Boldly going into 2009

2008 came and went in a flash, and here it is January, and the dreaded number 45 is peering at me from around the corner.

All in all, my life is great, and I am truly thankful for all of the wonderful things and people in my life. That said, I've never been a fan of mediocrity, so if I want to be "the best that I can be", I better get crackin'.

Taking a quick inventory, I've got an amazing guy, wonderful friends, an awesome house, and a job that makes me excited to get up in the morning. Finances are OK, but just like the rest of the world, I need to step up my savings plan. So...that just leaves the health and fitness thing, and, as they say in the corporate world, that's a big area of opportunity for me.

There was a time a few years ago when I had the health and fitness thing nailed. I was eating well, working out with a trainer, and going to the gym 3-5 times a week. I could do a 60 minute kick-boxing class one day, spinning the next and at my best I did 100 real pushups in one training session.

The story is a little different these days.

I had a hysterectomy at the end of 2007 and I never got back into a workout regimen. On top of that, I started eating like crap, which clearly didn't help. I'm sure the result won't be a surprise to anyone reading this - I gained 15 pounds, I have a closet full of clothes that don't fit, I can’t stand my reflection, I feel like crap and a 30 minute cardio session tuckers me out.

But... before you start throwing me a pity party, don't forget that I started this rant with a commitment to getting back on the right track. The question is how to get from where I am to where I wanna be.

At this point, I should note that I’m a highly logical individual, and I needed to take a rational approach which means no fad diets, drugs or other extreme measures. Also, based on prior experience, I’ve learned that there’s no magic to getting into shape – eat the right amount of the right foods and exercise 4-5 times a week for at least 20 minutes.

The problem is…that it’s hard, which is why there’s so many ads for weight loss pills and quick-fix programs. Also, I’ve been down this road before, and I must admit that it’s a little daunting to start again over 5 years later.

So…remember that amazing guy I talked about earlier? Well, he too was ready to start getting back into a healthy lifestyle, and so we decided to climb that hill together, which is awesome, since it’s much easier to do this when your partner is supportive and coming along for the ride.

Of course, the issue is never starting a healthy regimen (especially in January), it’s about keeping it up. So…we put our heads together and came up with a plan…