it here, because of all the times I've stated a goal here and then NOT followed through. However, I figure that by making it very public, I'll be more likely to stick with it.

It's going to be super challenging, mostly because of the social aspect of it. In 2017, though, I only drank on a small handful of occasions--I skipped out on alcohol during several social situations, so I know what to expect. I'd like to keep a very simple journal to document any changes I might notice, too--reduced anxiety, for example, or more energy.

My final big goal is to get back in the habit of exercising regularly. I would love for that to include running, but on the days I really just don't want to, I will go for a walk or bike ride, or anything deliberately active.

When I first started exercising in 2010, I said I was going to do 30 minutes three times per week, no matter what. I think that is completely doable, so that will be my plan for this year: walk, run, bike, or whatever for at least 30 minutes, three days per week.


The whole purpose of it, for me, is to get back in the habit of exercise. It's not about burning calories or anything like that. I just really want to get back to the point where exercise wasn't even a question. I just had a running schedule and I followed it, no matter what. After taking so much time off, it's very difficult to make it a habit again.

Those are my three big goals for 2019. I still have little things to work on for my 40 Goals by 40 Years Old list, but what I've listed here are the biggest changes I'd like to make for the new year. I'm looking forward to the challenge!


15 comments:

  1. Those sound both helpful and attainable. Good luck! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your lists have motivated me to make my own "19 in 19" list. Some are health related, but none are weight related - rather, they are things I want to actually do this year (some I've been talking about forever). Thanks for the push and happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I share those goals, as well! Looking forward to hearing how you’re doing! You can do it - and so can I! Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds great! I have similar goals myself, including getting back to a "feel better" weight, and regular exercise in some form. I've also considering going dry but I'm not sure if I am ready -- I had actually considered getting into apertifs this year, so we'll see. I may just aim to drinking less overall and really enjoying when I do.

    ReplyDelete
  5. 3 times a week for 30 minutes is a great way to get back into it. Maybe you will find other ways to exercise that are fun and not as daunting? Happy New Year! (Looking forward to hearing about the no drinking!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. sounds good!

    there's a group on FB called One Year No Beer, I think. i get ads for it a lot. i don't know why bc i don't drink. but it might be nice to have support and see inspiring stories.

    alcohol makes me feel horrible and also depressed afterwards so I think no alcohol sounds good!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like your idea of not being focused on numbers. I am way too much focused on that darned scale. I read a quote from Oprah in the new WW magazine. She said she used to have as her goal: Skinny! Now her goal is: Healthy. I like that. I will never be skinny, but I could sure be healthier, and at my age, that is probably way more important than skinny. Your goals are realistic and attainable. I will be reading as always, and rooting for you, while I continue to work on my own goals in 2019. You always inspire me!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just picking up on you announcing goals/resolutions and not finishing them. One of the reasons that I read here is because you are relateable, you succeed and sometimes you fail :). I know that it sucks to fail but I LOVE that you are open enough to share it because far far too often we are fed these cookie cutter perfect narratives of people's success and how brilliant they are and how they succeed at EVERYTHING they do and that is lovely but it's not something that I can relate to! Your blog inspired me to start running back in 2011. I was looking for stories of Mum's like me who weren't always fit and healthy who weren't active before they had their babies starting to run and get fit. I have fallen off this particular wagon MORE than once but you inspire me to get my behind back into gear, knowing that I am normal, that it is NORMAL to not get it done the first time is so reassuring, that it is normal to get to goal weight and then to gain again, that it is an ongoing project. So succeed or fail I love your goal, and even if you just mostly succeed it's still a great effort at something that may just make you feel better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Personally I absolutely agree with this comment.

      Delete
  9. These sound like great, manageable goals. Idk if you drink diet pop, but I've noticed that having caffeinated pop is usually more fun for me in social settings than alcohol. Fun in a different way, I guess. I enjoy the feeling of getting excited and 'hyper' from caffeine now more than the effects of alcohol. An alcoholic drink is nice for a bit, then I get tired and blah. Not to mention they're lots more costly, too. If not pop, I'll do hot or cold tea. Just a thought! I agree with you, that a new year with some new goals is exciting. --Melissa in Maumee

    ReplyDelete
  10. I totally get the whole social stigma regarding alcohol abstinence. I live in Napa and the culture here is wine! Wine! Wine! And if it’s not wine, it beer or spirits. At all hours of the day. It’s perfectly normal here to drink at breakfast. I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago and my friends didn’t know how to act around me. It was pretty funny yet uncomfortable. They’re used to it now but it took quite a while for them to relax around me. So if I can do it in Wine Country, you definitely can do it. Haha!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am such a wimp.....I actually read you were giving up alcohol and said, "I could never do that!!" I would honestly give up ice cream and or sweets before giving up my happy hour beers. Wow, how my "favorites" have changed as I age.

    Good luck.....and YES, the 140 number range is my goal too!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good luck with these!

    I'm curious- would you give yoga a try? Some people hate it... I love it! I can't remember if you've every written about it one way or another. The studies on yoga and PTSD are so compelling. Not that you have PTSD, but how yoga is helpful for brain health and keeping both the left and right sides of the brain engaged in a healthy way. Again- some people just don't like it, especially if it's too woo-woo or whatever. I started a year and a half ago, and it is the first form of exercise in a looooooong time that I don't have to force myself to do.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I know I don't really have to tell you anything about setting goals, etc. because you are so much better at it than me! But, something that has recently dawned on me is that setting a big goal is not all bad if I can learn to give myself a pass when I mess up. That's a good lesson for me because I would usually shame myself and go off on a binge! So, I don't think it's crazy to set a goal of no alcohol for a whole year as long as you don't let 1 beer throw it all away. Just give yourself a pass and move on. That's really the lesson in all of this. Also, something I heard from a WW person that her leader taught them for the holidays is to give yourself some 'off days'. So for instance, for WW, stay on plan from Thanksgiving through the New Years each day except 5 days or 7 days or whatever would fit. So she picked 6 days that she knew she could not eat on plan, but stayed on plan all the rest of the days! You could do that with alcohol each month - pick one day that you want to have alcohol(a planned occasion, date night, etc.)and say that is your 'pass' day for the month. Just some ideas in case you hit a bump in the road...

    ReplyDelete
  14. good for you. The no alcohol thing is great for anxiety - and you will sleep better!

    ReplyDelete

I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

Featured Posts

Blog Archive