Obviously I made so specific goals about keeping my with my journal.  Here's an update:

I have lost 35 lbs this year.  I lost all of that by July 1 then let vacation sabotage me.  Although I am still going ot the gym three times a week, my nutrition never got back on track.  I also haven't used my at-home workout idea, although it is very nicely arranged in a lovely red folder.

I ran my first 5K in May.  I ran my second 5K in June.  I'm running my third in November.  Running is a very generous term for what I actually do.  I jog and walk.  I came in at 40:40 for my first race and 42:44 for my second.  Not what I was hoping for on the second one, but I was sick.  My asthma was acting up, and I had decided not to go.  At the last minute, I grabbed my inhaler and a handful of cough drops and went anyway.  I figured that it would be better to walk it while puffing Albuterol than not to try at all.  I'm pleased that I was able to do it and prove to myself how tough I am.

Zack is potty trained!  I put it off until after we got back from Utah this summer.  He just didn't seem ready until it was too close to vacation.  He had WAY more poop accidents than the girls ever did, but we got there.  Just one more to go.

I've started couponing.  I've got a big list to get today.  I love that we are getting our food storage and saving money.  It's also a lot of fun to track down the best deals.

Speaking of food storage, I've also become a Shelf Reliance consultant.  I'm pretty nervous because I've never done anything like this.  I'll be hosting my first party in a few weeks.  We'll see how it goes.

Since it's January 1, I am full of resolutions and ideas for improvement. I am also acutely aware of the fact that the only New Year's resolution that has actually worked is when I decided to stop biting my nails three years ago. I really want to be healthy, to be a better mom, to increase my spirituality, but I have proven so many times that I have not yet developed the tools to put my lofty plans in to action. I keep asking myself why this year would be any different. I am discouraged before starting.

I do have slightly better plans than I have in years past. I have made a list of changes I want to make to facilitate weight loss. I have focused on things that should become permanent. I am assembling a variety of at-home workouts so I have different thing to choose from to avoid the boredom pitfall. Our family just needs to eat healthier in general. I don't want to diet. I want to change the way we eat, and I want to change the way I think about food. That is the big key to my success. Emotional eating is so easy and so effective for me that I have not been able to find a replacement for it.

I have largely ignored making any real goals outside of weight loss. I can feel my body struggling with the weight of four pregnancies on top of the extra weight I was carrying before. I believe that if I can get my physical health in check, I will have the energy and desire to improve in other ways. I am also trying not to shoot myself in the foot by taking on too much at once.

I really want to run a 5K this summer. I need to sign up for one so I have a deadline. That's a really good idea. I need to take some time, probably tomorrow, and really clearly define my short-term goals.

I'm also getting ready to try to potty train Zachary. I really don't know how to potty train a boy. I think I'll call Stephanie.

My goal for this week is to do my microfit assessment for Body by Whiteman. That's a weight loss challenge I signed up for. At least that's something I have been proactive about already. I am also going to drink three quarts of water a day this week. There they are, written down.

I'm still nervous.