When 2014 started, I honestly didn’t have any expectations of the coming year. I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions a long time ago! But when I think back over the last 364 days, I realize there were a lot of monumental changes in my life this year. Not only did I finally get my health and fitness on the right track, but I achieved a lot of goals that I set out for myself along the way. And I have come to the realization that setting smaller goals and achieving them little by little was the way that worked for me. I certainly didn’t start out January 1st planning on running a half marathon in November. And I definitely didn’t know I would eventually lose over 46 pounds and almost 40 inches before December 31st. I decided to sit here for a moment and list the things I was able to achieve this year so that I can start thinking about the goals I want to set for 2015. I also included some important things I’ve gained, along with the losses. I hope I inspire you to do the same…remember little changes lead to big ones. There is no accomplishment too small to count!
Accomplishments for 2015, in no particular order
-Completed a 3 week workout program (21 Day Fix) fully, three times
(Feb. 24-March 12, Sept. 1-21, Nov. 29-Dec.19)
-Completed a 14 week workout program (T25 Alpha, Beta, Gamma)
(Alpha/Beta March 31-June 9 & Gamma June 23-July 18)
-Completed a 12 week Half Marathon training program
(Aug. 25-Nov.15)
-Ran less than a 10 minute mile (April 12)
-Ran less than a 9 minute mile (June)
-Ran less than an 8 minute mile (Nov.)
-Ran a 5k in less than 30 minutes (Oct. 7)
-Ran a 10k distance (not an official race) in less than 1 hour (Sept. 28)
-Ran a half marathon in 2:01:46 without walking (Nov. 15)
-Lost 46.5 pounds and 38 inches (Feb. 24 – Dec. 31)
-Went from a size 16/18 to a size 10, XL/XXL to a M/L
-Did a yoga bind (Dec. 15)
-Became a Beachbody coach and now support almost 90(!) people around the United States and Canada on their weight loss journeys (March 1)
But beyond all of these accomplisments and losses, there are three very important things I GAINED throughout this year.
SUPPORT SYSTEM
Not only do I have the support of my loving husband, family, and friends, but I now have added a network of coaches, other runners, accountability groups, fitness junkies, etc. that I speak to DAILY about our goals, dreams, aspirations, and struggles. Having this support system was honestly the key to my success. Without all of you and your inspirational and motivational posts, pictures, high fives, and kicks in the butt, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.
CONFIDENCE
Those of you that know me personally know I’m not really shy, but it takes me a bit to open up about my personal feelings. Having gained 80 pounds since high school has always plagued me, but I never had the courage to do anything about it. Now I have the confidence to see how far I’ve come, know I can reach the rest of my goals no matter how rough, and help others do the same.
MOTIVATION
Once I figured out my “WHY” it made it all that much easier to start achieving my goals. But your WHY needs to be STRONG ENOUGH and you have to be willing to put in the work. I never realized that until this year. When times got tough before, I gave up. Thinking back to when my husband proposed to me, I wanted to lose weight for our wedding which was to take place 9 months later. Though I lost a little, I still walked down the aisle in a size 18 dress. I knew he loved me in the body I was in, and that was always lingering in the back of my head. I know today that he’ll still love me no matter what my pant size is, how far I can run, what kind of food I eat, etc. but I want to be healthy for our future child(ren). I want to end the trend of obesity in my own household so that we aren’t just another statistic. I want to stop the risk factors we have for hereditary issues dead in their tracks and never look back. Those wants are powerful enough to keep me going…to keep me working toward my ultimate goals, no matter how long they take. And I know I have the support system, confidence and motivation to get there.
I hope your 2014 was monumental, no matter how big or small your accomplisments were. Write them down, reflect, and think about what you have to do going forward to take you further. If you need help, I recommend finding a support system. Talk about your goals. Post them around you so you can see/hear/reflect on them daily. Share them with others. Share them with me! Make 2015 great, no matter what you’ve got going on around you!
I’m sure you’ve seen the posts and quotes around, but it is soooooo true!
Happy New Year!
